St. Martin: Chapels and Circular Hike
Accommodation in St. Martin
Historical points of interest include the Gothic cemetery chapel, the branch church of St. Martin, and the history of the Heihsgut estate; the circular hike “At the Foot of the Speiereck” is described as a route option. These offer different starting points for planning: buildings and the history of the estate provide cultural and historical themes, while the circular hike follows a named route that returns to Sankt Martin. Consider whether local and architectural history, hiking, or both should be the focus of your stay.
Chapels and Architectural History
The Anna or Rochus Chapel is the Gothic cemetery chapel in Sankt Martin. Originally, it was a two-storey charnel house with an octagonal floor plan. During restoration, the cemetery chapel was brought closer to its late-medieval design, emphasizing its unity with the parish church. Its architectural context therefore brings together its form, its former function, and later design development. Octagonal means that the floor plan has eight sides.
The branch church of St. Martin is in the hamlet or district of St. Martin in Lungau.
The Heihsgut Estate and Historic Buildings
The history of the Heihsgut estate dates back to 1478, when the Carinthian Heihs family acquired the house from the Benedictine Abbey of St. Lambrecht. The Heihsgut includes a Swiss pine parlour dating from 1545. The dates refer to different things: 1478 marks the acquisition of the house, while 1545 is the date of the Swiss pine parlour. The Heihsgut is a protected monument and has been designated a cultural monument.
A monument register entry dated June 30, 2025, lists the Ansitz Heiss-Haus, St. Martiner-Straße 1, 5582 Sankt Michael im Lungau (Sankt Martin), as a protected monument. It also lists the Schüttkasten Mentenwirts-Kasten, St. Martiner-Straße 7, 5582 Sankt Michael im Lungau (Sankt Martin), as a protected monument.
Circular Hike and Getting There
The circular hike “At the Foot of the Speiereck” leads to the over 800-year-old Church of St. Egid, runs along the southern side of the Speiereck to Sonndörfl, and returns to Sankt Martin. Unlike individual buildings, the hike describes a sequence of a destination, a section of the route, and the return. When planning your stay around your interests, you can consider the Church of St. Egid a historical landmark along the hike and treat local and architectural history as a separate theme.
For travel by car, the toll Tauern Autobahn A10 leads via the St. Michael exit, then on to Tamsweg and through St. Michael to the exit from the village of St. Martin. Check road conditions before setting off. In the wider region, a Postbus runs daily from Radstadt to Lungau. If you are considering this service for your travel plans, check the timetable in advance.
Discover more destinations: Sankt Andrä in Lungau, Muhr, Hinterweisspriach, Weißpriach, Thomatal, Lessach, Mauterndorf.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Tamsweg District.
More about the destination
Useful information for planning your trip:
