Sankt Georgen: Traditions, Church and Trails

Two main themes can help you plan a stay in Sankt Georgen: the parish church and its history, and routes for walking or cycling. You can tailor your trip to your interest in a religious tradition, a local legend along the way or a tour towards Palfen.

Parish Church and St. George’s Tradition

The parish church of St. George stands on a hilltop. Its basic masonry structure dates back to the Romanesque period around 1300; around 1400, it acquired its present Gothic form. St. George’s Parish Church in St. Georgen im Pinzgau contains a fresco of the oldest Dance of Death in Salzburg. Its architectural history and fresco thus offer two different points of interest for anyone interested in church architecture or historical depictions. The dates refer to different stages: the origins of the basic structure and its later Gothic form.

The cattle-carrying tradition is practised in the parish of St. Georgen im Pinzgau every year on 23 April, the feast day of St. George. After the church service, the decorated horse procession circles the church three times, followed by the blessing ceremony. If you would like to plan your stay around this tradition, 23 April is the relevant date. The sequence is clear: the service is followed by three circuits around the church and then the blessing ceremony.

Trails and Tours towards Palfen

The pram-friendly Goldfröschlein Legends Trail starts in St. Georgen at the Museum of Legends and Fairy Tales. Along the trail, there are stations where visitors can learn more about the legend. The trail thus links a specific starting point with a story explored at several stations along the way. Its stated suitability for prams is a useful point of reference when planning with a pram; no further details, such as the trail’s length, are provided.

The hike from Sankt Georgen to Palfen starts at the village square and takes about an hour. This time estimate applies to this hike. When planning your day, you can take into account both the stated starting point and the approximate duration, without confusing them with the information about the cycling tour.

The cycling tour from St. Georgen to Palfen starts in St. Georgen and follows a narrow, paved mountain road past Heuberg towards Palfen. It climbs from 770 metres in St. Georgen to 1,080 metres at Palfen. The information about the cycling tour therefore differs clearly from that about the hike: for cycling, the road surface and elevation profile are specified; for the hike, the starting point and approximate duration are given. If you are choosing between the two options, you can consider these details in light of your preferred way of getting around.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

The date of 23 April and the different types of routes offer different ways to plan your trip. St. George’s tradition has a specific date, while the Legends Trail and routes towards Palfen can be considered in terms of their respective starting points and features. If you are looking for accommodation in Sankt Georgen, first decide whether the tradition or a walking or cycling plan will be the focus of your stay. The stated starting points and details apply to their respective trails, so they should not be understood as one combined route.

If you would also like to compare other destinations, you can find Hasenbach, Königsleiten, Kaprun, Lend, Reitlehen, Bramberg, Krössenbach and Walchen here.

For the broader travel overview: Zell am See District (Pinzgau).