Lourdes Grotto

Creation of the Lourdes Grotto.Pastor Georg Schraml, who had been pastor in Utzenhofen since 1891, conceived the plan to build a Lourdes Grotto similar to the Lourdes Grotto in France. He felt it was important to win over many believers to this cause. Since the apparition in Lourdes held something special for ordinary people, but since hardly anyone at the end of the 19th century had the opportunity to visit the apparition site, he saw it as his duty to create a similar environment in the community.[Source: Information board at the grotto]

The Lourdes grotto near Utzenhofen was inaugurated in 1895 on the initiative of the local pastor. At that time there was great enthusiasm for the Lourdes pilgrimage in France, but only those of the local population would be able to afford at least this long journey. So they started to offer a local "substitute" in the rock formation previously known as the "Goashöhle", which had probably been used to shelter goats. A statue of the Virgin Mary was erected, next to one of Bernadette.
It is also interesting that at that time the forest in front of the grotto was cut down so that the people of Utzenhofen had a clear view of the Lourdes grotto from the village. In the meantime the forest has grown up again and you have to make the effort to go up the Way of the Cross. For those who are not so good on foot, there is also a road up from Utzenhofen.

The "Utzenhofener Lourdesgrotte" is the goal of the Utzenhofener Way of the Cross.