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Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer

Hermitage at Palfen

Caves

Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer

Hermitage at Palfen

Highlight • Religious Site

Hermitage at Palfen

Name: Hermitage at Palfen
Rating: 2

Recommended by 60 hikers

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Location: Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Bezirk Zell am See, Salzburg, Austria

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Best Hikes to Hermitage at Palfen

4.8

(117)

947

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1. View of Saalfelden – Peter Wiechentaler Hut loop from Obsmarkt

12.0km

05:28

870m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

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Expert

4.8

(43)

155

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2. View of Saalfelden – Steinalm in Saalfelden loop from Euring

11.7km

04:12

630m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

4.8

(10)

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3. Adams Spring – Hermitage at Palfen loop from Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer

9.38km

02:57

290m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

Tips

Marco

October 22, 2024

The idea of hermits is not a Christian idea, its origins go back to pre-Christian times. Nevertheless, the hermitage on the Palfen in Saalfelden was founded on purely Christian beliefs.

From around 1560, an image of Saint George was venerated in a rock cave above Lichtenberg Castle. This prompted a certain Thomas Pichler, a mountain farmer's son from Embach who belonged to the Order of Saint Francis, to obtain permission from the archbishop's consortium in Salzburg in 1664 to settle as a hermit above Lichtenberg Castle. With the help of his fellow believers, he built a small hermitage on the Palfen and converted the cave with the image of Saint George into a chapel. Brother Thomas was a hermit on the Palfen for 35 years. He was followed by other hermits, some of whom undertook some renovations and extensions.

Today, the hermitage is no longer exclusively a Christian place of worship, but is also a popular destination for locals and tourists. Today's hermits serve drinks in the summer months to supplement their modest finances. A mass is held at Palfen on April 23 of each year, St. George's Day.

The hermitage was built in the 17th century above Lichtenberg Castle. The 34th hermit has been Matthias Gschwandtner from Bad Ischl since June 2020,[2] as the successor to the Belgian Stan Vanuytrecht.[3] The current hermit was chosen through a competition.

The word "Palfen" originally meant an overhanging rock, a rocky peak or a cave.

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Petra

February 28, 2025

beautiful view - when winter begins to give way to spring ...

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andreas d

October 23, 2024

Very impressive all the beautiful paths for hiking

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Elevation 1,000 m

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Take Me There

Location: Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Bezirk Zell am See, Salzburg, Austria

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Hermitage at Palfen

1. View of Saalfelden – Peter Wiechentaler Hut loop from Obsmarkt

2. View of Saalfelden – Steinalm in Saalfelden loop from Euring

3. Adams Spring – Hermitage at Palfen loop from Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer

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