Christkin Credit:www.e-cesty.cz
A Favorite Austrian Travel Destination During the Christmas Season
Just outside the city of Steyr is the tiny town of Christkindl, known for its church, religious artifacts, and post office, and is especially popular around the holidays. Along a winding road out of the small Upper Austrian city of Steyr, through the trees, and past rolling hills and green fields, is the village of Christkindl. Though it may not seem like much at first glance, this little community just a couple of kilometers outside of the center of Steyr is full of charm and history.
Christkindl as a Pilgrimage Destination
The artifacts within Christkindl’s church draw several visitors each year. Among the most-viewed works is the ten-centimeter wax figurine of Jesus as the Christkind. The relic is among the several religious artifacts that make Christkindl a popular pilgrimage destination.
Christkindl’s Unique Postage: A Popular Souvenir
Popular for its post office with a famous stamp, the only stamp of its kind in the world, Christkindl attracts visitors each year, particularly around Christmastime. These visitors are usually not only hoping to see the church and its artifacts, but to purchase the stamp that is only available in Christkindl, only authentic on an envelope with the post office’s seal.
Christkindl’s Church
With towers that rise above the trees, charming older buildings along sloping cobblestoned streets, and a marvelous view of the surrounding hills, Christkindl is beautiful any time of year. The center of the village is the exquisite Christkindl Church, or Christkindlkirche. Though the church’s interior has a simple design, the exterior is a wonderful example of the elaborate Rococo architecture that, along with architecture from the Baroque era, dominates many churches in the region.
Getting to Christkindl from Steyr
Follow one of the pathways out to Christkindl from the center of town, or take bus line eight to Goldbacherstrasse and walk along the dirt path for the rest of the way. There is also an old-style shuttle bus ( Postbus) to Christkindl that departs from Steyr’s Stadtplatz during the holiday season.
Other Holiday Attractions in and Around Steyr
The Christkindlmarkt in Garsten is a wonderful event not to miss if spending part of the holiday season in this lovely region of Upper Austria. Garsten is a village just outside of Steyr, accessible both by bus and by train. Steyr also hosts a Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt), and Linz, just an hour train ride away, also offers a large Weihnachtsmarkt in the city’s Hauptplatz, or main square.
To experience one of the points of pride of the Steyr region, visit the village of Christkindl, Austria. Of course, the best time to visit is around Christmastime, when visitors can pick up the unique souvenir postage stamp, see the church and its relics, and have a lovely overall holiday excursion.
