Mariazell

I wanted to avoid the mistake I made two years ago when I drove much too long on my first day here and nearly fell asleep at the wheel of my rental car. That is an experience I do not care to repeat. I booked a room at the Hotel Drei Hasen (The Three Hares) in the town of Mariazell, about a two hour drive north of Graz. It is an important pilgrimage destination. The town was founded in 1157 and it recently celebrated the 850th anniversary of its existence. A monk brought a wooden image of the Virgin Mary to Mariazell at that time, claiming it had special powers. And so a legend was born and the superstitions that resulted in the creation of the imposing basilica here. There was first a Romaneque church (burnt down) then a Gothic one (ditto) and then another. In the 17th century the church was remodeled in the Baroque style. Well, most of it was. You can see from the photo of the facade that something is amiss; the central Gothic tower was left intact and two side portions in a Renaissance style were build on to it. (The middle portion is partially obscured by the yellow and white papal flag; the pope visited here a few years back.) The whole thing just doesn't add up architecturally and makes an aesthetically odd impression. Inside is another story. The decor is extravagantly, riotously Baroque. (I didn't snap any pics because I didn't want to disturb the pilgrims. Wasn't that nice of me?) The now ancient wooden image is housed in an elaborate central chapel adorned with tons of gold and silver. I thought of entering into the guest book the following (but I didn't): I entered this church an atheist and left it an atheist; but I did admire the creative genius of the men who created this beautiful place.
There are ample opportunities to empty one's pockets in the church, donating to this and that, buying all sorts of trinkets. It all smacks of the same corrupt practices of the church in past centuries. (Didn't these people ever hear about the Reformation? Why do they think that happened??)
My hotel is an old building with spacious rooms and high ceilings that has been modernized. It even offers free wi-fi -- can't get more with it than that! The setting of the town in the North Styrian Alps is gorgeous. If Mariazell weren't the pilgrimage center it is it would be just another picturesque town in the alps.