Powerful Place. St. Martin's Monastery in Gnadenwald

It is obvious that St. Martin in Gnadenwald was chosen as one of our places of power. When you arrive there, you can already feel the special aura of this place. First and foremost, St. Martin is a place of relaxation - both physical and spiritual. In our fast-moving times, "coming to rest" is extremely important. The Cretan or classic stone labyrinth positioned to the left below the monastery symbolizes the human journey through life; labyrinths have been found in many cultures for more than 5,000 years and are formed from the need for inner peace and a sense of home.

A hunting lodge with a chapel in honor of St. Martin is said to have stood on the site of today's monastery as early as the 11th century. The first documentary mention of it was in 1337 in a will of the Tyrolean court master Heinrich von Rottenburg. A second mention was made in 1382. Around the same time or not long afterwards, a hermitage was founded here, which was inhabited by two forest friars.

The daughter Magdalena Getzner of the wealthy Hall citizen Jörg Perl entered the monastery of St. Magdalena in Halltal together with her daughter in 1486. This was possible because her father made an annual donation to the convent of St. Magdalena. Magdalena Getzner's daughter, also called Magdalena, had health problems, probably a mental disability, which is why she was allowed by the bishop to leave the convent of St. Magdalena and settle in a healthy place in religious dress. Magdalena Getzner and her daughter now chose St. Martin in Gnadenwald as their new place of residence. This is documented in a document from 1497 from the Baumkirchen parish archives. Some sisters also went with them to St. Martin, so that a convent was established there, of which Magdalena Getzner the Elder became the superior.
On October 7, 1520, the Augustinian convent in St. Martin in Gnadenwald burned down. The 30 nuns found refuge in the chaplaincy of St. Salvator in Hall and remained there until 1566.

The time of the Peasants' Wars and the Reformation was not the time to rebuild burnt-down monasteries. The ruins of St. Martin's, whose Gothic windows and buttresses still bear witness to the old building, stood abandoned in the forest for over 100 years. It was not until Christof Wenig, a priest from Hall, began to rebuild the burnt ruins and found a "Klösterle" for a cooperative of like-minded people.
In 1826 the whole church was renovated and in 1836 it received a new high altar with an altarpiece probably by Arnold Schöpf. The frescoes by Milldorfer remained.
In the Nazarene years, the monastery received its nativity scene with figures over 80 cm high.
In 1935, the Tertiary Sisters from Hall moved into the cells, which had been abandoned for so long, and ran a guest house here from 1939. This was a valuable place for pilgrims in particular to stop and rest during their hike. Unfortunately, the rental was discontinued in 2019 and the Tertiary Sisters no longer live in the convent.

The entire area around St. Martin is wonderful to explore on walks or hikes. Variety is guaranteed, because regardless of whether you prefer a leisurely stroll along the sunny plateau or want to head up high: everything is possible from St. Martin. Between the monastery of St. Martin and St. Michael in Gnadenwald there is the tree path theme trail. Native trees and shrubs are presented at 14 stations along the secluded edge of the forest. The contemplation trail, which runs in a westerly direction to the Walderbrücke bridge, is based on the words of Jesus' "Beatitudes" with its nine stations. They make us take notice and pause for a moment. The Way of Reflection is also part of the Tyrolean Way of St. James, the ancient pilgrimage route to the supposed tomb of St. James the Elder in Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain. The Way of St. James Tyrol consists of two main paths leading westwards.
A little further away from St. Martin, but definitely worth mentioning because it is also on the Tyrolean Way of St. James, is the pilgrimage site of Maria Larch. The pilgrimage there dates back to the 17th century. Water, which is said to have healing properties, gushes from a magnificent fountain next to the church.

There are two nearby places to stop for refreshments during or after your hike. There is the Alpenhotel Speckbacherhof right next to the monastery and the Martinsstuben further east.

Winter sports enthusiasts get their money's worth with cross-country skiing, tobogganing, snowshoeing or winter hiking. On the beautiful sunny Gnadenwald plateau, there is a classic cross-country ski trail of almost 16 km and a skating trail of almost 7 km, which are always perfectly groomed. From Monday to Thursday, the trail is floodlit until 19.30.
The toboggan run is particularly suitable for families as it is not very long. The Karwendel mountains present a completely different side in winter. Snowshoeing towards the Hinterhornalm or walking to Maria Larch are particularly atmospheric in the cold season.