Wallfahrtskapelle Maria Alber

A lone traveler, weary from the road, stumbled upon the Wallfahrtskapelle Maria Alber. He had heard whispers of a “church in the trees” on his journey, a place of peace and solace. Could this be it? The Wallfahrtskapelle Maria Alber stood before him, a small but beautiful baroque structure nestled amongst the trees. It was a curious blend of architectural styles, with its four rounded apses and an octagonal lantern atop its copper-domed roof. He stepped inside, captivated by the stories whispered through the ages within those walls. The Wallfahrtskapelle Maria Alber, he learned, owed its existence to a humble act of faith. In 1686, a Bavarian toll collector named Arnold Schwenkh, stationed at the nearby Lech River crossing, placed a replica of the Altötting Madonna image inside a hollow tree. This simple act drew people seeking solace and prayer. Schwenkh, recognizing the growing devotion to the “Altötting Mother of God,” erected a small wooden chapel around the tree. He laid the foundation stone for the current Wallfahrtskapelle Maria Alber just a year before his death in 1693. The chapel, completed in 1694, became a testament to his faith and a beacon for pilgrims seeking comfort and hope. Even today, the Wallfahrtskapelle Maria Alber, though surrounded by the expanding city, offered a tranquil escape, a sanctuary where the whispers of faith echoed through the centuries.