Holy Spirit Pilgrimage Church

In the rear Valle Aurina, there where the Casere Information Point of the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park is located and the road ends at a parking space, a small church in the middle of meadows and the impressive alpine world can be found. It is widely known as a pilgrimage site and is dedicated to the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit Pilgrimage Church - "Wallfahrtskirche Heilig Geist" in German, "Santuario di Santo Spirito" in Italian. It is known that the church and the cemetery were consecrated in 1455, but their history probably goes back to the 8th century.

The pilgrimage church in Casere used to serve as a chapel for the miners of the Predoi Mine and for the burial of travellers who hiked across the mountains from the Pinzgau or Salzburg to South Tyrol. Many froze to death on the long way through the Krimml Tauern mountain range. Inside, there are numerous frescoes and wooden statues of St. Oswald of Northumbria, Kilian, Ursula, Francis and Andrew, as well as a safe: there, artworks are accommodated, which were removed during the extension of the little church around 1500 and brought back in 1981.

The little church, located at 1,620 m a.s.l., seems to lean against a rock. And right there, between church and nature, the "Schliefstein" stone can be found. If you squeeze your way through the narrow rock crevice, you will come out at the other end free from sins. And how to reach the Holy Spirit Church? From the car park (subject to charge) at the end of the valley in a walk of approx. 10 minutes, from Casere itself the Way of the Cross with its 15 stations leads to the church in 30 minutes. The pilgrimage site, which is the subject of numerous legends, is also a popular starting point for tours in the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park, such as the hike from Casere to the Lahner Mountain Hut or - in the cold season - the winter hike at the head of the Valle Aurina valley.