Wallfahrtskirche Maria Weinberg

The beginnings of the parish and pilgrimage church "Maria am Weinberge", which is also the parish of Gaas, are lost in the mists of the Middle Ages. In 1221, the community of Kertes (Gaas) is mentioned for the first time in a deed of gift in connection with a "domus Henrici" (Heinrichshaus). This "house" is presumed to have been a castle ("castrum") that is said to have stood here until the second half of the 14th century. The chapel of this castle could be the predecessor of the sanctuary of the pilgrimage church, which is the oldest part of the church. However, the actual founding dates back to the year 1155. In the apse of the sanctuary stands the beautiful late Gothic statue of grace (the "Weinbergerin") from the year 1460. Pope Sixtus IV granted pilgrims an indulgence in 1475, which led to an increase in pilgrimages to Maria Weinberg. At the beginning of the 16th century, the church was expanded to its current size with the addition of the nave and consecrated on November 22, 1524, in honor of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.