The pilgrimage church
The story begins in 1695. Ferdinand Sertl, bell-ringer and choirmaster, placed a small wax figure of the Christ Child, about 10 cm tall, in the hollow of a spruce tree in the woods near Steyr and was cured of his epilepsy. Pilgrims followed, and in 1702 work began on a church around the tree. Begun under Carlone, it was continued from 1708 by Jakob Prandtauer, the architect of Melk Abbey.
The Christmas post office
Since 1950 a special post office has opened in Christkindl each Christmas season. Letters and cards posted or sent here receive special Christmas postmarks, about 1.5 million items a year, and travel all over the world. In 2026 the post office is open from 27 November to 31 December.
Advent in the Christkindl town
- An Advent village around the Leopoldibrunnen on the Stadtplatz.
- Steyrer Adventblasen: brass music from the town hall balcony, Wednesday to Sunday.
- A Christkindlmarkt on the Promenade and the Schloss.Lamberg.Advent market at the castle.
- Nativity scenes with the Lamberg figures in the former Palmenhaus, and Austria’s first Christmas museum, with a ride-on train.
- The Steyrer Kripperl nativity puppet theatre at the city museum, from Advent to Epiphany.
- In 2026 the Ö3 Weihnachtswunder charity broadcast comes to Steyr from 19 to 24 December.
Book early: Advent is the busiest time for the hotels of the old town. See places to stay.
Sources: oberoesterreich.at (church) · oberoesterreich.at (post office) · oberoesterreich.at (Advent)