The best cycling routes around Forchet

Simply beautiful to cycle here

Nice little church ⛪️

Many beautiful views on the Ötztal Cycle Path

Fantastically beautiful cycle path in the Ötztal

Great bridge over the Ötz

The – in my experience not very often encountered – invocation "Maria Schnee" (Mary of the Snows) indicates that this chapel was dedicated to the Mother of God Mary, but not, as is most often the case, associated with one of her classic feast days (for example, the Naming of Mary, the Nativity, the Assumption, or as Queen of the Rosary). Rather, the search for the origin of "Maria Schnee" in church history takes us far back to the 4th/5th century, and geographically from Austrian Tyrol to the Italian capital. On August 5, 363, the so-called "snow miracle" happened there, at the spot where the magnificent church "Santa Maria Maggiore" (it was here a few months ago that Pope Francis was buried) is located today, meaning that on that day, in the middle of summer, there was snow in the morning, because the Mother of God wanted a house of God dedicated to her to be built there. She communicated this wish in a nocturnal vision to a wealthy couple – who financed the construction – and to the Bishop of Rome, Pope Liberius. The Roman church has the rank of a patriarchal basilica (papal basilica); it is the origin of all churches and chapels with this invocation. In the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, the date of August 5, as the consecration day of the church (Anno Domini 432 by Pope Sixtus III), is a "non-obligatory memorial day".

Stams Abbey – a Baroque gem on the Inn Valley Cycle Path – is a magnificent Cistercian monastery in the Tyrolean Inn Valley, founded in 1273. It is particularly famous for its Baroque abbey church with twin towers, the richly decorated high altar, the princely crypt, and the atmospheric Bernardi Hall. Today, the abbey is not only a spiritual center, but also a place of education (with its own high school) and culture. Due to its location directly on the Inn Valley Cycle Path, the abbey is an excellent destination or stopover for cyclists. The tranquil abbey courtyard, the café in the abbey area, and the opportunity to take a guided tour offer cyclists a relaxing and culturally enriching break. The view of the surrounding Tyrolean mountains also makes the visit worthwhile.

History of the Cistercian Monastery of Stams The Cistercian Monastery of Stams was founded in 1272 by Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol as a burial place for the Tyrolean princes in memory of the last Hohenstaufen dynasty, Conradin, and settled a year later. The monastery's Baroque and Rococo furnishings date from between 1650 and 1750. A monastery school has been documented since the 17th century. The monastery was dissolved in 1807 and re-established in 1816 under Emperor Francis I. In 1938, the foundation was dissolved again by the Nazi regime. A new beginning was made in 1945. Monks from the Cistercian monastery of Stična (Parakeet) in Slovenia made a significant contribution to the abbey's revival. Text / Source: MEDIA OFFICE OF THE RELIGIOUS ORDER ORDERS AUSTRIA, Vienna https://www.ordensgemeinschaften.at/portal/ordensgemeinschaften/ordenswiki/address/589.html#:~:text=The Cistercian monastery of Stams was founded in 1272 by Count Meinhard and dates back to the period between 1650 and 1750.