Marian Shrines of Central Europe
Twelve days through Hungary, Austria, Germany and Switzerland in Advent, from Esztergom and Mariazell to Altötting and Einsiedeln, with Mass every day.
Your chaplain
Fr. Ed Kucera
“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:28
The angel’s greeting to Our Lady, prayed at every shrine on this pilgrimage. Our days fall in Advent, and on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate Mass at Altötting before its Black Madonna.
Advent · The Christmas markets of Central Europe
Central Europe, November 30 to December 11, 2027
Twelve days, ten nights in Budapest, Vienna, Mariazell, Salzburg, Munich and Lucerne, with Máriaremete, Mariazell, Altötting and Einsiedeln along the way, and Mass each day.
Begins in Budapest and ends in Lucerne
OvernightVisit
Nights: 3 Budapest, 2 Vienna, 1 Mariazell, 1 Salzburg, 2 Munich, 1 Lucerne.
Departure
Our pilgrimage begins as we depart the United States on our overnight flight to Budapest.
Arrival
Our tour escort greets us at the airport and accompanies us to our hotel. This evening we gather for a welcome dinner.
Budapest
We explore Castle Hill in Buda, touring Matthias Church and pausing at Fisherman’s Bastion for sweeping Danube views. In Pest we celebrate Mass at St. Stephen’s Basilica, where the Holy Right, the incorrupt hand of Hungary’s first king and apostle, is venerated. A Christmas market is held in the basilica square during this season.
Budapest & Máriaremete
We journey into the Buda hills to the Marian shrine of Máriaremete, celebrating Mass in its peaceful neo-Gothic sanctuary. Returning to the city, we visit the Cave Church hewn into Gellért Hill and entrusted to the Pauline Fathers, the only order founded in Hungary.
Budapest, Esztergom & Vienna
We travel along the Danube to Esztergom, ancient royal seat and spiritual heart of Hungarian Catholicism, where King St. Stephen was crowned. We celebrate Mass in its basilica, the largest church in the country, before continuing to Vienna.
Vienna
A full day in imperial Vienna. We celebrate Mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the soaring Gothic mother church, then visit the Capuchin Crypt of the Habsburgs and walk the Graben to the Plague Column. Our afternoon takes us to Karlskirche, dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo. Christmas markets are held in the city’s squares during this season, and we will have time to visit them where they are near our route.
Vienna & Mariazell
We travel south into the Styrian Alps to Mariazell, Austria’s most beloved Marian shrine for more than eight centuries. We celebrate Mass in the basilica and venerate the Magna Mater Austriae at the silver Chapel of Grace.
Mariazell, Melk Abbey & Salzburg
We journey to Melk Abbey, the great Benedictine monastery above the Danube, touring its church and famed library and celebrating Mass, before continuing west to Salzburg, founded by St. Rupert around the year 696.
Salzburg, Altötting & Munich
We tour Salzburg Cathedral, resting place of St. Rupert and St. Virgil, with the city’s Christmas market held on the cathedral squares during this season, then cross into Bavaria to Altötting, the spiritual heart of Catholic Germany. We celebrate Mass and venerate the Black Madonna at the Chapel of Grace, beloved since 1489. On to Munich.
Munich
We explore Munich, visiting the Frauenkirche, whose twin towers crown the skyline, and St. Michael’s Church, the great Counter-Reformation stronghold. Mass is celebrated at one of these historic churches. The afternoon is at leisure on Marienplatz beneath the Mariensäule, where Munich’s Christmas market is held during this season.
Munich, Einsiedeln & Lucerne
We depart early into Switzerland to the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln, a thousand-year center of Marian pilgrimage. We celebrate Mass and venerate the Black Madonna, joining the monks’ daily Salve Regina. Continuing to Lucerne, we walk the Chapel Bridge and pause at the Lion Monument.
Return home
With hearts strengthened by the saints of Central Europe and the intercession of Our Lady, we transfer to Zurich Airport for our return flight home.
Optional 3-day Rome extension
Following the pilgrimage, you may extend your journey with three days in Rome, the Eternal City. We celebrate Mass daily and pray among its ancient basilicas, walking in the footsteps of the apostles and martyrs.
What’s included
Everything below is covered by the package price.
Your hotels in Central Europe
Four-star hotels throughout: three nights in Budapest, two in Vienna, one in Mariazell, one in Salzburg, two in Munich and one in Lucerne. Hotels are subject to final confirmation; if a hotel changes, it is replaced with one of the same standard.
“Each site was thought out about why and how to pray there.”
“Thank you for taking care of the day to day details, leaving all of us free to focus on prayer and spiritual growth”
“From the first email, Canterbury Pilgrimages was pure white-glove magic.”
Questions pilgrims ask
Short answers to what most people want to know before they put down a deposit.
It is a touring pilgrimage by motorcoach. Expect about 2 to 3 miles of walking on a typical day, with cobblestones in the old towns, Castle Hill in Buda, and streets that can be icy in December. Days usually start with a wake-up call around 7am, departure by 9am and a return to the hotel between 5pm and 6pm.
You can have a room to yourself, with a single room supplement of $995, or share a room. If you would like to share, we will do our best to match you with a roommate. If we cannot find a match by September 1, 2027, the single room supplement applies. Couples, families, friends and singles are all welcome, and plenty of pilgrims come on their own. The optional Rome extension has its own single room supplement of $295.
Lunches, donations at Masses, souvenirs and laundry. A typical lunch costs about $15 to $20. Tips for restaurant and hotel staff are included; tips for your tour director and driver are at your discretion: as a guide, $8 to $10 per person per day for your tour guide and $6 to $8 for your driver. Travel insurance if you choose it, and a 3% fee if you pay by card. Abroad, we recommend paying for most things by credit card, which is accepted almost everywhere and comes with protection that cash does not; bring a couple hundred U.S. dollars in cash for emergencies. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to pay in dollars or in the local currency (forints in Hungary, euros in Austria and Germany, Swiss francs in Switzerland), choose the local currency; it is almost always cheaper.
Cancel in writing. Up to September 1, 2027 (90 days before departure), everything you have paid is returned except $200. After that date, the $450 deposit and any costs we cannot recover are kept. Travel insurance may cover a cancellation, depending on the reason.
Fr. Ed Kucera leads the group as chaplain.
More answers in the FAQ below and in our Support Center, or call us at +1 (800) 653-0017.
Price per person
Per person, including roundtrip group airfare. Premium economy and business class are available: call us for pricing.
Shared rooms are always doubles with two beds. If you would like us to match you with a roommate, tell us when you book and we will do our best. Please note that if we cannot find you a match by the final payment date of September 1, 2027, the single room supplement will apply.
Couples, families, friends, singles, all are welcome!
Some pilgrims come as a couple, some bring the whole family, some come with a friend from the parish, and plenty come on their own. Everyone is welcome.
$200 per person is non-refundable.
Final payment is due 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available if you would like to make smaller payments before then.
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Central Europe in Advent
November 30 to December 11, 2027, with Fr. Ed Kucera. Reserve today with a $450 deposit per pilgrim.
Questions? Call +1 (800) 653-0017 or email hello@canterburypilgrimages.com.
Secure your spot today with a $450 deposit per pilgrim.
Frequently asked questions
This is an active program that covers a good amount of ground each day. Expect a wake-up call around 7am, departure by 9am and a return to the hotel between 5pm and 6pm. You should be able to walk 2 to 3 miles a day at a moderate pace, with uneven surfaces, stairs, cobblestones and some slopes.
Expect winter weather: cold days, often near freezing, with early darkness and the chance of snow, especially at Mariazell in the Alps. Bring warm layers, a winter coat, gloves and shoes with good grip for icy streets.
Yes. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the return date, and passport cards are not accepted for international travel. We need your passport details at least 90 days before departure.
Rates are per person based on two pilgrims sharing a room. Shared rooms are always doubles with two beds. If you are travelling alone we will try to match you with a roommate of the same gender; if we cannot, the single room supplement applies.
Yes. The price includes group airfare, so call us for a price without flights. Tell us at registration so we can line your arrival up with the group’s in Budapest on December 1 and its departure from Zurich on December 11.
Final payment is due on September 1, 2027, 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available if you would like to make smaller payments before then.
We strongly encourage travel insurance for all of our pilgrims, and we partner with Allianz Travel Insurance to offer affordable coverage. Most of our pilgrims choose the Classic Plan. Insurance can be quoted and purchased after registration.
A pilgrimage is not a vacation or excursion but a unique spiritual journey that provides many opportunities to deepen your relationship with God and enrich your Catholic faith by bringing Scripture to life. Pilgrimages offer the opportunity to let Christ draw you near.
More questions are answered in our Support Center, covering booking, payments, travel insurance, passports and what to expect on pilgrimage.