Devil's Church

Welcome to the Teufelskirche in Neustift im Mühlkreis.

The Devil's Church is a rock tower where, according to legend, the devil is said to have held a mass in times past.

Schwärzerfelsen and the Devil’s Church (Legend):
Near Riedl in Bavaria, there once lived three incredibly strong and daring smugglers. Night after night, they crept through the rocky Ranna Gorge toward Austria with sacks bulging with tobacco or flour. On the Wildersteig trail, they trudged up the slopes to the Schwärzerfelsen. They hid their contraband in its cave. Here, merchants and other buyers came to pick up the cheap Bavarian goods. Because the three smugglers were on the move night after night, they always slept during the day. They did the same on Sundays. For years, they were therefore unable to attend Sunday services. They would sometimes stand atop the Penzenstein, while down in Engelhartszell the solemn tolling of the bells carried a reverent atmosphere out into the Danube Valley. That would make their hearts ache a little. But when they thought of the long journey to church, all desire to attend services vanished. One crystal-clear Sunday morning, the three of them trudged back home to Riedl. Their path took them west of the Rannariedler Galgen, past a rocky tower. As they walked by, unsuspecting, organ music rang out from within. Curious, they stopped, stepped closer, and spotted the Devil in a crevice in the rock. He walked toward them amiably and invited them to his Mass. But the bear-strong men were suddenly seized with fear, crossed themselves, and rushed home, panting. The three daring brothers reflected on their actions, attended church every Sunday, and gave up their mischief. The rock near the Rannariedl gallows

The Devil’s Church is located near the Burgherrenweg or the Donausteig.