St. Johann und Paul Chapel

St. Johann und Paul is a small forest chapel at Eisgraben, about a kilometer above St. Bartholomä on the Hirschau peninsula. It makes a worthwhile short stop if you are already at the landing and want a little of the area's pilgrimage history. Reach it on foot from St. Bartholomä; there is no road approach. The path begins fairly level, then steepens through the forest beyond the chapel. Turn back here if you only want a brief visit; the route onward toward the Eiskapelle becomes a difficult hike through rough streambed and boulders. The chapel interior may be locked, so treat getting inside as a bonus. From near the Eisbach crossing, include the streambed in front of the chapel to show how it sits in the woods.

The chapel was built in post-Gothic style between 1617 and 1620 with alms donated by pilgrims. Its tall shingled roof and bell frame give the slender building a distinctive outline under the forest canopy, and the chapel and its furnishings are protected as a historic monument. An altar inscription records construction in 1620 in honor of God, Mary, and the martyrs Paul and John.

Four springs below the chapel are called the Fieberbrunnen, or “fever springs,” and were traditionally regarded as healing water. They may have helped prompt the first church at St. Bartholomä, consecrated in 1134; that connection is probable, not certain. The spring story gives this stretch more history than a picturesque pause on the way uphill.