The church «Vogt» (overlord) of Arth and his wife inaugurated this chapel in Rigi Klösterl in 1688 so that the alpine farmers from Schwyz who worked on Mt. Rigi could attend Mass on Sundays. It was consecrated in 1689 and one year later was given the name «Maria zum Schnee».
More and more pilgrims came to the «Maria zum Schnee» chapel seeking advice and healing, so from 1715, the monks stayed there all year round. Thirty years after it was built, the chapel was no longer able to cope with the flow of pilgrims. In 1721 it was replaced by a larger building, the pilgrimage chapel we see today.
The «Maria zum Schnee» pilgrimage church is a particularly romantic venue for wedding ceremonies. The church has room for 150 people.
Contact
Catholic Rectory of Arth
Bahnhofstrasse 6
6415 Arth
Phone: +41 41 855 01 20