Wallfahrt Maria Bildstein, Vorarlberg Zur Geschichte der Wallfahrt und des Gotteshauses 
Zu Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts wütete die Pest in ganz Europa und gefährdete auch die Bevölkerung unseres Landes. Da versprach der Bauer Georg Höfle, für die geschnitzte Statue Unserer Lieben Frau mit dem Jesukind anstelle der hölzernen Kapelle auf dem jetzigen Kirchplatz eine Kapelle aus Stein zu bauen, wenn sein Hof von der Pest verschont bleibe. Ursprünglich befand sich die um 1390 resulting in a statue shrines of Wolfurt halfway up on a rock edge. Of "painting on the stone 'of the city gradually came to its name' Bildstein '!
The farmer George Höfle, however, did time with the fulfillment of his vow. According to tradition, this is the reason that the Virgin Mary in 1629, ie during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the two sons of farmers, Martin and John, appeared!
Höfle Martin later reported that he had been anno 1629
"a Knäblin, so the table may seye auff Raiche, a time to Autumn in large fog with his brother Hanss Höfflin Blessed addressed in your Vattern aigner Mahlmühlin in Bomgartner ravine, allwo you right on the ravine at the reasons ietzigen Caploney Hauß a Fraw erschinen Bildt, all white and glanzendt as the sun that you've Beede angeredt and said it got a man Bildlin your bricked one promised to bawen Capell, bawen to the ER, then the nit plague come into his Hauß. " The father of the boys felt affected by this announcement and immediately went out to deliver on the promise.
The plans for this church were from the city architect Michael Bregenzer Kuen (around 1610-1686) and made the then submitted to the competent Ordinary Vorarlberg lowlands in Constance, which even zur Vergrößerung des Baues ermunterte. Am 12. April 1663 weihte der Konstanzer Weihbischof Georg Sigismund Müller den Grundstein.
Großzügige Widmungen an die 1657 mit der Messlizenz ausgestattete Kapelle waren die Folge von vielen Gebetserhörungen und "Mirakeln". 1676 betreute ein zweiter Kaplan die Pilger (später bis zu vier Kapläne). 1684 wurden 27.500 Kommunikanten gezählt. 1666 folgte die Stiftung des Muttergottesbenefiziums, 1676 des St.-Josefs-, 1695 des St.-Sebastians- und 1702 des St.-Joachimsbenefiziums. Die 1682 gegründete Jesus-, Maria- und Josefs-Bruderschaft zählte 1690 bereits 40.000 Mitglieder. In der großen Zahl der Wohltäter steht Graf Maximilian Laurentius von Starhemberg an vorderster Place. He donated including 1683 still used magnificent monstrance and silver cruets, a Kaplaneipfründe and 1,500 guilders for his grave lay in the tomb before the high altar. With the conquest of the city of Mainz in September 1689 he was severely wounded. After his death, he was transferred to Bildstein and 11 October 1689 buried in his tomb.
On 2 May 1670, the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Constance Sigismund Georg Müller. Not received the device with three Baroque altars (1675/79), has the organ of Jacob Rheineck of Mesmer (1674) and in 1683 by brothers Leonard and Peter Ernst converted from Lindau cast bells. 1682 were all gold and Silberzierate been stolen from the high altar, the tabernacle and the miraculous image. Of the seven, 1683 by Matthäus Zehender Bregenz painter painted votive tablets with the scenes of the Seven Sorrows of Mary is that of Weingarten Abt endowed votive "Jesus' farewell to his mother survived (stairway to the gallery). More Baroque votive tablets are on the back wall under the gallery. Through the adoption of Emperor Joseph II in 1785 was the miraculous image of the high altar stripped and transferred to a side altar, the votive paintings removed from the nave, and ordered the abolition of the solemn processions and church services at the fraternity days. 1792 Bildstein was assessed following the membership since 1512 to the parish Wolfurt independent Parish collected.
in 1897, the miraculous image on the left side altar in a solemn ceremony crowned and thus called into the center of the image Steiner pilgrimage. 1941 in spite of the difficult political situation, thanks to the courage of the parish pastor Heinrich Nussbaumer (d. 1972) held an inner restoration. 1949 new bells came from the Salzburg Bell Foundry Oberascher by Bildstein. In 1973, the tiled roof was replaced with a copper roof. 1974, an exterior and interior restoration is carried out under the leadership of the diocese of Feldkirch architect Rudolf Lampert with the aim of the interior reflect the effect of a Baroque church.
From: Quick & Steiner, Art Guide No. 649 (1957), 7 revised edition 2007 
Pilgrimage Church Bildstein / Vorarlberg. The statue, carved by 1390th
Pilgrimage Church Bildstein / Vorarlberg. Pieta, carved from wood, 1700.
Parish and Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation, A-6858 Bildstein / Vorarlberg. Interior view.
driving from Bregenz through Leiblachtal towards the German border into the Allgäu, he sees between Hörbranz and High hamlet on the northern foothills of the Massif pledges a monastery. The handsome church with a roof turret, as is typical of the Cistercians. A big sign on the right side of the street invites you to visit the Sanctuary of the ZISTERZIENSERINNENABEI MARIA STERN GWIGGEN. 
With strong faith in God and in single-minded effort succeeded in homeless women religious, finally, through the mediation of priests from the monastery Mehrerau the former chateau Gwiggen, a country manor from the late 17th Century, to acquire and step by step to build a monastery. They chose "Mary Star" as the name for this new establishment in the triangle of Austria, Germany and Switzerland and found that its beginning under the protection of Mary, who gave us the Holy. Bernhard (about 1090-1153) as "Star of the Sea" is in mind. 1856 the sisters moved in the conventions and Kalchrain Feldbach. The Tänikon sisters, who had hoped until recently to be able to return to their monastery met in 1869 to the Abbey so that Maria-Star since Gewiggen out the official title: "Convention of the United Thurgau Anbteien Kalchrain, Feldbach and Tänikon in Mariastern". Dem entspricht auch das damals gestaltete Klosterwappen. 
