The Gnadenkapelle Maria im Stein (Chapel of Grace), located in a cave 59 steps below the abbey church, was built in the 15th century and has since attracted pilgrims who worship the Virgin Mary here as a smiling Madonna. Legend has it that the chapel was erected on the spot where a child miraculously survived a rock fall. The abbey was added later – in 1648, the Benedictine Order of Beinwil moved here and built the abbey and its church. Today, the church visually dominates with its classical, pillared main facade, built from Jurassic limestone in 1834.

In the wake of the conflict between the state and the Roman Catholic Church known as the «Kulturkampf», Mariastein Abbey was dissolved in 1874 by popular vote, and the monks relocated to Delle in France. The abbey was officially restored almost a century later following another plebiscite. The architecturally interesting buildings have been extensively restored and are in excellent condition. The abbey is run today by an active Benedictine brotherhood, and welcomes pilgrims as well as secular visitors. In the abbey itself and its surroundings, hikers will find historic guesthouses that have offered sustenance and shelter to pilgrims for centuries and thus radiate the unique atmosphere of a place of pilgrimage.