Christmas Markets Are Back In SalzburgerLand
Advent, a magical time in Austria’s Salzburgerland, starts in November. The city of Salzburg is thronged with colourful Christmas markets and the snow-covered hills are alive with the sound of seasonal music.
Austria’s Christmas markets tradition began in Salzburg in the 15th Century when the Tandlmarkt, as it was then, set up in Cathedral Square to sell produce and gifts to locals. Running for two weeks either side of St Nicholas’s Day (6th Dec), it became Nikolaimarkt, and more recently the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt. Today it fills the entire square with 100 artisan stalls.
Salzburg City’s Advent Time package runs from 25th Nov to 13th Dec, and prices are from €271 per person for 2 nights’ accommodation in a city-centre 4* hotel based on 2 sharing B&B mid-week or from €302 at weekends. The price includes an advent concert ticket in a traditional venue and a Salzburg Christkindlpass (6 vouchers worth €25 to spend at Christkindlmarkt). For a 5* hotel package on the same basis, prices are from €364 mid-week and from €516 at weekends: reservations here
During the stay, make time to visit Salzburg’s charming Christmas shops and a few nearby Alpine villages. Each has its advent traditions and unique character.
- Christkindlmarkt (17 Nov to 1 Jan ‘23; here) is the largest of many across the city of Salzburg.
- Mirabell Platz (17 Nov to 24 Dec; here) - enchanting location in front of Mirabell Palace; local handicrafts
- Hohensalzburg Fortress (25 Nov to 18 Dec; here) - set in the inner courtyard; magical views over the city at night; traditional music
- St Leonhard (26 Nov to 18 Dec; here) - at the foot of Salzburg’s Untersberg; best for traditional hand-made wax, wood or glass artifacts; all proceeds support people with disabilities
- Glanegg Farmers Market (3-18 Dec; here) - the foot of the Untersberg Saturday and Sunday afternoons; the focus is on wild game
- Rupertiritter (December; here) - at St Sebastian Guesthouse; local hand-made tree decorations and woodcarvings sold in aid of aspiring artists
- Stern (17 Nov-Jan 6 ’23; here) - at the heart of the old city in the famous Stern brewery’s inner courtyard; hand-painted ornaments and classic local beer
- Hellbrunn (17 Nov-24 Dec; here) - 10 minutes’ bus ride from the city centre; magnificent setting, advent calendar Palace windows
Other delightful advent markets less than an hour’s drive from Salzburg:
- Grossarl (25 Nov-18 Dec; here) - warming glühwein around traditional heaters made from hollowed-out flaming pine stumps
- Zell am See (25 Nov-24 Dec, weekends; here) - spectacular lakeside setting, festive scents and Alpine music
- St Wolfgang (18 Nov-31 Dec; here) - a trio of locations around Wolfgangsee Lake: cruise between each passing the giant floating peace lantern and oxen-cross
- Altenmarkt (19 Nov-18 Dec; here) - artisan handicrafts, fir forest and wooden stalls lit by laterns; afternoon and evening at weekends
- Lungau (St Michael, 2-18 Dec; here) - 3 weekends: Krampus runs on 3rd & 4th; traditional stalls and kids’ workshops on 10th & 11th and 17th & 18th
- Oberndorf (18 Nov-25 Dec) - Silent Night Square in front of the chapel where the famous carol was first performed; a Christmas pilgrimage, Thurs-Sun only
The wild spirits that accompany St. Nicholas are known as the Krampus. They usually roam on and around 6th Dec (St Nicholas’s Day) in large groups sporting traditional shaggy costumes and elaborate masks, hand-crafted and handed down from father to son. Their role is to warn kids to behave if they want a gift from St Nicholas/Father Christmas.
Later in the season your sleep is more likely to be disturbed by the Perchten, similarly masked free spirits who roam the land at night between Christmas and Epiphany (6th Jan) either alone or in groups. Their role is to drive away evil spirits/winter with loud bells and other instruments.
Details of advent across SalzburgerLand: https://www.salzburgerland.com/en/advent/
Details of advent in Salzburg City: https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/advent
