Traditions of Salzburg
The city of Mozart and the Salzburg Festival, with an Advent of carols, Krampus runs and the song Silent Night.
Salzburg is a baroque city under a hilltop fortress, the birthplace of Mozart and the place where Silent Night was first sung, in 1818, in nearby Oberndorf. Its Advent tradition is rich, with a Christmas market under the fortress, choral singing and the Krampus run on 5 December.
Advent and the Krampus run
On the evening of 5 December, devil figures in wooden masks and fur, the Krampusse, run through the streets rattling chains and chasing onlookers, while Saint Nicholas distributes sweets to well-behaved children. The Salzburg Festival, held since 1920, fills the summer with opera and theatre.
At the table
Salzburger Nockerl, a sweet soufflé shaped like the city's hills, and Mozartkugeln, chocolate balls of pistachio and marzipan, are famous. Käsespätzle, cheese dumplings, and Tafelspitz are meals. Beer is brewed by monks at the Augustiner Bräu, and served in stone mugs.
Signature traditions of Salzburg
Also part of it, and being written: Salzburg Festival (The festival.), Salzburger Nockerl (The soufflé.).
A trail idea for Salzburg
- Getreidegasse Walk to Mozart's birthplace.
- Hohensalzburg Fortress See the city.
- Augustiner Bräu Drink beer.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming
A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival
🇦🇹 Salzburg, Austria and 5 morePerchta
A midwinter Alpine figure who checks spinning and tests good behaviourFolklore
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreKrampus
Saint Nicholas's horned companion, who comes for misbehaving children on 5 DecemberFolklore
🇨🇭 Bern, Switzerland and 4 moreTatzelwurm
A cat-faced dragon of Alpine lore, said to hiss, poison the air and guard old tunnelsFolklore
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Perchta: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mumming: Flemish illuminator Jehan de Grise and his workshop, 1338-1344, Public domain, source
- Krampus: Naturpuur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tatzelwurm: Abrasax, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Silent Night: Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863), Public domain, source