Salzkammergut Advent

St. Wolfgang - the romantic Advent

‘Advent as it used to be’ is the motto of St. Wolfgang's Advent, which has been voted the most beautiful Advent market in Austria by the press several times.

The four-metre-high angels are the entrance to the romantic village centre, which is decorated with fir trees, candles and metre-high torches. Crossing the lake, you can marvel at the giant floating lantern of peace. The Christ Child is eagerly awaited here and the fascination of 1000 years of history invites you to linger.

No visitor should miss the unique, around 80 life-size nativity figures.  A tapestry of sound with genuine folk music from the region creates a special atmosphere.

Strobl - the village of nativity scenes

The brightly lit, six metre long comet floats weightlessly above the village of Strobl and shows you the way. The tail star as a landmark accompanies you through the entire village. The idyllic village on Lake Wolfgang is transformed into a romantic nativity scene village at Christmas time. As soon as you arrive in Strobl, the shepherd's path shows you the way to the large Advent gate.

The Stable of Bethlehem with its life-size nativity figures, horse and cart and shepherd's cattle await you right by the lake. Sheep, goats and other small animals are waiting to be stroked in the small animal garden.

St. Gilgen - the baroque Advent

Even from afar, the 11 metre high candle shines directly on the lakeshore and shows you the way to the village of St. Gilgen am Wolfgangsee, which is bathed in a unique light with more than 50 large candles.

The lovingly decorated traditional stalls on the church square tell the story of St. Nicholas or the bell ringers and display colourful scenes from the Advent season. The rich decorations by artist Raja Schwahn Reichmann immerse the place in a very special atmosphere. The vividly painted figures - people, angels, animals - are inspired by the colourful three-dimensionality of baroque wall and ceiling paintings and always show the viewer new details.

Bad Ischl - the craft market

Every year, the craftsmen of Ischl invite you to their traditional Christmas market. You can look forward to original ‘hand-made’ products from the imperial city, typical culinary delicacies and an atmospheric and varied supporting programme.

The craftsmen of Ischl are known far beyond the borders of the Salzkammergut for their mastery of combining the beautiful with the useful. This is exactly what is meant by craftsmanship in Ischl. An art that is cultivated here in its most beautiful form and presented in a pre-Christmas atmosphere during Advent. The craftspeople of Ischl understand presentation to mean much more than simply displaying their work. What awaits you at the Christmas market is rather a sensual overall experience of looking, smelling, tasting and hearing.