Are you ready for a magical winter getaway? Especially around Christmas time, Salzburg is the dreamiest destination to visit. Discover various beautiful Christmas markets around the city and get into the spirit of the season with delicious food and drinks and complete your Christmas shopping with presents from a variety of artisanal and local sellers. The city of Salzburg offers lovely stores and many Christmas highlights while being located close to ski resorts. Within an 1,5-hour car ride you can visit Zell am See, a well-known area for winter sports in the Salzburg region. There’s also no better place to enjoy a festive Christmas concert or romantic horse drawn sleigh ride than in Salzburg and its surroundings. Salzburg Panorama Tours offers many magical winter experiences, discover all tours and our special private tours.

The Christmas and winter markets of Salzburg are world-famous. The market at the Residenz and Cathedral square has been ranked as one of the best Christmas markets in the world, perfect for a romantic Christmas getaway. Let yourself be enchanted by the holiday spirit and enjoy the city of Mozart in the glimmering lights of Christmas.

Another highlight of this season are the traditional Advent concerts. The most famous one is the Salzburg Advent Festival (Salzburger Adventsingen) at the Large Festival Hall (Großes Festspielhaus). Many other venues also host festive Advent concerts: Salzburger Advent® at the St. Andrew's Church, Advent concerts at the Fortress Hohensalzburg or the Mozart Dinner Concerts at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium.

Around Christmas time there are also a lot of opportunities to get to know traditional Austrian customs – some stemming from as far back as the late middle-ages. The most mystical authentic Austrian Christmas traditions are probably the famous Krampus and Perchten parades. The traditional purpose of the Krampus and Perchten runs was to drive out the cold winter and evil spirits.

A Krampus is a person, usually a young man, dressed in a costume made of real fur and wearing a carved wooden mask with a devil's face and horns. They carry loud bells and have a rod with which they strike people, these strokes are supposed to drive away the darkness of the cold season. A Krampus run is a somewhat peculiar but definitely unforgettable experience. Don't worry, these wild creatures look worse than they are – attending a Krampus parade can be considered a family-friendly Christmas activity in Salzburg. 

In the beginning of December, a group of Krampuses regularly visits the Christmas market at the Residenz and cathedral square. Don’t be scared of these terrifying companions of Saint Nicholas and their clamor – they are only after the naughty ones!

And Saint Nick usually has some treats for the youngest among us with him. The most impressive Krampus run takes place on 6 January alternatingly in Bad Hofgastein/Bad Gastein or Altenmarkt, St. Johann and Bischofshofen.

Get a taste of this festive and romantic time of the year and book your vacation in Salzburg today!