Tips for getting the best out of Salzburg’s Christmas markets

If you’re looking for an alternative to Germany’s excellent Christmas markets, then why not head over the border to Austria?  Salzburg is one of Europe’s most elegant cities, and during the run up to Christmas, it’s bedecked with festive lights and crammed full of stalls.  I spent the weekend exploring its Christmas markets and experienced Advent Austrian-style.  Here are my tips for getting the best out of a pre-Christmas trip.

Make the most of public transport with a day pass

An extensive network of buses and trolley buses makes getting around easy.  Day passes are available, as is the more expensive Salzburg Card which includes free admission to visitor attractions as well as free transport.  It does cost 24 euros for the day, however, so you need to be sure you’re going to get your money’s worth for the extra 20 euros you’ll be spending per person.  If you’re going to be spending a lot of time at the markets it’s unlikely the Salzburg Card will represent good value for money.

But if you buy regular, transport-only day passes from a machine they cost just 4 euros a day, compared to 5,70 euros if you purchase them from the driver of the bus.  If you’re arriving in Salzburg by train or plane, you’ll find these machines in the main bus station or at the airport.  They are valid for a complete 24 hour period rather than by calendar days, so you’ll most likely be able to use them the following morning too – good to know if you’re going to be starting your day somewhere there’s no machine.  Print off or download maps before you go to make sense of the network; there’s also an app featuring timetables and mobile ticketing.

Download from:

https://salzburg-verkehr.at/service/downloads/

There’s an English option available, but if not these are the maps you’ll find most useful:

City: Liniennetzplan Stadt Salzburg              Region: SVV Zonenplan

Wrap up warm

You might not get a dumping of snow as I did, but if you’re visiting Salzburg in December, it is likely to be very cold. Temperatures during my visit hovered just below freezing, but if like me you’re tempted out onto the Wolfgangsee, the wind that blows across the lake is a chill one. Pack accordingly, and layer up with hat, scarf, gloves and thermal underlayers. If all else fails, drink gluhwein!

Plan your market trips

As you might expect, there’s more than just one market in the city, as well as some delightful markets in the surrounding towns and villages.  I took a trip out to St Gilgen and Strobl on the shores of the Wolfgangsee.  Strobl’s market featured livestock in the form of sheep, goats and reindeer and boat trips were possible too between the lakeshore villages.  St Gilgen’s market was bigger and had a lot of character.  A day pass on the #150 bus meant I could hop on and hop off all day for a fare of 17,60 euros.

In the city itself, the largest market is the Christkindlmarkt in Domplatz.  As the name suggests, it’s right by the cathedral in the Old Town.  It has its origins in a market that started in the 15th century, though in its present incarnation it’s been going since 1974.  Just around the corner you’ll find an ice rink.  The Christkindlmarkt had a huge concentration of stalls but as a result was packed; if you’re not so keen on crowds, I’d recommend visiting this one during the day.

There is also a smaller market at Mirabellplatz, which is handy if you need to kill time or grab a hot drink before your bus leaves as it’s right by the stops.  This year the market up at the Hohensalzburg fortress is closed due to renovation work, but well worth checking out next year.

My favourite of all the city markets was that at Hellbrunn, a short ride away by #25 bus and included in the 4 euros day pass.  Nestled in the courtyard of this attractive palace, there are plenty of artisan stalls so a lot of choice if you plan to do some gift-shopping.  The inclusion of hundreds of trees festooned with red baubles and the use of the palace shutters to turn the palace into a huge Advent calendar makes this one extra special.

There is a 3 euros entrance charge at the weekend (it’s free on weekdays) but this is redeemable for a mug of Gluhwein which would have cost 3,50 euros.  If you have kids with you, it’s good to know that this is the place where they have the trick fountains and although they used to be a summer-only attraction, for the last couple of years these have been opened during Advent too.

To check opening times and other details, this is the link you’ll need:

https://www.austria.info/uk/things-to-do/skiing-and-winter/christmas-markets/christmas-markets-in-salzburg

Don’t just visit the markets

Space them out and punctuate your visits with other activities. There are carol concerts and muscial recitals at many of the markets; you’ll find schedules online, though not all sites are in English. For something completely different, I caught a train out to Oberndorf bei Salzburg to visit the Silent Night chapel, a memorial chapel in the village where schoolmaster Franz Gruber and pastor Josef Mohr composed and performed the popular carol for the first time.  In the company of a band of actors and local dignitaries, I participated in a themed walk that crossed the Salzach River into Laufen, Germany.  there, at the Salzachhalle, watched a play which recounted the tale of the history of those twin villages as well as the story of how Silent Night came to be.  I won’t pretend I understood a lot with my schoolgirl German, but the music was heavenly.

Attending a Krampus run is also good fun and it’s worth checking out where the nearest is during your visit.  If you haven’t already seen the blog I wrote about Gnigl’s Krampus festivities, check out the post here where you’ll also find some useful links if you plan to go yourself:

https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/the-scary-side-of-christmas/

Done Salzburg?

If you’ve already been to Salzburg’s Christmas markets and they’ve given you a taste for more, why not try these alternatives?  Last year I blogged about Copenhagen and Regensburg, both of which can be visited in a day from London:

https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/just-back-from-a-day-at-copenhagens-christmas-markets/

https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/11/25/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-regensburg/

Wherever you are this Advent, have a safe and happy time!