Local winter customs at Christmastime at the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl
Perchten parades, winter customs and Twelve Wild Winter Nights: traditions at the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl
Austrian winter customs
Christmas in Austria is truly beautiful. And the traditional Hotel Im Weissen Rössl on Lake Wolfgang is the best place to spend it.
The Hotel Im Weissen Rössl on Lake Wolfgang has a rich history and has even gained global fame during its 500-year existence, as the setting for the romantic comedy of Leopold, the singing waiter, and the woman of his dreams, the pretty Rössl landlady, in the operetta "Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee".
Guests at the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl have enjoyed being at the heart of quintessential Austrian customs and traditions for centuries. It's no surprise, then, that your destination of choice in the Salzkammergut makes a big deal of Austrian Christmas traditions. The charming town of St. Wolfgang is utterly romantic in December. There are Krampus and Perchten parades around St. Nicholas Day on 6 December.
Christmas in Austria: Perchten parade in St. Wolfgang
The Krampuses and Perchten figures that come out on parade every year around 5 December are an absolute must-see in St. Wolfgang. Although the bells of the sinister Perchten figures make an unbelievable din, their elaborately carved masks and fur suits are a spectacle worth seeing. And who knows, maybe St. Nicholas will bestow you with presents? Your romantic stay at the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl will seem like a gift from St. Nicholas, too. After watching the hustle and bustle on the market square, take a swim in the lake; the Lake Pool, heated to 30°C all year round, is at its most spectacular in December. As you unwind in the warm water, steam rises around you. The view of the snow-covered winter landscape around the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl will stay with you for a long time!
Tradition, not tat: Christmas in Austria
The pre-Christmas period in Austria is punctuated by a wide variety of customs. For example, 'Barbara' branches are traditionally cut from fruit trees on 4 December and placed in a vase. If the branches blossom, it promises happiness in the New Year – and, for unmarried women, even the prospect of a wedding. Sounds like one for you? Then whisk your sweetheart away to the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl! Who knows, perhaps you'll return to the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl in May for your wedding?
Glöckler and Christmas nights
Every year on 4 January, figures dressed in white parade through the village. Artful, illuminated caps adorn their heads – our Glöckler. The Glöckler are good spirits of light who drive away the evil spirits of the night before Christmas, so the Glöckler parade takes place every year on 4 January, the last of the Twelve Wild Winter Nights.
Jot this date in your calendar and enjoy this traditional spectacle from your box seat on the lake – the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl.
Spend your Christmas in Austria. Let yourself be pampered by the team at the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl and savour the most wonderful time of the year. To book your getaway, just send us a no-obligation enquiry!