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AFAR
  • 1/24/2024
There are few better places to visit to get in the Christmas spirit than Salzburg, Austria, thanks to its many Christmas Markets, traditions like the Krampus Run, and cozy meals to tuck into after a day of exploring out in the cold.

Join us as we show you around four of Salzburg’s Christmas Markets, as well as a few other wintery highlights in this Austrian city.

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Transcript
00:00 Hello, I'm Claudia.
00:02 I'm the video editor at Affar,
00:03 and I'm here in Salzburg, Austria,
00:04 to show you the Christmas market.
00:06 Let's go.
00:07 The holiday season is in full swing,
00:15 and there is no better place to celebrate
00:17 than in Salzburg.
00:19 Just over the German border,
00:20 this little Austrian town is rich in history,
00:23 and Christmas is a big deal here.
00:26 In almost every square of the city,
00:27 you'll find a Christmas market,
00:29 complete with roasted chestnuts,
00:31 mulled wine, and festive decorations.
00:33 Let's take a look at a few of the most popular ones.
00:36 Situated in the heart of Old Town in Residenzplatz
00:41 is the Christkindlmarkt.
00:43 It's the biggest and most famous of Salzburg's markets,
00:45 and sees over 1 million visitors each year.
00:48 Visitors like us come here to marvel at the lights,
00:53 shop for handcrafted ornaments,
00:55 and, of course, eat.
00:59 This market gets extremely crowded on the weekends,
01:02 and especially between 3 and 6,
01:04 where locals and tourists alike
01:06 meet here to drink a glue vine or eat a Boschner.
01:08 Next up, we're going just off the main shopping street
01:13 of Getreidegasse in the Old Town
01:16 to Sternbrau Brewery,
01:17 which holds its own Christmas market.
01:20 You'll recognize it by the arched entryway
01:22 decorated with wreaths and silver angel wings,
01:24 the symbol of this market.
01:26 Here, we can't resist lining up with the kids
01:29 and eat a Baumstritzel or chimney cake,
01:32 a spiral of cylinder-shaped dough
01:34 dipped in a variety of toppings.
01:36 I chose cinnamon sugar.
01:38 It steams out of the top like a chimney.
01:41 It's crispy and doughy all at once,
01:43 and it's perfect to stroll around and warm up with,
01:46 unwinding as you go.
01:47 To escape the crowds, though,
01:50 we next head to the fortress,
01:52 an absolute must-see in Salzburg.
01:54 You can walk to the top or ride the funicular,
01:57 located just a short distance from the main market square.
02:00 Concealed within the fortress wall
02:02 is a small, intimate Christmas market,
02:04 only open on weekends.
02:06 Thanks to the location,
02:07 this market has a distinctly medieval feel.
02:10 When we arrived, a small brass band
02:12 was playing under a Christmas tree,
02:14 and families gathered to enjoy the music
02:16 and sip hot drinks on the cold winter night.
02:19 Located just off the Mirabell Gardens,
02:21 made famous by the WMV scene from "The Sound of Music,"
02:25 is our fourth and final Christmas market, Mirabell Market,
02:29 which is dubbed the after-work market by locals.
02:32 Centrally located just a few minutes' walk
02:34 from the main train station,
02:36 it's a perfect place to stop for a hot drink
02:38 or a sweet treat.
02:39 Mirabell is mostly attended by locals
02:42 and never gets too crowded.
02:44 Markets aren't the only way
02:46 to celebrate Christmas in Salzburg,
02:48 and we cannot talk about Christmas here
02:50 without mentioning the Krampus Run, an annual tradition.
02:53 St. Nicholas's devilish companion, Krampus,
02:56 wears a grotesque wooden mask and horns
02:59 and arrives to frighten the bad children
03:01 and smack them with birch branches.
03:03 Each December 6th, people dress up like Krampus
03:06 and parade through Old Town.
03:08 It's quite the sight.
03:10 If you want to know more about Salzburg Christmas traditions,
03:13 stop by the Christmas Museum,
03:14 located just off Mozartplatz.
03:18 Salzburg in winter can get pretty cold,
03:21 so after exploring all of these outdoor markets,
03:23 we are ready to warm up with some local cuisine,
03:26 which is rich in soups and hearty winter meals.
03:29 For a truly unique Salzburg dinner,
03:32 we're heading to St. Peter's Stiftskulinarium.
03:35 The establishment dates back to 803 AD,
03:39 and it's composed of wildly inventive rooms,
03:41 ranging from Baroque music chambers
03:43 to intimate dining rooms and even an outdoor lounge,
03:45 complete with cushion benches and a giant activity scene.
03:49 We fell in love with the Tafelspitz,
03:51 a classic Austrian dish of boiled beef and veggies
03:54 served with a side of luxurious cream horseradish and spinach.
03:58 For dessert, we tried the iconic Salzburgerknöcker,
04:02 a sweet soufflé shaped like the peaks
04:04 of three local mountains, served with a tart berry cream.
04:07 It's light, fluffy, and the perfect way
04:09 to end a night in Salzburg.
04:13 Okay, this is my last look.
04:16 As you can see, Christmas in Salzburg is truly unforgettable.
04:19 If you like this video,
04:20 don't forget to hit like and subscribe.
04:22 Tschüss!
04:23 (upbeat music)
04:26 (upbeat music)
04:28 (upbeat music)
04:31 (upbeat music)
04:34 (upbeat music)
04:37 (upbeat music)
04:39 (upbeat music)
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