Join us on a fairy-tale trip to the enchanting region of Salzkammergut in the Austrian Alps, the perfect destination to spread Christmas spirit! Our visit to the Salzkammergut Advent season begins in the towns surrounding Lake Wolfgang.

Sankt Gilgen, nestled between the lake and mountains, is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s mother and is today, alive with colourfully-decorated Christmas huts and a wonderful Baroque church. A star guides the way to Strobl’s main square and a living nativity scene, complete with a deer and a group of goats. The entrance to Sankt Wolfgang is marked by fir trees and metre-high torches along the ‘Lantern Street’. An illuminated horse-drawn sleigh glides through the festively-decorated Advent village, completing with Christmas atmosphere.

Bad Ischl is a spa town and Kaiser-Stadt and the Christmas atmosphere here, too, is simply enchanting. The Saint Nicholas church is decorated in the style of the imperial houses of the town, with frescoes depicting motives of St. Nicholas and sacred stories. The Christmas market here always takes place in the elegant and historic drinking hall.

We finish our trip at the Traunsee, named the “Happy Lake” by the Romans. Gmunden was an important city of the Habsburg monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today, the town hall and the square are festively decorated. Marvel at the two castles, one on land and one floating in the lake, that can only be reached by a bridge. The lake itself looks like a floating storybook, with shining wreaths of lights und illuminated Christmas trees. And next to it, the floating manger with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.

In these picturesque villages and famous lakes, the most beautiful time of year is transformed into a fascinating journey into a Christmas fairy-tale.