The ‘Stoaberg Advent’ in Saalfelden Leogang

Advent in Saalfelden Leogang is a time of contemplation and tradition. The Christmas market offers traditional crafts, Christmas carols are sung in the show mine and Krampus with scary wooden masks, the so-called Perchten, parade through the streets to St Nicholas. The weeks before Christmas are known as ‘Stoaberg Advent’ in Saalfelden Leogang.

 

Traditional Christmas markets with authentic culture

‘In our region, authentic culture with regional specialities predominates in the run-up to Christmas. We like to take a traditional approach to Advent, with old customs and specialities,’ says Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik. You will look in vain for twinkling fairy lights and Christmas pop from every loudspeaker here. The stalls at the Christmas markets are classically decorated and offer lots of home-made products such as straw stars for the Christmas tree, Christmas decorations made of wood or stone, Christmas bread, home-baked biscuits or a good punch.

 

St Nicholas, Krampus and loud cowbells

6 December is St. Nicholas Day and in Saalfelden the holy bishop and his wild companions, the Krampuses, parade onto the town hall square. One day later, St Nicholas and his companions come to the village square in Leogang. Even if everyone is looking forward to seeing St Nicholas with his sack full of presents, they still shudder at the sight of the Krampuses. 

 

Sharpening kitchen knives in the Hüttschmiede for the Christmas roast

It is an age-old tradition to have your kitchen knives sharpened on the Friday before Christmas. This has always been the case in Saalfelden Leogang too. Before Christmas, the grindstones in the Hüttschmiede smithy in Hütten barely stood still. To thank the blacksmiths for their work, people used to bring them a typical Christmas dish, the so-called Bachlkoch, an extremely nutritious dish made from flour, eggs, milk and lots of honey. The old tradition of ‘Bachlschneid’, or pre-Christmas knife sharpening, still exists today. Every year on the Friday before Christmas, the locals go to the Hüttschmiede and bring their kitchen knives to be sharpened. However, they no longer need to bring anything to eat, as the blacksmiths now do this for a friendly smile.

 

Miners' Advent, nativity scene exhibition and other Christmas events

The former silver mine in Leogang is now a show mine. And there's a festive atmosphere here too during Advent: on 22 December 2019, the people of Leogang will be celebrating the so-called Miners' Advent in the historic show mine. If you want to be there, you can arrive in style on a horse-drawn sleigh. In the mine itself, storytellers, brass bands and singers perform and provide contemplative moments underground.

The Schloss Ritzen Museum in Saalfelden hosts an annual nativity scene exhibition. Many of the small works of art on display were created by the well-known nativity scene maker Xandi Schläffer from Saalfelden, who designed so-called ‘Pinzgau nativity scene villages’: with the stable of Bethlehem in the centre and the Steinernes Meer as a backdrop. The Mining and Gothic Museum in Leogang also invites visitors to marvel on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Since summer 2019, the museum has been delighting visitors with an exhibition area twice as large. The Kunsthaus Nexus also offers a varied Christmas programme.