It was just a simple poem written by a village priest. However, when the church organist composed a melody for it, “Silent Night” became a song that would touch the world.
The priest, Josef Mohr, and church organist Franz Gruber wanted to give a song of hope to their small congregation in the village of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.
The region had suffered through years of war and hardship, and life had been difficult. The duo’s simple song was first performed in Oberndorf on December 24, 1818. It soon took on a life of its own.
Traveling singers heard the carol and later performed it at trade fairs around Christmas in Germany. It was then brought to the courts of the King of Prussia, where the Royal Court’s Director of Music requested a copy of the song.
Despite its humble beginnings, the song went on to become one of the best-known Christmas carols in the world.
Today, Christmas in Oberndorf and the surrounding region of Salzburg is still a time of wonder and magic. In a world where the holidays are threatened by commercialism, this small region of Austria still celebrates Christmas in many traditional ways.
Christmas in Oberndorf
On Christmas Eve in Oberndorf and many nearby communities, the lights in the churches are dimmed, leaving only candlelight. Then the congregation sings “Silent Night” in its original German version: “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht”.
The sound of this memorable tune in such an inspirational setting is a moving experience.
Today, you can still visit the Silent Night Chapel and Museum, which stands in place of the former St. Nicholas Church, where the song was first performed. The chapel is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. year-round.
During the 2025 holiday season, you’ll find the chapel’s annual Christmas market just steps from where Silent Night was originally performed. It runs from November 21 through December 26.
The market is open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This intimate market has become almost a pilgrimage site for people who love the carol.
You’ll hear all languages among the shoppers looking for handmade ornaments, sweet gingerbread and other delicacies.
Every year on Christmas Eve at 5 p.m., thousands of people from around the world gather for a memorial service honoring Josef Mohr and Franz Gruber in front of the Silent Night Chapel. Hearing the carol sung in dozens of languages at the place where it was first performed is an unforgettable experience.
Salzburg, Austria at Christmas
The city of Salzburg is just a 30-minute drive from Oberndorf, making it an excellent base to explore the region at Christmastime.
Best known as the town in the film “The Sound of Music,” Salzburg is utterly charming at Christmas. Its narrow cobblestone streets are lit up in sparkling lights, and Christmas concerts are performed throughout the city.
From late November through January, the traditional Christkindl market in Cathedral Square is a delight for the senses. Smells of gingerbread and hot mulled wine waft among the stalls selling handmade ornaments and Christmas cookies.
The market is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Local choirs and children’s school groups often perform carols throughout the evening, drawing visitors to the square with their voices.
Hellbrunn Palace Christmas Market
Photo by Austria Tourist Office
The Christmas market at Hellbrunn Palace is another popular favorite. In truth, Hellbrunn is more of a manor than a palace. However, visitors delight in its amusing trick fountains and beautiful gardens.
From late November to Christmas Eve, Hellbrunn transforms into a Christmas fairytale. There are over 700 conifers decorated with some 10,000 red balls and strings of lights.
The castle façade is transformed into an oversized Advent calendar, and there are pony and train rides along with Christmas market stalls selling baked goods and handcrafted works. The market is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closed Mondays except December 8 and 22).
Admission is €8 per person and includes a hot drink, with children under 6 entering free. The market is especially popular with families thanks to its Children’s World of Christmas, where kids can grill sausages at the campfire, ride the Christmas train, and mail letters to the Christkind at the Christmas post office.
If you want to explore multiple markets in one visit, guided tours like the Salzburg Christmas Market & City Tour cover several festive locations while sharing stories about Austrian holiday traditions. You’ll visit the cathedral where “Silent Night” was written and sample local gingerbread along the way.
Advent Cruise on Lake Wolfgangsee
The small Austrian villages of St. Gilgen, Strobl and St. Wolfgang celebrate Christmas in a distinctive way.
All three are connected by Lake Wolfgangsee. At Christmastime, a ferry service carries visitors to Christmas markets at all three villages during the evening. The boats cruise past giant floating lanterns, the lit Ox’s Cross and the Wedding Cross beneath the Falkenstein Wall.
From November 21 to December 21, 2025, ferries operate Wednesday through Sunday, then run daily from December 26, 2025, through January 6, 2026. The 3-in-1 ticket allows you to hop on and off at all three markets in one magical evening.
Onboard, you can keep warm with a mug of hot wine. From the lake, you can see the villages lit in their holiday finest, with views of St. Gilgen’s 11-meter-high Advent candle, Strobl’s six-meter-high Christmas star and St. Wolfgang’s 16-meter-high Peace Light Lantern floating on the water.
Sometimes, you’ll even hear the echo of Christmas choirs or brass horns across the water.
On Wednesdays from November 26 through December 17, special lantern cruises depart at 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. from St. Wolfgang, featuring live music and storytellers reading poems and Christmas tales.
Christmas in St. Gilgen, Austria
Photo by Austria Tourist Office
At Christmas, the streets of St. Gilgen are decorated with hundreds of Advent candles, with the 11-meter candle serving as the famous icon of the village.
The Christmas market is painted in Baroque style, with painted figures of animals, angels and people. An illuminated path guides visitors along the Biblical story of Christ’s birth.
The season in St. Gilgen includes concerts and Christmas plays. Many families come to enjoy the Mozart ice rink or to take the cable car up Zwölferhorn Mountain for an incredible view of the lake.
Christmas in Strobl, Austria
The idyllic town of Strobl turns into a nativity village at Christmas. The life-size nativity scene is a focal point. A shepherd’s path guides visitors to a giant Advent gate and then along more than 30 wooden stalls selling cookies, sweetbreads and other pastries.
Many also sell handicrafts and Christmas ornaments. Little ones like visiting the small flock of sheep on site and groups of musicians can often be heard singing carols. Log fires offer places to stop and warm up.
Christmas in St. Wolfgang, Austria
The first thing that most people see when nearing the village of St. Wolfgang by ferry is its 16-meter-high floating Peace Light Lantern. Large Advent gates lead to lantern-lit streets lined with Christmas trees.
Christmas angels, usually local teenage girls, visit the Christmas market to add to the spirit, and small bands perform Christmas carols throughout the season.
The St. Wolfgang Christmas market is open from November 21 to December 21, 2025, but Wednesdays are perhaps the most memorable. Electric lights are turned off and all Christmas festivities are lit by candlelight, creating a magical atmosphere that is unforgettable.
The shops and wooden stalls are lit by lanterns, and you can watch local craftsmen creating their vintage works.
On Mondays, St. Wolfgang offers guided walks along the ancient pilgrimage way over Falkenstein Rock, which is lit by torches and lanterns.
Christmas in Austria is refreshingly authentic, with an emphasis on the simple pleasures of being together with friends and family. Add to that Christmas markets filled with twinkling lights, baked sweets and the sound of Christmas carols and you have a holiday experience that is unforgettable.
If You Go
Photo by Austria Tourist Office
Lake Wolfgangsee Advent Cruises: Start your tour in St. Gilgen, which is a 45-minute drive from Salzburg. After time in St. Gilgen, you can board the ferry to visit Strobl and St. Wolfgang.
Advent ferry cruises run from November 18th to December 18th, and then again from December 25th to January 1st.
More information: www.austria.info
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