Page 38 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

36  INTRODUCING A USTRIA

AUSTRIA THROUGH
THE YEAR

Austria is a conservative country and Austrians Labour Day (1 May) is the traditional day
value their traditions highly. In many regions for workers’ processions. These national
the population maintains such ancient customs festivities, plus scores of regional and local
as the rites of spring and ritual re-enactments cultural events catering for the arts, fill the
of death and resurrection, as well as various Austrian events calendar almost every day of
festivals associated with the grape harvest. the year. Many festivals enjoy an international
Carnival festivities and parades are also big reputation, including the Salzburg Festival,
crowd-pullers, and many festivals are the Bregenz Festival and the Vienna Viennale.
associated with the main religious holidays, Information on all events is available from
such as Easter, Corpus Christi and Christmas. tourist offices or the Internet.

Osterfestspiele
Spring
(Holy Week and
Spring sees the re­opening Easter) Salzburg.
of regional museums that Easter Festival
were closed for the winter. The with opera and
Viennese Prater funfair starts up classical music
at full steam. Traditionally, Lent concerts.
is a period of abstinence, but the
shops are already full of Easter April
specialities, their shelves laden Easter On Easter
with choco late bunnies, Easter night, mountain Narzissenfest on Altausseer See
eggs and other sweet delicacies. slopes are lit with
Easter bonfires called Labour Day (1 May). Day of
March Osterfeuer. Easter Sunday workers’ marches and demon­
Palmprozessionen Palm Sunday begins with the traditional strations; also of numerous
processions, such as the one in chocolate Easter egg hunt, shows and sporting events.
Thaur, in Tyrol, based on ancient Eiersuchen. A pastry in the Passionsspiele Erl in Tirol.
traditions, yet highly imaginative. shape of a lamb (Osterlamm) is Passion plays organized every
Frühlingsfestival Vienna. traditionally given to children six years (the next event is
Classical music festival. at Easter by their godparents. in 2019). Following the May
Easter carols During Holy Week Donaufestival (mid-April– première, the plays are then
and the run up to Easter, singers mid-May) Krems. Festival of performed every Saturday
carol through the streets of contemporary theatre and music. and Sunday until early October.
some towns. The most famous Pfingstfestspiele Salzburg
carolers are the Leiden­Christi­ May (Whitsun weekend) Salzburg.
Singen in Grossarl (Salzburger Wiener Festwochen (early May– Opera and classical
Land) and the Antlasssingen in early June) Vienna. The biggest music concerts.
Traunkirchen (Upper Austria). arts festival. Musikwochen Millstadt
(mid-May–early October)
Millstadt, in Carinthia.
International music festival.
Gauderfest (1st weekend in
May) Zell am Ziller, in Tyrol.
Festival of strong beer, with
animal fights and wrestling.
Kufenstechen (Whit Sunday/
Monday) Gailtal, in Carinthia.
Jousting tournament.
Internationale Barocktage
(Whit Friday–Monday) Melk
Abbey. Baroque music days.
Narzissenfest (late May–early
June) on the banks of the
Altausseer See in Salzkammergut.
Narcissus flower festival, music
Palm Sunday procession, Thaur and processions.

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