Page 41 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

A USTRIA THROUGH THE Y EAR  39

Average monthly temperature
°C F°
25 85 Temperature Chart
The hottest month
20 75
is July, with August and
15 65 June being only slightly
cooler. Winters are cold,
10 55 particularly in January
when temperatures
5 45
often drop below
0 32 freezing point.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Winter
Winter begins with the pre-
Christmas shopping rush.
Christ mas figures and decora tions
adorn every shop window. The
main shopping streets in the
towns and villages sparkle with
lights. As soon as Christmas is
over, fresh festivities get under
way: New Year’s Eve marks
the beginning of the Carnival
season, celebrated in Austria
with numerous balls. The famous Vienna Opera Ball held in February
December January Masquerades and magnificent
St Nicholas parties (early New Year’s Day (1 January). balls are held throughout
December) Tyrol. The most Austria welcomes the New Year the country.
interesting of these include with champagne and fireworks; Opernball (last Thursday of
Klaubaufgehen, a masquerade people dance in the streets and Carnival) Vienna Opera Ball.
in Matrei, and Nikolospiel in squares, regardless of the weather. Villacher Fasching (end of
Bad Mitterndorf. In Thaur (Tyrol), Neujahrskonzert (1 January). Carnival) Villach.
people traditionally display Traditional New Year’s concert Maschkerertanz (end of
cribs in their homes. of the Vienna Philharmonic Carnival) Steinfeld, Carinthia.
Adventsingen Advent concerts Orchestra transmitted through- Colourful festivities mark the
held in Salzburg. out the world from the Golden end of the Carnival season.
Steyrer Kripperl, one of Hall of the Wiener Musikverein.
the last stick-puppet theatres, Epiphany (6 January). Public Holidays
per forms nativity plays using Dreikönigssingen (singing for
the various crib displays. The the Three Kings) – Austria bursts Neujahr New Year (1 Jan)
crib display in Bad Ischl is also into song on the Day of the Dreikönigsfest Epiphany
worth seeing. Nativity plays are Three Magi. (6 Jan)
staged through out the country. Perchtenlauf Carnival procession Ostern Easter
St Stephen’s Day (Stephanitag) to mark the start of the party Tag der Arbeit Labour Day
(26 December). Colourful festival season. It rotates between four (1 May)
in the Lavanttal Valley (Stefaniritt) towns in Pongau: St Johann,
in Carinthia. Altenmarkt, Bischofshofen and Fronleichnam Corpus Christi
Bad Gastein. Pfingsten Pentecost
Salzburger Mariä Himmelfahrt
Mozartwoche (late Assumption of the Virgin Mary
January) Salzburg. (15 Aug)
Mozart Week. Nationalfeiertag (26 Oct)
Resonanzen. A festival Allerheiligen All Saints
of early music held at (1 Nov)
Vienna’s Konzerthaus. Mariä Empfängnis (8 Dec)
Immaculate Conception
February Weihnachten/Stephanitag
February is the main Christmas (25/26 Dec)
Christmas decorations in Kohlmarkt, Vienna Carnival season.

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