Events & Traditions in Austria

Keeping Obertraun Tidy!

To encourage tidyness in the village there’s a tradition in Obertraun … which means that anything with wheels on, that is left outside overnight on Easter Sunday, may be removed and let’s say – ‘relocated’ – all in order to remind residents to ‘keep Obertraun tidy!’

Fortunately kind neighbours alerted us to this tradition when we first moved here … when wheelie bins can be carted off, and as you can see, bicycles manage to get to the top of lamp posts and wheelbarrows are hung from street signs …

All in good fun and just another interesting tradition!

Balcony flowers

by Liz Truckle

Finally the weather has warmed up and the snow has stopped falling on the local mountains … and we have planted our balcony flowers – the first at Landhaus Lilly …

I’m not sure how large they will all grow (and hopefully I’ll remember to feed and water them) – but for now I’m delighted and look forward to them blooming all summer long (with a bit of luck!)

Glöcklerlauf

by Liz Truckle

As we’ve only been here for 6 months, we haven’t yet gone through an entire year of the festivities and traditions … so this evening was a new experience. In spite of some rain, the village celebrates the eve of the visit of the Three Kings (or Epiphany) on 6 January with the Glöcklerlauf. The aim is to help banish the evil spirits and welcome the good. Firstly a group of children appear with the small lantern headdresses and then, as the next taller group joins the parade, so the lanterns get larger and larger! Different sized bells tied around their waists are constantly clanging as they parade and jump around. The beautiful and colourful lanterns are made by the villagers over few months leading up to the parade. They are lit from the inside by candles and carried on their heads around the village square for all to admire. The parade then divides up and heads off around the village … an incredible sight to see in Obertraun this evening!