Silent Night – Christmas Markets in Salzburg and Tyrol

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Silent Night – Christmas Markets in Salzburg and Tyrol

Enjoy the splendour of Salzburg, the atmosphere of Austria’s Christmas markets and discover the origins and legacy of the world’s most famous Christmas carol: Silent Night, Holy Night. Since they were written in the early 19th century the original German lyrics have been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects and spread to the four corners of the world. In 2001 UNESCO declared the carol an intangible cultural heritage in Austria. Two men are credited with creating this song: The curate Joseph Mohr who wrote the lyrics and the schoolteacher and Organist Franz Xaver Gruber who composed the melody. Wander in their footsteps and see the places that inspired them to create this immortal piece of music.

Suggested Programme

Day 1

Make your way to Austria and check in at your hotel in the Salzburg area. Immerse yourself in the pre-Christmas atmosphere with some hot punch or mulled wine and Christmas biscuits before dinner.

Day 2

Start your journey of discovery, looking for the origins of Silent Night. Your trip will first take you to Oberndorf where you will visit the Silent-Night-Chapel, built in place of the former St. Nicholas Church where the carol was performed for the first time on Christmas Eve 1818 by its two creators. Continue to Hochburg-Ach, the birthplace of Franz Xaver Gruber with its museum dedicated to the composer. Next you will stop at Arnsdorf to visit the Silent Night Museum before you make your way to the magnificent city of Salzburg, forever linked with W.A. Mozart and The Sound of Music. After a lunch break your guide will meet you to show you the most important sights. At the end of the guided tour you will have some free time to explore the city on your own or to get some Christmas shopping done. Depending on your interests, you can visit the Mozart House, the Salzburg Fortress, Schloss Mirabell or the Salzburg Museum (which among many other interesting artefacts houses the oldest extant autograph of Silent Night, Holy Night by Joseph Mohr). In the evening you can enjoy an optional Musical experience, the Sound of Salzburg Show, that incorporates songs from the popular musical The Sound of Music as well as some of Mozart’s masterpieces.

Day 3

Embark on an excursion into Tyrol. Make a stop in Kufstein, the region’s second-largest town and home of the artist and priest Josef Muhlbacher who created the monument to Franz Xaver Gruber and Josef Mohr in Oberndorf. Take a stroll through the beautiful old town centre watched over by the majestic fortress. Be sure not to miss the large Heldenorgel (heroes’ organ) which is played every day at noon and can be heard for miles around. Continue your journey to Fugen. Here you can visit the Museum at Widumspfiste, a folk museum that also documents how Silent Night, Holy Night spread throughout the world. Afterwards you will see baroque Schloss Fugen, where the then relatively new carol was performed in 1822 for the Austrian Emperor Franz I and the Russian Czar Nicolas I. Enjoy some mulled wine or punch at the Christmas market, then continue to the picturesque alpine village of Kitzbuhel. Go for a walk or take an optional horse and carriage ride before you head back to Salzburg.

Day 4

Included Services:

3 nights incl. BB in a middle-class Hotel in the Salzburg area
1x mulled wine or punch and biscuits at the hotel
3x 3-course evening meal at the hotel
1x entry to Franz Xaver Gruber Gedenkhaus in Hochburg-Ach
1x entry to Silent Night Museum in Arnsdorf
1x guided tour of Salzburg
1x entry to Museum at Widumspfiste in Fugen

Optional Service:

Mozart Dinner & Concert in Salzburg instead of dinner at hotel
Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show instead of dinner at hotel
Horse and carriage ride in Kitzbuhel

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Silent Night – Christmas Markets in Salzburg and Tyrol