The Most Beautiful Traditional Festivals

Carnival parades and celebrations come in many different forms. What they all have in common are the magnificent costumes and elaborate masks. In addition to the battle between good and evil forces, carnival is of course, also about fun, exuberance and joie de vivre.

The Viennese balls are an integral part of the carnival season. Their unique flair and noble ambience make them an unforgettable event. During Carnival, a state of exception takes over with countless parades, festivities, and events.

Like an endless sea of white blossoms – that’s how the Ausseerland looks in spring when the star daffodils are in full bloom. At the Narzissenfest (Daffodil Festival) in late May, these flowers take centre stage, as around 3,000 helpers—including children and even holidaymakers—gather to pick them.

Participants in the floral parade use more than 100,000 daffodils to decorate their towering wire sculptures, which they have spent months constructing. The town parade then makes its way to the centre, featuring around 30 intricately handcrafted figures. The intoxicating scent of the blossoms fills the air for both visitors and the jury, who judge the floral sculptures. At midday, brass bands, traditional costume groups, and the daffodil royalty accompany the procession to the lake.

In the 16th century, only a noblewoman and three townsmen survived the plague in Weitensfeld, Carinthia. A race was held to determine who would become her future husband. To this day, the Kranzelreiten riders continue this tradition on Whitsun Sunday, inviting spectators with humorous songs (G’stanzl) and traditional brass bands.

Galloping through the town, the riders symbolically drive out the plague and clear the way for the race. Only the winner earns the right to kiss the stone maiden at the market fountain and receives the Kranzel, the traditional bridal wreath. By custom, he gifts it to a chosen young woman, with whom he then dances the Gurktal waltz.

In the 17th century, the parish priest of Gmunden invited the poor to a meal on the fourth Sunday of Lent as an act of charity. Today, Liebstattsonntag is all about lovebirds. And what better way to express affection than with a homemade gingerbread heart? Gmunden’s pastry chefs prepare countless intricately decorated hearts with heartfelt messages, ensuring that even visiting romantics can find the perfect gift.

The celebration begins with a church service, followed by a traditional costume parade through the old town. The highlight of the event? The Herzerlverteilung, where gingerbread hearts are handed out on the town square.

The Gauderfest is one of the oldest folk festivals in the Alps, with roots dating back to 1428. Contrary to popular belief, its name doesn’t come from the dialect word Gaudi (fun) but from Gauderlehen, the original festival site.

In the past, markets featured church services and competitions. Today, skilled artisans showcase their craftsmanship at the traditional handicraft and farmers’ market, offering regional products like Doggln (felt slippers), embroidered belts, and wood carvings. The air is filled with the aromas of cheese, smoked bacon, and honey, inviting visitors to sample the rich variety of local produce. And, of course, no visit is complete without tasting the Gauder Bock beer.

Even the competitive spirit lives on—one of the festival’s highlights is Ranggeln, a form of Alpine wrestling where opponents try to pin each other to the ground. This Gauderfest contest is now the most famous Ranggler competition in the Alps.

The roots of solstice celebrations date back to pre-Christian times when flames were believed to ward off evil spirits. To this day, towering bonfires are built along the Danube, vineyards are lined with torches, castles are illuminated, and glowing lanterns drift down the river. As night falls, the fires are lit, creating a breathtaking spectacle best admired from the Wachau Railway or aboard a Danube cruise. The highlight of the evening? A dazzling firework display.

Many Heurige, inns, and restaurants in the region mark the occasion with special solstice menus, featuring regional delicacies and world-class wines.

For around 400 years, the three-tiered farming system has been passed down through generations in Vorarlberg. Each spring, farming families move their livestock to the Vorsäß, a lower alpine pasture, before heading to the Alp—as mountain pastures are known in Vorarlberg—at elevations of up to 2,000 metres in July.

Come autumn, the Senninnen and Sennen (alpine herders) lead the cattle back down to the valley. Adorned with elaborate headdresses of fir branches, flowers, and colourful ribbons, the animals make their way home, their bells echoing through the mountains. These cowbells believed to ward off evil spirits, can be heard long before the procession reaches the village, where locals and visitors eagerly await the arrival of the festively decorated herd.

Standing up to 6.5 metres tall and weighing over 80 kilograms, Samson has been a legendary figure in Lungau since 1635. According to legend, his black hair holds supernatural strength.

During the Lungau Samson parades, held as part of Salzburg’s Bauernherbst (Harvest Festival), young bachelors carry the towering figure through the town on their shoulders. He is accompanied by two dwarfs and a brass band playing the Samson Waltz. The vibrant procession also features traditional costume groups, marksmen’s associations, and rural youth clubs.

Fun fact: The Salzburg Lungau region is home to ten Samson figures in total!