Real traditional Living folk customs. Nurtured traditions.
Preserving what is genuine and good. Cultivating traditions and living customs. The people of Rauris and Taxenbach are proud of their history and customs - and visitors can experience this through numerous clubs, events and festivals.
Advent & Christmas in Taxenbach
Advent in Taxenbach is characterized by a festive atmosphere, lights, and lively traditions. Numerous events and traditions accompany the weeks leading up to Christmas: from traditional Advent markets and bell ringing to appearances by Krampus and St. Nicholas. Festive concerts, masses, and joint activities bring locals and guests closer together and get them in the mood for Christmas.
Traditional Advent Market
Every year on the first Sunday of Advent, the Traditional Advent Market in Taxenbach invites visitors to get into the festive spirit for Advent and Christmas. In the festively decorated Marktstraße, visitors will find lovingly decorated stalls offering regional products, handicrafts, Christmas gifts, and culinary delicacies such as mulled wine, punch, and traditional specialties.
Traditional brass bands, fairy tale storytelling, and romantic horse-drawn carriage rides through the festively lit town center create a particularly contemplative atmosphere. The event offers space for community, Advent spirit, and cozy get-togethers for the whole family.
Other atmospheric Advent markets take place at the Ziegelhütte on the Gschwandtnerberg or at the Mountain Advent in Eschenau.
Krampus and St. Nicholas events
In Taxenbach, the Krampus and St. Nicholas events are celebrated with great enthusiasm every year and are among the liveliest traditions of the pre-Christmas season. The Krampus figures parade through the streets in impressive costumes and frightening masks, while St. Nicholas visits the children, tells stories, and hands out small gifts.
These events combine customs, music, and theater and offer a fascinating insight into old Alpine traditions.
Particularly impressive are the Krampus runs, during which the Krampus parade through the streets and drive away evil spirits with the sound of bells and wild dances. This custom is deeply rooted in the Alpine region and symbolizes the balance between good and evil during Advent. For locals and visitors alike, they are an unforgettable experience that brings the special atmosphere of the Advent season in Taxenbach to life.
"Anglöckeln"
Anglöckeln is an old pre-Christmas custom that is practiced in the Salzburg region, including in Pinzgau around Taxenbach. The name is derived from the word “klöcken” (to knock), because on several days during Advent, groups go from house to house, knocking on doors or windows and greeting people with Advent songs and blessings.
Originally, Anglöckeln was an expression of the search for shelter, based on the biblical story of Mary and Joseph. Today, the Anglöckler bring happiness and blessings to households with their songs and greetings, reminding them of the community and the upcoming Christmas celebrations.
In Taxenbach, Anglöckeln is a lovingly practiced custom in which young and old come together during Advent to uphold this old tradition and share the contemplative atmosphere of the pre-Christmas season.
Epiphany - Three Kings Day
Three Kings Day on January 6 marks the festive end of the Christmas season in Taxenbach and is deeply rooted in regional customs. The focus is on carol singing: children and young people go from house to house dressed as the Three Kings, bringing blessings for the new year and collecting donations for charitable causes.
The traditional blessing “C+M+B” is written above the front doors – standing for “Christus mansionem benedicat” (“Christ bless this house”).
With church celebrations and communal gatherings, Epiphany in Taxenbach is celebrated as a day of faith, community, and charity.
Maypole raising and May Day celebrations
The TMK Taxenbach wake-up call is a tradition on May 1. In the early hours of the morning, musicians dressed in traditional costumes parade through the streets playing marches and brass band music. With their sounds, they welcome the holiday and wake up the population in a festive way – a sign of community, tradition, and the beginning of the May Day celebrations.
The Maypole raising and the subsequent May Festival on the national holiday are an annual highlight of spring and a lively expression of living tradition. With music, traditional costumes, and community, the Maypole is ceremoniously decorated and erected – a symbol of home, cohesion, and fertility.
At the May Day festival around the maypole, traditional music, dancing, and regional delicacies create a lively atmosphere. Visitors experience the coming together of the village community and the lively cultivation of customs up close.
In the Maypole climbing competition, participants compete to climb the Maypole – an exciting highlight of the May Festival.
"Hundstoaranggeln"
Hundstoaranggeln is a traditional Alpine wrestling competition that takes place every year on the Hundstein (2,117 m) in the Pinzgau Grass Mountains. Since 1921, wrestlers have been meeting there on the last weekend in July to test their strength in a friendly competition on the summit.
The wrestling takes place in a free standing position – with the aim of bringing the opponent to the ground with both shoulders. In addition to strength, technique, and endurance, fairness and respect are particularly important.
Hundstoaranggln is considered one of the most impressive and traditional wrestling competitions in the Alpine region and combines living customs with sporting ambition against a unique mountain backdrop. It is officially listed in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Austria,” which underlines its cultural significance. The winner of the tournament traditionally bears the title “Hagmoar,” an award for exceptional strength, skill, and sporting glory.
Bauernherbst - Harvest Festival
Bauernherbst in the Salzburg region is a colorful season in the fall when customs, rural culture, crafts, and regional cuisine are celebrated. It invites locals and guests to experience traditions, traditional costumes, music, and rural joie de vivre up close.
The Harvest Festival in Taxenbach is a traditional autumn festival celebrated every year on the first Sunday in September in the town center, honoring the rich customs and rural culture of the region – embedded in the Salzburg Farmers' Autumn tradition.
The festival offers a varied program: A festive mass and speech open the day, followed by a joint parade of local clubs and traditional music bands. Numerous market stalls present regional products, handicrafts, and autumnal specialties from agriculture.
Traditional music, dance, and craft demonstrations invite visitors to join in the celebrations, as does a colorful children's program that makes the visit attractive for the whole family.
Around the time of the Harvest Festival, there are numerous other events and programs in Taxenbach, Rauris, and the surrounding area that bring customs, music, crafts, and culinary delights to life throughout the region. The Harvest Festival is thus a highlight in a diverse autumn program that combines tradition and community in a special way.
Taxenbach Traditional Brass Band
The Taxenbach Traditional Music Group performs at religious and secular celebrations, concerts, and events in a variety of formations—from traditional marching music to modern brass music.
The focus is on preserving folk culture, promoting youth, and fostering camaraderie. Throughout its long history, the band has enjoyed numerous highlights, including CD productions, television recordings, competition appearances, a concert tour to China, and major anniversary celebrations.
Annual highlights include the spring concert in April, the popular summer concerts, and the concert at the Bauernherbstfest (Harverst Festival). The traditional music band also provides musical accompaniment for the popular Gorge & Music light walks in the Kitzlochklamm gorge.
Eschenau Traditional Brass Band
The Eschenau Traditional Music Band was founded in 1953 under the direction of Alfons Brugger and has been an integral part of cultural life in Eschenau and Taxenbach ever since. It performs at church festivals, concerts, and events throughout the year.
In 2023, the band celebrated its 70th anniversary. Its focus is on promoting young musical talent and cultivating tradition and camaraderie.
During the summer months, the tourism association and the traditional music band invite visitors to popular summer concerts. The TMK concert also provides musical accompaniment for the Bauernherbst festival. In addition, the traditional music bands accompany the popular Gorge & Music light walks in the Kitzlochklamm gorge with atmospheric music.
Taxenbach Local Heritage Group
The Taxenbach Local Heritage Group, D'lustigen Baukogler, is passionately dedicated to preserving and passing on regional customs, folk dancing, and living traditions. With their traditional costumes, dances, and musical performances, they make a significant contribution to preserving Pinzgau culture and connect generations through shared experiences.
At local events—such as the Maypole raising, summer concerts, or the Bauernherbst Festival in Taxenbach—the local heritage group enriches the program with impressive performances and creates an authentic, traditional atmosphere.
The local heritage group stands for community, attachment to home, and the lively continuation of old traditions.
Flax cultivation in Taxenbach
Flax cultivation has a long tradition in Taxenbach: in the past, flax was grown on almost every farm because the fiber obtained from it was indispensable as linen fabric for clothing, cloths, and everyday farm items. From sowing in spring to cultivation and harvesting in summer to the laborious processing steps such as scutching, breaking, hackling, spinning, and weaving—the annual flax cycle was a labor-intensive, communal process deeply rooted in the knowledge of past generations.
In 2025, a cross-generational project led by Iris Unterhofer-Schermtax in cooperation with the municipal library and the tourism association in Taxenbach brought this textile tradition back to life. Under the title "A seed tells a story (n) – Generational Project Flax Cultivation in Taxenbach," students, seniors, and volunteers sowed flax together, monitored its development, harvested the plants, and worked on processing the fibers. For this special commitment and the lively communication of customs and regional knowledge, the project was awarded the 2025 Regionality Prize in the category of customs.
Flax cultivation in Taxenbach thus combines agricultural tradition, craftsmanship, and intergenerational exchange—an impressive example of cultural history in action.
Taxenbach festive traditional costume
Taxenbach festive traditional costume
The festive dirndl was adapted in 2015 to suit modern times based on a model (1800-1850). After some research, Erwin Wieser pointed us to an existing “Taxenbach traditional costume.”
We were able to view the original historical dress at the Salzburg Museum. Enthusiastically, we decided to use the “Taxenbacherin” dress as the basis for our new festive costume.
The color of the bodice was therefore not chosen arbitrarily, but is based on the original from around 1800.
The top of the costume was purple – berry color – with a green silk front panel embroidered with flowers. The top is made according to the original Pinzgau cut – in wool or silk brocade in shades of purple. The back is piped in black, and the neckline and armholes are in the same color as the top.
The front flap is made of green silk brocade with woven pink and purple flowers, with hand-made silver lace and silver buttons to guide the silver lacing. This is directly modeled after the original.
The original skirt was covered all around with hand-embroidered flowers, pleated, and fitted with a false apron. We decided on a smooth, black wool fabric for the skirt, which is pleated. At the hem of the skirt—approx. 8 cm above the hem edge at 10 cm intervals—we have added colorful hand-embroidered flowers that match the color of the apron and bodice, a particularly pretty detail from the original. The bib is sewn in the same color as the bodice.
The apron, made of silk or cotton, is gathered into standing pleats or smocked. The apron tie can also be sewn in a contrasting color.
