Easter Markets & Traditions in Austria

If you’d like to take a little Easter joy home with you, be sure to visit the many Easter markets, where you’ll find arts and crafts as well as seasonal specialities.

Many say Easter is the best time of year – it’s certainly the most colourful. Across Austria, traditions are marked by bright Easter eggs, spring flowers, and carefully tied Palmbuschen, which are blessed in churches on Palm Sunday. Decorating and crafting together create joyful moments that bring generations together.

On Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny is quite busy hiding colourful eggs, chocolate, and small gifts in homes and gardens, sending children off on excited easter egg hunts. Adults also enjoy seasonal treats, from tender Easter lamb to sweet Reindling cake.

Traditional Crafts and Easter Markets

In the run-up to Easter, Austria’s market squares fill with life. Painted eggs, decorated pussy willow bouquets, and hand-carved figurines showcase local craftsmanship.

Easter in Austria is a chance to experience tradition and the arrival of spring in a festive way, with regional crafts, seasonal food, and time-honoured customs.

Please note:

Our list provides an overview of Easter markets by province but does not claim to be complete. As dates may change at short notice, please also check the website of the respective region or contact the local tourist office directly.

Easter markets
Burgenland
Carinthia
Lower Austria
Upper Austria
SalzburgerLand
Styria
Tirol
Vorarlberg
Vienna

Easter traditions across the country

Palmesel

Those visiting SalzburgerLand at Easter will encounter many traditional customs, such as the Palmesel processions in Puch near Salzburg. To reenact Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, wooden donkeys (Palmesel) with a Christ figure on their backs are carried through the town. The Palmesel in Puch dates back to the 17th century. Every year on Palm Sunday, four young men from the local traditional costume association carry the donkey, which weighs over 100 kilograms and is decorated with a bridle made of cowrie shells, along with the Christ figure holding a palm branch.

Easter bonfires

Easter fires are another long-standing tradition. They still light up the night skies in parts of Salzburg, Styria, and Carinthia.

Over several weeks, men construct towering wooden structures, often reaching up to ten metres in height. These are then set alight on the night before Easter Sunday.

Like many other Easter customs, this practice has pagan roots, but today, the Easter fire is seen as a symbol of joy and the resurrection of Christ.

Flying bells

During Holy Week, the church bells fall silent. According to legend, they "fly" to Rome on Maundy Thursday and do not ring again until Easter Sunday.

In their absence, the Ratscherbuam take over. These children carry Ratschen—wooden instruments that produce a loud, clattering sound when spun.

Walking through the village with drum Ratschen, they recite verses and sing songs, accompanied by the rhythmic rattling of their instruments.

Easter egg dyeing

Dyeing Easter eggs is a long-standing tradition across Austria, dating back to the 12th or 13th century. In the Lungau region, however, locals have a special way of decorating eggs: the so-called Grawirlacheier. These beautifully patterned eggs are created by placing a boiled egg on a linen cloth layered with Grawirlach (chervil), Kasbleamen (crocus), and onion skins. The cloth is then wrapped around the egg, tied at both ends, and dipped into dye for a few minutes. This technique results in delicate, one-of-a-kind patterns on the eggs.

Easter in the Austrian provinces

Easter in Burgenland

The eggs are intricately decorated by scratching delicate patterns into the dye with a knife—a skilled traditional craft.

Stinatz Easter eggs(Link in German)

Easter in Lower Austria

Klosterneuburg Abbey hosts numerous festive services and celebrations. Special highlights are the palm consecration and the celebration of the resurrection.

Klosterneuburg Abbey

Easter in Upper Austria

Since 1641, the fourth Sunday of Lent has been celebrated as Liebstattsonntag at Lake Traunsee. As a token of affection, people give handmade gingerbread hearts.

Sweetheart Sunday

Easter in Styria

A popular tradition is the blessing of the Palmbuschen, small bouquets decorated with colourful ribbons, which are taken to church for blessing.

Palm bushes

Easter in Carinthia

In many regions, the Osterjause is blessed in church on Holy Saturday after the long fasting period.

Consecration

Easter in Tirol

UNESCO cultural heritage: Easter tombs decorated with colourful glass orbs and lights cast a mystical glow in churches, bringing Christ’s resurrection to life.

Colourful Easter graves

How to celebrate Easter with your kids

What do Austrians eat at Easter?

Carinthian Reindling

The sweet "Reindling" is a cake made from yeast dough and filled with nuts, raisins and cinnamon. It takes its name from the baking tin, the "Reindl", made of baked clay.

Carinthian Reindling

Mostviertel "Godnküpfi"

The "Godnküpfi" - a braided yeast dough, shaped into a croissant and studded with a coin - is presented as a sweet gift from the godparents, the "Godn".

Easter ham in bread dough

Tender Easter ham in crispy bread dough, served with fresh horseradish and mustard. This traditional dish is served on the Easter table in many Austrian regions.

Gingerbread hearts

At Lake Traunsee in the Salzkammergut, decorated gingerbread hearts are given on Liebstattsonntag as a sign of affection and friendship.

Gingerbread hearts

FAQs

Some holidays are easy to remember: Christmas is always on 24 December, and New Year’s Day always on 1 January. But Easter is different—it can fall in March one year and in April the next. And since Easter sets the date for other holidays like Ascension Day and Pentecost, they also shift accordingly. But why?

The reason goes back around 1,700 years. At the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, bishops and church leaders decided that Easter should always be celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Sunday was chosen because all four Gospels in the New Testament describe the resurrection as happening on the "first day of the week"—a Sunday.

The tradition of giving Easter eggs has both historical and symbolic roots.

Originally, eggs were forbidden during Lent, so they were boiled to preserve them. They were often dyed red to distinguish them from raw eggs.

In the Middle Ages, eggs were also used as payments to landlords or as a form of rent.

Symbolically, eggs represent resurrection, new life, and fertility—origins that date back to the 13th century.

Easter customs vary by region in Austria, but some are widespread.

  • Egg tapping (Eierpecken) is a popular game where two people tap their eggs against each other—the one that stays intact wins.

  • On Palm Sunday, decorated Palmbuschen (small bouquets) are blessed in churches. Some places also re-enact Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by carrying wooden Palmesel (wooden donkeys with a Christ figure) through the town.

  • From Maundy Thursday to Holy Saturday, church bells fall silent—they are said to have “flown” to Rome. During this time, children called Ratscherbuben and Ratscherinnen replace the bells with wooden rattles.

  • Easter fires are lit on Easter Eve in many regions, symbolising light and new life.

  • On Easter Sunday, children hunt for colourful eggs and small gifts hidden by the Easter Bunny.

  • Culinary traditions play a big role, with dishes like Easter ham, Osterpinze, and Carinthian Reindling.

Easter markets in Austria traditionally take place in March and April, depending on the date of the first full moon of spring.

Easter in Austria is also celebrated with seasonal specialities, including Easter ham, Mostviertel Godnküpfi, Osterpinze, Carinthian Reindling, and decorated gingerbread hearts.

Climate Protection Info

Why are traditions and customs sustainable?

The preservation of traditions and customs in Austria is closely linked to sustainability. Events such as Almabtrieb (cattle drives), folk festivals, and regional crafts reflect a deep respect for nature and resources. These traditions promote awareness and appreciation of local flora and fauna while fostering environmental consciousness.

Customs also contribute to social sustainability. Traditional celebrations like maypole raising, Easter festivities, and Christmas traditions strengthen community bonds and encourage collective efforts to preserve regional heritage. Intangible cultural heritage plays a key role in passing down rituals, customs, and craftsmanship from generation to generation.

Sustainable travel

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