Krampusnacht

Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure, in Alpine folklore, who during the Christmas season scares children who have misbehaved, assisting Saint Nicholas. The history of the Krampus figure has been theorized as stretching back to pre-Christian Alpine traditions. The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December.

Basic information

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On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St. Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses.

Unlike North American versions of Santa Claus, in these celebrations Saint Nicholas concerns himself only with the good children, while Krampus is responsible for the bad. Nicholas dispenses gifts, while Krampus supplies coal and the Ruten bundles.

The pair visit children on the night of the 5th December, and Saint Nicholas rewards the well-behaved children with modest gifts such as oranges, dried fruit, walnuts and chocolate whilst the badly behaved ones only receive punishment with birch rods.

Numbers vary, but an estimated 1,000 Krampi, the largest concentration in the world, descend upon Klagenfurt for a parade through the streets that eventually morphs into a party.

That said, the Krampuslauf isn’t all boozy, demon-clad testosterone time. Many treat the event as a costume contest, and the quality of some Krampus outfits is pretty amazing. In addition, many women take to the streets dressed as Perchta, a pagan goddess of Germanic origin; as a result, a Perchtenlauf (Perchta run) is now a standard component of the Krampuslauf.

About city of Klagenfurt

Most sights of interest can be easily reached by foot. Klagenfurt offers an extensive bus network. Tickets can be bought directly at the bus. The main bus hub is at Heiligengeistplatz (map) in the centre of the city.

Austria is where a Krampus Museum can be found in the town of Suetschach.

Also сheck оut мore info about Krampusnacht: Wikipedia • Wikivoyage

Transport

Page navigation: Basic information > Must to See & Do > Transport

STW.at – public transport in the city of Klagenfurt and the suburbs.

⇒ TRANSPORT & BUS TIMETABLES (visitklagenfurt.at) • Getting There & Around (austria.info)

Eurolines Austria / ÖBB postbus.at / InterCityBus

Trains are the best and most common form of mass transportation in Austria. Comfortable and moderately priced trains connect major cities and many towns; buses serve less significant towns and lakes. The two forms of transport are integrated and designed to complement each other, and intercity coaches exist but don’t provide anywhere near the level of intercity rail service.

FlixBus are one of the leading long-distance providers in Europe and operate a network of around 1,700 stops within 28 countries. Within Austria, this coach provider operates a network of 34 stops which make it easy to travel even further.

RegioJet are a private Czech coach provider, who operate bus routes around the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and 90 other cities throughout Europe.

Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof (map) is located at a railway gateway to Italy, Slovenia and Germany, it can be easily reached from any bigger Austrian city. There are hourly connections to Vienna, Graz and neighbouring Villach.

The railways are managed by the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB. Wien Hauptbahnhof (map) – is the main railway station in Vienna. The station names of all stops in Vienna start with its German name “Wien“.  + Rail Europe

Wien Westbahnhof (map). The services from Salzburg run by the private company WestBahn terminate here. Apart from it, only regional trains serve the Westbahnhof. Westbahn also serves a few other otherwise regional stations such as Wien Mitte and Wien Praterstern.

The Alpen Express is a sleeper train that takes you directly from Amsterdam to Austria’s most famous ski areas in Tirol.

Travelling times between major Austrian cities:

  • Vienna ⇔ Salzburg = less than 2,5 hours with ÖBB railjet
  • Salzburg ⇔ Innsbruck = less than 2 hours with ÖBB railjet
  • Innsbruck ⇔ Bregenz = starting from approx. 2,5 hours
  • Vienna ⇔ Graz = 2 hours 38 min.
  • Graz ⇔ Linz = starting from approx. 3 hours
  • Graz ⇔ Innsbruck = starting from approx. 6 hours

Austria has a well-developed road network which lets you reach your destination with ease. Find all pertinent information about rules of the road and answers to frequently asked questions.

⇒ “Vignette” toll sticker • Current traffic information • Austrian driving rules in detail • Electric filling stations in Austria • Hire a car

An excellent motorway, highway, and federal road network connects Austria with its neighbouring countries. All main border check points are open day and night. In general, Austrian traffic regulations and traffic signals are similar to those enforced in other European countries.

Vienna International Airport (map), located 18 km (11 mi) southeast of the city center. City Airport Train – non-stop airport transfer to Vienna! (+ St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport)

Riverboats on the Danube include connections with Linz, Bratislava and Budapest, but are slower and more expensive than other options.

LOD – Run a fast hydrofoil between Vienna and Bratislava May–October with up to two daily departures.

Twin City Liner – A fast catamaran between Vienna and Bratislava March–December with up to four daily departures.

Mahart Passnave – Operate a fast hydrofoil between Vienna and Budapest May–October with daily departures during the peak season.

Video source: GKhome

Links to additional resources with useful information for planning your trip.