Rauhnächte 2026: twelve nights in the German-speaking Alps

When the Rauhnächte start and end in 2026-2027

Twelve nights, two calendars

12 nights 25 December to 6 January Tyrol, Salzburg, Salzkammergut

The Rauhnächte are the nights « between the years ». In most German-speaking regions there are twelve of them, from 25 December to 6 January. For 2026-2027, the Ártala app, the reference calendar of the jahrzaehler.de site, sets them from 25 December 2026 to 5 January 2027: the last night ends on the morning of 6 January 2027 (jahrzaehler.de, consulted 6 November 2026).

A variant, cited by kuriose-feiertage.de (consulted 6 November 2026), starts on Thomasnacht, 21 December, and ends on 1 January. It exists alongside the twelve-night version. Sources do not all agree on the number of nights, which is why this article uses the jahrzaehler.de calendar as its reference.

Pixidia tip: if you want something indoors over the holidays, while the processions are paused, a Christmas baking class in Salzburg can fill the programme. The details and the price we checked are just below.

Christmas Cookies and Apple Strudel Cooking Lesson incl. LunchPartner link €130 for 2 adults, or €65 per person (checked 6 November 2026, available on 32 of 37 dates between 1 December 2026 and 6 January 2027)€65 per person€130 for 2 adults, or (checked 6 November 2026, available on 32 of 37 dates between 1 December 2026 and 6 January 2027)

See dates

Source: jahrzaehler.de, kuriose-feiertage.de and oberoesterreich.at, checked 6 November 2026.

25 December 2026 is a Friday, and 5 January 2027 is a Tuesday. Not all event dates are confirmed: check them with the organisers.

Where the name comes from, and why twelve nights?

The origin of the name is not established. The DWDS, cited by jahrzaehler.de, proposes the Middle High German rûch, « hairy », or Rauch, « smoke ». The database of the University of Innsbruck (uibk.ac.at, consulted 6 November 2026) links it to the Ausräuchern des Hauses, the purification of the house by smoke. These are hypotheses.

According to jahrzaehler.de, the number twelve comes from the gap between the 354-day lunar year and the 365-day solar year. This is a reconstruction, not proof, as Rainer Wehse, cited by kuriose-feiertage.de, points out.

Räuchern: smoking the house with embers

Räuchern is the practice best described in the sources. According to the Innsbruck database, embers taken from the hearth receive incense, remnants of the blessed Palmbesen (the palm-frond broom from Palm Sunday) and blessed herbs. The person carrying the censer walks through the house praying, while a second person sprinkles holy water in every room (uibk.ac.at, consulted 6 November 2026).

In the late Middle Ages, the practice was meant to drive away « spirits and demons ». It was widespread in Tyrol but now survives only in a few pockets. In Matrei in Osttirol, it is still performed at Christmas, New Year and Epiphany.

The Innsbruck database also records a belief tied to these nights: people thought Percht, a legendary figure, moved about during the Rauhnächte, and they left milk and bread outside the door. According to the same database, Perchten processions were held on the eve of 6 January; that was a particularity.

Perchten and Krampus: two figures not to confuse

Schiachperchten and Schönperchten

Perchten are masked figures who roam the villages during the Rauhnächte. An extract from austria-forum.org (consulted 6 November 2026) distinguishes two types. Schiachperchten wear frightening masks, horns, furs and bells: they chase away winter and evil spirits. Schönperchten wear taller, colourful headdresses and bring good fortune.

What sets them apart

• Schiachperchten: frightening masks, horns, furs, bells, chasing away winter
• Schönperchten: colourful, taller headdresses, good fortune
• Krampus: walks with Saint Nicholas on 5 December, a separate feast

Pixidia tip: if children come with you, the Schiachperchten can frighten them. This is common sense, not an official rule: it is worth talking to them before the parade.

Krampus and Perchten often mix in today’s parades, but they are two distinct traditions. Krampus belongs to the feast of Saint Nicholas, on 5 December. Perchten are linked to the Rauhnächte period.

The peak of the December 2026 events falls on Saturday 5 December, and the list is not exhaustive. The table below reproduces the official listings read on 6 November 2026, and flags the unconfirmed extracts from aggregators.

Source: Innsbruck Tourism (tyrol.com), yesalps.com, south-tirol.com and tirol.at, checked 6 November 2026. Lines marked « extract » come from aggregators and have not been verified on the organisers’ sites.

Krampus runs are not limited to Tyrol. The newspaper Salzburg24 keeps a list of the 2026 Krampus runs across the whole of the Salzburg state, updated on 28 October 2026. The number of entries it lists has not been checked here.

Gastein, a festival every four years

The Perchtenlauf of Gastein (Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein) has been on Austria’s national inventory of intangible heritage since 2011, in the « Social practices » category for the state of Salzburg, under identifier 248. The UNESCO.at page does not mention an entry on the UNESCO Representative List (consulted 6 November 2026).

According to the same page, the event takes place every four years, on one day between 1 January and Epiphany. It brings together about 140 figures and some thirty headdress bearers.

An extract from gastein.com, not read in full, gives 1 January 2026 as the last documented edition and mentions an edition over several days, whereas the UNESCO.at page describes a single day. This contradiction still needs settling with the tourist office. If the four-year cycle holds, the next edition would fall in 2030: this is an inference, not an official announcement.

The Glöcklerläufe of the Salzkammergut, 5 January 2027

Glöcklerläufe are bell processions, and most take place on a fixed day, 5 January. The oberoesterreich.at page (updated 14 September 2026, consulted 6 November 2026) gives the following events:

• Gmunden: Glöcklerlauf and Dreikönigssingen, 5 January 2027, on the Rathausplatz.
• Obertraun: every 5 January.
• Bad Ischl: the night of 5 to 6 January, which is the last Rauhnacht.
• Ebensee: every 5 January, according to the UNESCO.at page. No time slot is confirmed.

The Glöcklerlauf in Ebensee has been on the Austrian national inventory since 2010 (identifier 241), without an entry on the UNESCO list (unesco.at, consulted 6 November 2026).

Kirchseeon, a season of about six weeks in Bavaria

The Perchtenlauf in Kirchseeon runs over a season: from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The season closes with a Perchtennacht, from 5 to 6 January 2027. Spectators enter free of charge. You can get there by train on the S-Bahn S6, to Kirchseeon station (festivalsindeutschland.de, page updated 8 September 2026, consulted 6 November 2026).

The detailed plan for the season was not published on the date checked. Recheck the exact date of the performance you want between 1 and 26 November 2026. An extract from bayern.de announced in March 2024 a recognition at the level of the State of Bavaria, not a UNESCO listing.

Alter Silvester, 13 January 2027 in Appenzell

Appenzell’s second New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is celebrated on 31 December in the Gregorian calendar. In Appenzell Outer Rhodes, the festivities continue with Alter Silvester, on 13 January 2027, according to the Julian calendar (MySwitzerland, consulted 6 November 2026). The Silvesterchläuse parade in Urnäsch, Waldstatt, Hundwil, Schwellbrunn and Schönengrund, among other villages. If the date falls on a Sunday, the festivities are brought forward to the Saturday before.

Pixidia tip: only the date is confirmed for 2027. The programme of each village had not been published on the date checked: check with the regional tourist offices.

Roads, vignette and tyres: the winter rules to know

If you reach the valleys by car, three rules matter. They come from the ÖAMTC, the Austrian motoring club, consulted on 6 November 2026.

The 2026 Austrian motorway vignette costs €106.80 for the year, €32 for two months, €12.80 for ten days and €9.60 for one day. The annual one is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027. From 2027, the sticker vignette disappears and only the digital vignette will remain, according to the ÖAMTC. Its price is not official yet, so we do not give it.

From 1 November to 15 April, winter tyres become mandatory as soon as the road is snow-covered, slushy or icy, on all wheels. Snow chains can replace them, fitted to at least two driving wheels. The ÖAMTC recommends not exceeding 50 km/h with chains.

Source: ÖAMTC, vignettes and ÖAMTC, winter tyres, checked 6 November 2026. The validity of the short vignettes still needs reconfirming with the ÖAMTC.

This section covers Austria only. The equipment rules for Germany, which apply to Kirchseeon, and for Italy, which apply to South Tyrol, have not been checked. A trip to Bavaria or to Sterzing therefore means checking the local rules before you leave.

For entry formalities, the answer above is for French nationals: they do not need ETIAS, the system for travellers from outside the European Union. If you hold a UK passport, check your own position on the official EU site, since the UK is outside the EU. This answer still needs reconfirming on that site, and no official start date for ETIAS had been found at the time of checking.

Mountains and avalanches: the emergency numbers and the Tyrol advice

In its statement of 19 February 2026, the Tyrol state government, through Landesrätin Astrid Mair, asked people to stay on secured pistes and to give up off-piste hiking in alpine terrain for the time being. The danger level reached 4 over much of the territory, and the statement cited two deaths and one serious injury. For the situation of the day, check the bulletin of the Lawinenwarndienst Tirol. Avalanches with no victims should be reported to the Leitstelle Tirol (tirol.gv.at, consulted 6 November 2026).

In an emergency, call 112, the European number, 144 (Notruf, emergency services) or 140 (Alpinnotruf, mountain rescue). The SOS-EU-Alp app is also mentioned in the same statement.

Krampus runs: three debates to keep apart

Three debates surround Krampus runs, and they do not rest on the same evidence.

The first is about commercialisation. An article in Meinbezirk, marked as sponsored content, explains that tourism is bringing the Krampus season forward. A column in the 1000things magazine, which is an opinion piece, sees a commercial show that invokes custom. The debate is real, but it rests on opinions, and they should be attributed as such.

The second is about violence and safety. An extract from Bluewin reports that in Matrei in Osttirol, in December 2025, two Krampus figures attacked a father. An extract from Salzburg24 describes a Krampus run in Völkermarkt, in Carinthia, as having got out of hand. Neither case shows a trend.

The third is about authenticity. The Innsbruck database and jahrzaehler.de point out that current practices are partly reconstructed, and that some commercial sites present as old rituals that historical sources do not confirm.

Budget: what you pay for and what is free

Most of the budget goes on the road and on paid activities. The priced items, all checked on 6 November 2026, are:

• Austrian vignette: from €9.60 for one day to €106.80 for the year (ÖAMTC).
• Cooking class in Salzburg: €130 for two adults, or €65 per person, checked 6 November 2026 (Viator).
• Kirchseeon: free entry for spectators (festivalsindeutschland.de).
• Fine for missing winter equipment: about €100 (ÖAMTC).

The listings for Innsbruck, Rattenberg and Sand in Taufers give no entry price for their processions. Accommodation is not priced, as there is no dated and verified rate grid.

Depending on your travel style

With family. Kirchseeon is the simplest option: entry is free and the station is served by the S-Bahn S6. For younger children, the advice stays the same: tell them what to expect before the masks appear.

As a couple, or for a first time. Innsbruck hosts Krampus and Perchten on 3 and 4 December 2026 (Innsbruck Tourism listing). Rattenberg, on 6 December, adds an event the same weekend, with no price or time published.

On a small budget. A one-day vignette at €9.60 or a ten-day one at €12.80 covers a short stay on Austrian roads, subject to the validity still to be reconfirmed. Kirchseeon costs nothing. Do not rely on an estimated figure for 2027: it is not official.

For tradition lovers. The Glöcklerläufe of 5 January 2027 are spread across Gmunden, Obertraun, Ebensee and Bad Ischl. The Perchtenlauf of Gastein only takes place every four years.

Four mistakes to avoid

• Calling Ebensee, Gastein or Kirchseeon UNESCO-listed. These are entries on the Austrian national inventory, or a Bavarian regional recognition.
• Relying on an old listing. The Sterzing listing is dated 16 January 2026 and needs reconfirming.
• Thinking the 2026 vignette expires at the end of December. The annual one stays valid until 31 January 2027.
• Counting on snow. None of the sources consulted for this article guarantees snow on a given date. Check the situation in the village or resort the week you leave.

Points to reconfirm before you go

Four points were still open on the date of checking. Each one refers to a source cited earlier in the article.

• Sterzing, 5 December 2026. The tourist office listing is dated 16 January 2026 (yesalps.com, checked 6 November 2026). Reconfirm the time with the office before you travel.
• Kirchseeon, season plan. The detailed plan was not published on 6 November 2026 (festivalsindeutschland.de, listing of 8 September 2026). Check it between 1 and 26 November 2026.
• Gastein, next edition. An extract from gastein.com mentions an edition over several days, while the UNESCO.at page describes a single day (checked 6 November 2026). No 2027 date is announced in the listings checked.
• Graz and Styria. No reliable date for Graz at the time of checking. The Styrian dates read in aggregators are unconfirmed extracts.