The quiet time

Advent in Berchtesgaden

Advent is a wonderful time: full of anticipation and joy—contemplative and peaceful, yet at the same time full of life. Experience the magic of the Christmas season and the days leading up to New Year’s in Berchtesgaden and the Rupertiwinkel region. Here you’ll still find authentic, living traditions just as they’ve always been. Now begins the season of Christmas markets, celebrations, nativity plays, and traditional folk music.

During Advent in Berchtesgaden, you can feel tradition come to life. The Buttnmandl and Weihnachtsschützen loudly herald the festive season. The old tradition of Klöcklsingen is much quieter: on the first three Thursdays of Advent, children and young people go from house to house with songs and prayers, bringing blessings to each home.

Advent and Christmas traditions

  • Christmas shooting

    Christmas shooting in Berchtesgaden keeps Alpine Advent traditions alive with ceremonial gun salutes, festive gatherings, and centuries-old Bavarian customs.

  • Klöckl singing

    During Kloeckl singing in Berchtesgaden, groups dressed in traditional robes go from house to house singing Advent songs during the quiet season.

  • Buttnmandl and Kramperl

    Rooted in Celtic times and later shaped by Saint Nicholas traditions, wild figures dressed in fur and straw — known as Kramperl and Buttnmandl — roam through Berchtesgaden and the surrounding villages on Saint Nicholas Day, accompanied by the sound of ringing bells.

Berchtesgaden Advent

Step into the magical atmosphere of Berchtesgaden’s historic town center. Towering above the townhouses, the Stiftskirche, and the Royal Castle, the mighty Watzmann stands watch over the Berchtesgaden Advent.