On Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm, the Alt Gnigler run as Krampus – a horned, fur-clad figure from Alpine folklore who accompanies St. Nicholas – with bells and wooden masks at our Salzburg Christmas market at Mirabellplatz (Mirabell Square), and St. Nicholas brings sweets for the children. Whether a Krampus run with kids works out depends above all on whether your child knows what’s coming and whether you can leave at any time. Here’s how to prepare your child, where to stand and what to watch out for with clothing and photos.
What is a Krampus run? At a Krampus run, a group of Krampus figures, known as a Pass (a local Krampus or Perchten group), moves past the spectators in fur and carved wooden masks, with bells, chains and switches. The Krampus figures threaten and spook, and now and then there’s a light swat with a switch or a cow’s tail.
When the Alt Gnigler run at our market is further down.
What happens at a Krampus run: bells, switches, contact
A Krampus run is loud, dark and close. The group arrives with heavy bells and rattling chains; the Krampus figures run towards the spectators, stop, and threaten with the switch. According to the “Krampus-Knigge” (Krampus etiquette guide) of the Anifer Krampusse, a Krampus group from Anif, anyone standing at the edge has to expect light swats with a switch or a cow’s tail.
The Krampus is meant to threaten and spook, but not to cause panic. According to the Anifer Krampusse, good runners know people and read from the audience how far they can go. Getting the measure right is everything, says Hannes Brugger, chairman of the Alt Gnigler. Nobody may get hurt. According to the Salzburg police, anyone who injures someone commits an offence, whether Krampus or spectator.
At many Salzburg runs, the runners aren’t allowed to drink alcohol before or during their appearance, and the organisers also check the switches. According to the Alt Gnigler, the associations of Perchten – fur-clad, masked figures from Alpine winter folklore – have their own safety rules and codes of conduct for their members.
Distance and barriers: where to stand
How close you get to the Krampus is decided by where you stand. Right at the front by the edge, you’re in the middle of the action and the most likely to get a swat with the switch. According to the “Krampus-Knigge”, anyone who’s afraid of swats should keep enough distance. Our tip: stand one or two rows further back.
- Stay behind the barrier: Wherever there’s a fence or barrier, stay behind it and don’t lean over it.
- Keep the path clear: Don’t stand in the runners’ path, not even for a photo.
- Listen to the stewards: The Alt Gnigler have their own stewards in their ranks. What they say goes.
- Plan a way out: With children, it’s best to stand where you can get back out of the crowd quickly.
Remember that the runners can’t see much. According to the ÖAMTC (Austria’s automobile club), the mask restricts their field of vision, and according to the “Krampus-Knigge” they don’t notice at all what’s happening behind them. If you walk behind a Krampus, expect him to turn round suddenly.
Krampus run with kids: how to prepare them
Whether a Krampus run suits your child depends less on age than on how well prepared they are. It gets much easier if your child knows what to expect and is allowed to leave at any time.
- Talk about it beforehand: Under every mask there’s a person who doesn’t want to harm anyone. The Krampus figures say so themselves in the “Krampus-Knigge”.
- Explain the roles: The Krampus is the companion of St. Nicholas and belongs to Advent. Background for older children is in Krampus or Percht?.
- Watch first, then move closer: Start from a spot further back. If your child gets braver, you can still move to the front.
- Take fear seriously: If your child wants to cry or leave, leave. A Krampus run isn’t a test of courage.
- Talk to the person: In a really difficult situation, according to the “Krampus-Knigge”, you can speak directly to the person behind the mask.
For almost thirty years, the Alt Gnigler have been helping children overcome their fear in nurseries and schools. There they explain to the children where St. Nicholas, Krampus and the Perchten come from.
For young children, our Krampus run with St. Nicholas is a good start: on Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm, St. Nicholas comes to us at Mirabellplatz with the Krampus figures and hands out sweets to the children. It’s an evening for the whole family, though the bells still make it loud. Stand further back with young children, so they see St. Nicholas and the masks from a distance. More ideas for Advent with children are in Salzburg in December with kids, and more Krampus dates in the city in our article on Krampus in Salzburg.
What to wear to a Krampus run
Dress as if you’re going to stand outside for an hour in December, and in a way that means a swat with the switch doesn’t hurt. The “Krampus-Knigge” recommends sturdy shoes and enough layers; jeans, it says, are better than tights.
- sturdy, warm shoes – in the crush, someone may tread on your foot
- long, thick trousers and a jacket that cushions a swat
- a hat and gloves – at 6 pm in early December it’s long since dark and cold
- bag and phone close to your body
- for young children, ear protection can help, because the bells are loud
Photos at a Krampus run: no flash, keep your distance
Taking photos and filming is common at a Krampus run, with a little consideration. Our most important tip: turn off the flash. The runner can’t see much through the eye holes of the mask anyway, and a flash from close up dazzles him for a moment.
- Take photos from your row and don’t step into the runners’ path.
- Switch your phone to night mode; the light from the market is often enough.
- Don’t hold your phone right in front of a mask; the runners need to be able to move.
- If you’d like a portrait, ask at the edge or when the group stops.
More about the carved Larven (Larve – the carved wooden mask, as it’s called in Salzburg), their horns and their weight is in our article on Krampus masks and Perchten masks.
Don’t provoke: respect for the runners
A Krampus run works when both sides play fair. Unfortunately, according to the Alt Gnigler, there are repeated assaults, by spectators on mask wearers just as much as the other way round. To make sure it doesn’t come to that:
- Never grab the horns. According to the “Krampus-Knigge”, there’s a serious risk of neck injury. With animal horns, a mask can weigh up to 13 kilos (about 29 lb), according to Salzburg24.
- Don’t pull on the mask, fur or switch, and don’t throw anything at the runners.
- Don’t goad them. It’s best not to provoke the Krampus figures at all, the psychologist Andrea Hammerer advised in Salzburg24 back in 2012.
- Say clearly when it’s too much. According to the “Krampus-Knigge”, you should make uncomfortable situations clear.
- Respect the custom. The runners are usually members of an association and put a lot of time into their masks and costumes.
The Krampus run with St. Nicholas at Mirabellplatz on 3 December 2026
On Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm, the Krampus run with St. Nicholas comes to us at Mirabellplatz: the Krampus figures of the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass run, and St. Nicholas hands out sweets to the children. The run takes place on this one evening only, and only Krampus figures run. The Alt Gnigler have been running in Salzburg since 1966; who they are is in our portrait of the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass. What to expect that evening is in the article on the Krampus run at Mirabellplatz.
On that Thursday our market is open until 8 pm, and trolleybus (Obus) lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 stop right at Mirabellplatz. It’s best to come a little before 6 pm, so you have time to find a spot that suits you.
Christmas programme
Krampus run with St. Nicholas on Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm, with sweets for the children: all dates at our market at Mirabellplatz are in the programme.
Frequently asked questions
For many children it’s fine, if they’re prepared and you watch from a distance. Explain beforehand that there’s a person under every mask, and find a spot further back. At our market at Mirabellplatz, the Krampus run on 3 December 2026 is an evening for the whole family: St. Nicholas comes along and hands out sweets.
There’s no fixed minimum age. What matters is how your child reacts to noise, darkness and masks. If you’re unsure, watch the Krampus run with St. Nicholas on 3 December from a row further back. You can always move closer later.
Light swats with a switch or a cow’s tail are part of the custom, and you have to expect them at the edge. A Krampus may not injure anyone. According to the Salzburg police, that’s an offence, just as it is when a spectator injures a Krampus.
Sturdy, warm shoes, long, thick trousers such as jeans and a warm jacket. Add a hat and gloves, because you’ll be standing outside on a December evening. Tights on their own aren’t a good idea.
Yes, but please without flash and without stepping into the runners’ path. The flash dazzles the runners, who can’t see much through their masks anyway. For a portrait, it’s best to ask at the edge.
On Thursday 3 December 2026, from 6 pm, with the Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass and St. Nicholas. Entry to our market is free. All dates are in the programme.
Sources
Retrieved on 2 November 2026: Salzburg24: Krampus-Knigge, the rules for dark figures and onlookers (5 November 2024) · ÖAMTC: Krampus parades (30 November 2022) · Alt Gnigler Krampus Perchten Pass, website: history, association, custom · Salzburg24: Driving out the fear of Krampus (28 November 2012) · Salzburg24: A Krampus mask carver gives an insight (29 October 2013) · our programme and our info page · date of 3 December 2026 (Krampus run with St. Nicholas): information from the Weihnachtsmarkt Mirabell association