Easter Market

30th - 09th April, 2012
The Easter Bunny goes to market

Ostermarkt in Innsbruck

Osterstand in der Innsbrucker Altstadt

Ostermarkt Harfenspielerin

With springtime putting an end to winter, days are getting longer and the balmy air makes the first flowers burst into bloom. Just about the right time to set out in search of the Easter bunny’s whereabouts.

And you won’t even need to look very far, for bunnies of all shapes and sizes will convene at the open-air Easter market taking place in Innsbruck’s historic old town from 30 March until 9 April, open from 11am to 7pm.

While Easter bunnies are very welcome at the Easter market, there is also a great variety of decorative items made from wood or glass, pottery wares and hand-painted Easter eggs, as well as hams, cheeses, smoked sausages, traditional Easter pastries and many other culinary delights. Willow catkins, olive branches and sweet Palm Sunday pretzels are of course a must, alongside Orthodox icon paintings and blessed crucifixes.

The many events that take place in the framework of the Easter market provide interesting insights into Tyrolean folklore marking the Easter festival.
‘Grasausläuten’ - a practice to encourage the grass to grow – involves the vigorous ringing of bells mounted on poles, whilst the loud noise of cracking whips during ‘Aperschnalzen’ is said to prevent winter from making another, untimely appearance.

And since legend has it that for Good Friday all church bells take off for Rome, they are replaced by the unmistakable rattle of the wooden ‘Karfreitagsratschen’. There will be Easter egg hunts for children while everyone can watch how a typical Palm Sunday bouquet is prepared, and enjoy performances of traditional dances, such as the colourful ‘Bandltanz’.

All this – in combination with a balmy breeze – is a sure sign that spring has arrived, at last!

More information www.ostermarkt.at.