Golling spruce will light Salzburg’s Christmas market

A 25-metre spruce from Golling will be the Christmas tree at Salzburg’s 52nd Christkindlmarkt, ORF reports. A family in the Tennengau town donated the tree, which is about 70 years old and weighs roughly six tonnes.

The spruce stands on private property and was chosen for its even, dense branches. Salzburg’s fire service and the city’s gardening department are due to fell it on November 9 and install it at Residenzplatz.

The Christmas market opens on November 19 at 10 a.m. The tree lights are scheduled to be switched on at 6 p.m., with around 1,000 LED lights.

Market organiser Wolfgang Haider said many Christmas trees come from private gardens, where they have grown too large and need to be removed. Owners can then offer them to the market.

This year’s market runs through January 1, 2027, at Domplatz, Residenzplatz and parts of Kapitelplatz. Its roots are traced to a market first mentioned in 1491, while the event in its current form has existed since 1974.

A tree from Wald-Königsleiten in the Pinzgau is also set to decorate Frankfurt. It has already been felled and is expected to be transported to Germany in the coming days, subject to transport permits. Representatives from the municipality are due to attend its handover on Tuesday, and the opening ceremony is planned for November 23.