Oberndorf: The birthplace of the Carol Silent Night in Austria

by - April 17, 2023

Our final stop in the great Austrian sojourn was Salzburg. After that we were driving to Munich. While searching for a place to stay in Salzburg, like everywhere else, we wanted somewhere outside the city. Our motto of travelling has always been imbibing the local culture, and there is nothing more apt than sharing the roof with a local outside the city. So we chose Oberndorf, which was 17 kms outside the city and on the Austria German border, on the bank of river Salzach.


You must have read how Laufen and Oberndorf were sister towns. During the Napoleonic wars , these two towns went to different nations: Laufen in Bavaria, Germany and Oberndorf in Austria; splitting hundreds of families and thousands of friends.

The town is really small but with enormous historical significance. The Carol "Silent Night" (Stille Nicht) was first performed at St Nikola parish church on the Christmas Eve of 1818, from where it spread abroad. However there was a disastrous flood in 1890 where the Salzach river destroyed the church. A new church was erected at its place and we got to visit and pay respect to that one. 

Our host was an Austrian who was very fluent in English with a typical American accent. Believe me, we have been all over Europe and this is really rare as Europeans refuse to speak any language other than their mother tongue. We were really impressed with his diction and he gave the credit to his penchant for watching innumerable Hollywood movies 🤣

Our BnB was a wooden three storey building. It was really quaint and enchanting. We were staying in the loft and everytime we would climb the stairs, the wood would make creaking noise. I was teleported to my childhood who used to visualise these things while reading stories. I took permission from our host to film his entire house and he readily obliged. His kitchen was also for our use and like everywhere else, we made coffee, heated up the rajma and ate it with local bread. Our host shared our rajma and was scandalised by its spice 🤣

Our last stay in Austria was quintessential of Austrian countryside living. If you are keen for enriching local experiences and don't mind giving up 5 star amenities, I truly recommend living in B nBs..


This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 


This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’

hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla

in collaboration with Monidipa Dutta.  

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23 comments

  1. I'd love to be there just because of Silent Night

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  2. This place is so beautiful. It is sad when wars break up lands, the people suffer so mcuh. I would certainly like to stay in this B&B and go for the Silent Night. It does sound like a perfect. holiday.

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  3. The church has such a solid look, is the word that comes to my mind, standing strong even after wars. Also loved the cozy BnB in Oberndorf and the lovely location near the bank of river Salzach, quite a nice view !

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  4. Due to having baby I am unable to travel much these days and so blogger friends like you are helping me by taking me on a virtual tour of the beautiful destinations through your posts. I can explain how good I am feeling reading your blog and especially the pictures you shared making me feel I am right there standing with you with a face full of smile. The silent Night element is really interesting which I got to know from this post and I really need one such break. Thank you so much dearie for this post.

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  5. I love your travel pictures and detailed articles. For me, traveling is not possible shortly, so it's the posts like this that soothe my urge to visit faraway places;)

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  6. It's nice to know that silent night was first performed here. Since I studied in a missionary school n college, hymns and carols were everyday things for us n I love Silent night😊.what a beautiful place n do sad that it was torn apart.
    As usual, amazing post Mandira n beautiful pics. It's really really a great privilege to be able to travel so extensively. Happy for you. Keep sharing your travel stories...kaveri.

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  7. travelling always is a way to change into a peaceful way of approaching life in a new place. Austria seems to be the perfect destination.

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  8. Being in the choir I never really searched into the history of Silent night. The post is nice and the pictures the rooms they give you such a cozy feel. Like I bet one would not miss home with sich and environment.

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  9. Delightfully picqueresque post yet again. I love the way you bring in the beauty of the places in your blog and the entire experience of it as well. I feel as if ive travelled there too. Thanks for the experience and Happy Travelling.

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  10. What a wonderful travel experience! It's fantastic to hear about your journey through Austria, with Salzburg being the final stop before heading to Munich. Your choice to stay outside the city and immerse yourselves in the local culture truly resonates with the essence of travel.
    It's evident that you value exploring not only the popular tourist destinations but also immersing yourselves in the local communities. It's these authentic encounters that often leave the most lasting impressions.
    All photos are amazing.

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  11. Lovely travel post. The place look cozy and vibrant. I like kitchen. Love the way you take us on tour with you. It is so soothing.

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  12. What an incredible travel adventure! It's truly delightful to learn about your exploration of Austria, culminating in the captivating city of Salzburg before venturing towards Munich. Opting to stay away from the bustling city and embracing the local culture reflects the true spirit of travel.
    Your commitment to discovering not only the well-known tourist spots but also immersing in the local communities is truly commendable. These genuine encounters often create the most profound and enduring memories.
    The photographs you shared are absolutely breathtaking. Enjoyed reading the post.
    Best ,
    Dipali Bhasin ( https://www.spoonsandsneakers.com )

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  13. Your travels posts always have unique finds. This looks like such a lovely place with a lot of history. As always, beautiful pictures. I am surely bookmarking this post.

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  14. Loved seeing all your pictures. The place looks so cosy. And the mention of rajma made me smile

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  15. It must have been quite an experience. Perfect to visit during the Holidays. I loved the look and feel of the BnB too. It has such an earthy vibe to it. Thanks for sharing yet another unique find, Mandira.

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  16. There's so much we learn about a place through travel. Beautiful pictures. It's always a good idea to experience a place through local interactions

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  17. What a beautiful place it is! The BnB looks stunning! I loved the photographs you shared and you look lovely in them. Waiting to read more travel tales during Blogaberry :)

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  18. This looks so beautiful and You have written this post in detail yet so beautifully. Well apart from your post, I would like to mention here about your footwear. I just loved your Neon coloured smarty footwear. Wonderful!

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  19. I only knew Austria because of the Sound of Music, which I've been a fan of since childhood. I must say that after watching it's must say that my interest on the country has been increasing. Reading more about it from you made me more dream about visiting this country in the near future! - MommyWithAGoal

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  20. Great to know about the history of the place and the pictures helped to give a virtual tour. I personally also prefer BnB options they give the real feel of the place instead of high end properties.

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  21. I look forward to your posts because you literally transport us to the place with your lovely pics and descriptions. Lovely!!

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  22. Such a quaint little place. I always wonder how it would be to actually live in such a place away from the hustle bustle of city life.

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  23. We love living in BnB's! I've been to Salzburg, it's really lovely.
    Noor

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