Narzissenfest: the Biggest Flower Festival in Austria

Last updated on July 20th, 2023 at 05:41 pm

So, this is a bit embarrassing and also a little funny: I found this flower festival in Austria by googling events where I could wear my dirndl. Yes, you read that correctly. As stereotypical as it might sound, I decided that I could not live in Germany for years without buying a dirndl to commemorate my stay. But, I also couldn’t justify purchasing one unless there would be more chances to wear a dirndl than just Oktoberfest. Hence my less than normal google searches which brought me to this fabulous and bright flower festival in Bad Aussee, Austria.

A Little History

Narzissen is the German word for a little white tulip which blooms between mid-May and mid-June each year. This festival is a joyous celebration of these delicate flowers. At Austria’s largest flower festival, they are used to create stunning works of art which are paraded through town and then floated across the Altaussee.

The Narzissen Fest is a one of a kind event that first took place first in 1960. It began as a motorcade where the cars were decorated with flowers and paraded throughout the area, but just a few short years later, the boat parade was added.

According the the official website, it takes nearly 3,000 volunteers to help make the festival a success. Just a few days before the festival the delicate Narzissen flowers are plucked by villagers, including the children of the village. Then, they used to bring anywhere from 30-40 delightful figurines to life. These figurines are displayed throughout the village on the day of the festival and voted on. Then, in a festive procession, they driven down to the Altausee where they are launched into the lake for the boat parade.

Visiting the Narzissen Festival

According to the official website, the festival is scheduled to take place next on the weekend of June 1 -4, 2023. It will be a wonderful weekend, full of exciting activities for the whole family. You will be able to enjoy a display of local crafts and handiwork, the figures made of flowers, a motorcade, and of course the ultimate experience: watching the gorgeous figurines made of the delicate flowers drift peacefully across the lake.

Important Information:

Ticketing:

Tickets must be purchased in order to take part in the festival. According to the official website, tickets may only be purchased in the town of Bad Aussee.

Parking at the Festival:

There are designated parking areas for the festival. The downtown area of Bad Aussee is closed during the festivities, so you will have to drive the “long way around” to get to the parking area. When we were there in 2019, the route to the parking area was well marked and easy to follow. If you’re still feeling unsure, do what I do and “follow the crowd”. From the parking area, a free shuttle bus was provided that brought us to the downtown area. There was also an option to take the bus back to the lake area for the boat parade.

Pro Tips:

Bring water (and possibly even some little snacks) with you. It was pretty warm when we were there and we really wished we had brought water bottles with us.

Having a blanket or some small camping chairs is great for the boat parade portion of the event.

Wear comfy shoes since you will be doing a fair bit of of walking around the town to see all the different floats.

How to Get There:

Nearest Airport: Salzburg Airport

Other Airports: Innsbruck Airport, Vienna Airport, Munich Airport.

Salzburg Airport: It’s about 1.5 hrs by car or 3 hrs by public transportation.

Innsbruck Airport: It’s just over 3.5 hours by car and about 5 hrs by public transport.

Vienna Airport: It’s about 3 hours by car or just about 4.5 hrs by public transport.

Munich Airport: It’s about 3.5 hours by car or 5 hrs by public transport.

Things to Do Nearby:

Bad Aussee is a village in the picturesque Salzkammergut region of the Austrian Alps. Outside of the flower fest, there are many things to do and see.

1. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage village of Hallstatt, Austria. You can read more about this picturesque village in my post: Visit Hallstatt: A UNESCO World Heritage Gem in Austria!

2. Visit the picturesque village of Gmunden, Austria

3. Spend a few days in the beautiful city of Salzburg, Austria. You read all about our favorite things to do in my post Fantastic Things to do on Your Vacation to Salzburg. You can also learn how you can save money by purchasing the Salzburg Card in my post: How to Use the Salzburg Card to Save Money!!

4. Visit beautiful Werfen, Austria

In Conclusion

I hope that this post has inspired you to look further into this beautiful flower festival in Austria. Let me know what you think in the comments below!!

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine