There’s nothing better to get you in the mood for Christmas than the beautifully decorated stalls of a romantic Christmas market, a glass of punch with a cranberry Kiachl pastry, and festive tunes played by a traditional brass band. Adding to Jacob’s tips for Innsbruck’s festive markets, here’s my selection of romantic Christmas markets in Tirol. Merry Christmas!

Winter in Tirol begins with bells, banging and bizarre beings roaming the streets. Every year at the start of December, the devilish “Krampus” strikes fear into the heart of children. This centuries-old tradition is today more popular than ever.

Tiroleans mark the longest day of the year by lighting fires in the mountains. One of the areas with the most spectacular summer solstice celebrations can be found at the Zugspitze mountain. The tradition of summer solstice fires dates back many centuries and is today included on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.

I once read that Tiroleans are said to be a cunning, lederhosen-wearing mountain people who yodel. Well, honestly speaking, I wouldn’t describe us as ‘cunning’; I’d rather say we are kind of pig-headed, maybe. Don’t worry, the Tiroleans are still very friendly and welcoming people. If you befriend a few locals and head into the mountains with them, you can be sure to enjoy wonderful scenery, good company and plenty of laughs.

Visiting the Außermelang Alm hut in the Tux Alps, chances are that you will carry more weight out than in. After all, the alpine dairy here sells finest homemade specialties. Produced on site, the handmade Wattental Alpine Cheese is one of the most sought-after alpine cheeses and has won praise and awards from foodies and chefs alike. And the “Tirol Alpine Pasture Pig” thrives here, too.

It is just a one-and-a-half-hour walk to the Falbesoner Ochsenalm, a charming alpine hut welcoming hungry hikers with a mouth-watering array of local foods from homemade bread and butter to cheese, dried bacon, “Striezel” (a plaited yeast dough bun), butter milk and elderflower cordial.

As you approach the Juifenalmhut you can hear the cows mooing, the hens clucking and the pigs grunting even before you arrive! This wonderful place high above Gries im Sellrain is filled with happy family life and animals. Which isn’t surprising, as this alpine retreat is a working farm—and a true natural gem. And they serve a wonderful selection of homemade specialties. Yummy!

Why is life different up high in the mountains than down in the valley? It’s all about time! Time doesn’t go faster or slower up there. It’s just that in our busy lives we rarely take the time to appreciate the small wonders in our world. As you walk up to a hut in the mountains, something instantly feels different. Especially in a beautiful place where past and present meet, such as in the chocolate box village of Fallerschein Alpe in Tirol’s Lechtal Valley.

Tirol has some weird and wonderful Easter traditions. We have picked ten of the best from the 40-day fast of Lent to unusual ones such as egg-bashing and grave-decorating.