Berchtesgaden Day 2.3

After our Buttnmandllauf Raymond was like now what? And I said I would like to go up to a viewpoint that we didn’t get to this morning. It wasn’t very far and the clouds were clearing up so it might be nice.

Now when I was planning this online it said that that Buttnmandllauf are usually just for the people in the towns, there is no info on them, but there is the one that saw that was for everyone to enjoy. Well as we were walking up to the viewpoint we came across one of the secret ones! They were hanging out for a bit and there was a handful of people waiting for them to head to the next place so we waited with them. Their costumes were a lot nicer than the first ones we saw. The straw was like even more which was great! Though the Krampusse you had to watch out for as they would come and whip you in the leg! Especially if you are taking photos (I did get hit once and it hurt, but not as bad as I expected!). So then I was more careful to not be where they could get me and I kept running behind others if they were coming for me (in the one video at the end one of then comes right towards the camera and I am pretty sure he was coming for me! Raymond was secretly filming so they wouldn’t go after him and I ran behind him when that one came and then he gave up). But it was fun seeing the “real” one! I know some of the Krampuslaufs can get crazy, but the ones we went to last year were not so this was like a tiny taste of what they can be like (and I don’t really want to go to the crazy ones! This little bit was enough for me!).

After they went by we walked up to the viewpoint and it was gorgeous! And you could hear the Buttnmandl and Krampus bells in all the small towns in the area! Sometimes it was hard to tell where exactly they were coming from. But I loved it! Bells all over!

Then we started heading down the way we came and you can follow these Buttnmandl as there is a path of straw everywhere they go! So we caught up to then again and got to watch them go by a second time! Then they took a beer break and sat on the side of the road and we had to go down that way…but didn’t want the Krampusse to get us…so we hung out for a bit and cars kept coming by and the one was stopped for a min waiting for the car ahead and the Krampusse opened the trunk and doors and rang their bells for the people inside and it was pretty funny. Definitely up to their mischief! (Though they did close everything up again afterwards)

Then we realized we could go up a bit and then back to town via the lantern path we took earlier so we did that.. but when we were getting near town there were couple Krampusse that came around the corner and I was like are they coming this way?? And Raymond spied and they were taking a break (no straw ones in the group just a ton of furry ones) so we walked through them. It was pretty cute seeing them all sitting there!

Then a walk back to where we were staying and you could hear bells here too! I kept spying when I heard them and you could see them walking by the streetlights across the way and then the last time they walked right by the house! So fun! Apparently St Nicholas and a couple of them visit each house with children which is kind of fun, but also maybe not depending on the kids!

All in all this was an amazing day! I loved our straw covered Buttnmandl and Krampus! I also really loved hearing all the bells all over. It was nice seeing a bit of the actual tradition in the area! We might have to come back next year! I really really enjoyed it! The next Krampuslauf is on Sunday so I can’t wait!Lue lisää