The history of the festival
The idea for the Narzissenfest originated at the end of the 1950s in the town of Mariazell. It soon became apparent, however, that an annual festival of the narcissus could not be guaranteed there. The Ausseerland, where there is an over-abundance of narzissi fields, became the ideal canditate for such a celebration and it was welcomed positively by the local tourist association as a means to kick off the summer season.
The first Narzissenfest took place from May 28th-29th, 1960, and was organised by the tourist committee of Bad Aussee. After that, school children, traditional costume groups and more music groups have become as much of an attraction as the decorated cars and figures of the Sunday procession. From the very first festival on, a highlight has always been the crowning of the Narzissenkönigin (Queen of the Narzissi) and her two princesses.
The procession of the figures on the lake began in 1963. It took place on both Grundlsee, on Saturday afternoon, and Altaussee on Sunday after the parade through Bad Aussee. For many years, there was a firework display in Bad Aussee on Saturday and a live radio program from the event. The festival attracted between 2,000 and 4,000 visitors in the early years.
It quickly developed into an event involving the majority of the local community, whose dedication has contributed largely to its success and continues to this day. During the 1970s, as visitor numbers increased to 20,000, a committee was set up to administer and organize the festival each year, bringing together residents of Altaussee, Grundlsee and Bad Aussee. In 1983, the record was set: 25,000 guests visited the festival in a single day. One of the major reasons for the increase in visitors was due to a television program ‘JAHRMARKT’ that was aired directly from the Narzissenfest in Ausseerland.
Significant Years and Changes to the Festival
On June 2, 2013, the boat parade had to be canceled for the first time in the history of the Narcissus Festival due to persistent rain, flooding in Grundlsee and mudslides on the access roads. The last motorcade in Bad Aussee took place under conditions of pouring rain and free admission, as all emergency services, such as the local fire department, who normally handle admission fees, were on duty.
The premiere of the town parade followed in 2014, replacing the decade-long motorcade. The new concept: the figures were distributed throughout Bad Aussee in the morning, giving guests more time to view the figures up close and for a longer period of time. Since then, the concept has been further developed, and after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Narcissenfest returned with its current single-location concept. Since then, the Narcissenfest has taken place every year, alternating between Altaussee, Bad Aussee, and Grundlsee.
