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As probably the most recognisable festive soundtrack, Silent Night has summed up the spirit of Christmas for generations.

First performed in public on December 24, 1818, the lyrics were written by a young pastor from Salzburg, Austria, called Joseph Mohr, while teacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody.

Since then, the song has been translated into 300 languages and dialects, and been given Unesco intangible cultural heritage status. Given its worldwide importance, a number of events are taking place throughout Austria to celebrate the classic carol’s 200th anniversary on Christmas Eve.

If you are planning to retrace its story, here are three key SalzburgerLand locations to explore.

Where: Mariapfarr

Why: To discover the inspiration behind the song

In autumn 1815, 23-year-old Joseph Mohr became an assistant priest in Mariapfarr in the Lungau region, a place where his ancestors had settled in the 17th century. A year later he wrote the famous song, although his authorship was only fully acknowledged in 1995, when a handwritten version of Silent Night, Holy Night proved he’d written the lyrics.

A highlight for tourists is the redesigned Silent Night Museum, which features a 15th-century silver altar and a Christmas nativity scene with a collection of around 100 figures originating from 1750.