Discover the Christmas markets in Vienna with a local!
12/2022 - Barbara Keller
Every year in mid-November Vienna transforms into a magical Christmas wonderland, showing its most beautiful side. The streets of the city centre are illuminated by festive Christmas lights, the air smells of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, and hundreds of decorated trees enchant both visitors and inhabitants. Numerous Christmas markets all over the city invite you to stroll around, buy handcrafted gifts or simply enjoy some culinary delights and a warm drink. Let me share some of the most festive markets with you for a guaranteed unforgettable Christmas experience in the Austrian capital.
This popular Christmas market in front of the City Hall, also known as “Wiener Weihnachtstraum,” is the most famous one Vienna has to offer. Together with the enchanting Christmas lights and the ice rink in the City Hall park, it’s an absolute must-see for many visitors. For this reason, it tends to get very crowded—but let me tell you, it’s worth the hassle. The whole area is a fairytale land with colourfully decorated trees and sparkling lights. A special attraction for lovers is the Herzerlbaum, a huge tree decorated with heart-shaped lanterns. If you’re on the hunt for a warm alcoholic drink, I recommend you stop at the Beerenpunsch-hut. There you can get punch, a traditional mixture of fruit juice or tea with spices and liquor, made out of pretty much every existing berry.
The Christmas market at Spittelberg is mainly spread over the three small alleys Schrankgasse, Spittelberggasse and Gutenberggasse in Vienna's district Neubau. The festive alleys are the perfect location for a stroll during Advent. It is basically the opposite of the City Hall market—small, traditional, cosy and very Austrian. If you want to get more than just a little tipsy, this is the place for you. The mulled wines and punches here are stronger than anywhere else in the city. Two mugs of Turbo-Punsch are enough to feel warm all night long!
Located directly in front of Vienna's famous church Karlskirche, this Christmas market doesn’t stand out with colourful lights, but opts for simplicity instead. There’s usually a varied program for children, such as art workshops or baking classes. In between all the little handcrafts and food huts, the highlight of this market are the special guests on four legs: llamas, sheep, goats and pigs can be spotted in a paddock in the straw.
The Christmas market in front of the Schönbrunn Palace is an old classic. From mid-November to Boxing Day, you can enjoy a very special pre-Christmas experience. The exclusive assortment in the elegantly decorated huts ranges from traditional craftwork such as wood carvings, nostalgic toys and festive Christmas decorations made of glass, wood, ceramics, paper or pewter. Visitors will also find plenty of culinary delights. Numerous caterers will spoil them with warming mulled wine and punch variations as well as Austrian classics from sweet to savoury.
If you want to try hearty, delicious food from all the nine Austrian regions, don’t miss out on this wonderful market, hidden in the courtyard of the university campus Altes AKH. Around 50 exhibitors from Austria and neighbouring countries offer a diverse range of gifts or souvenirs, culinary delicacies, dignified craftsmanship and precious jewellery. This festive Christmas village has become an absolute must-see for many Viennese and tourists. Due to its cosy atmosphere, the market at Altes AKH has become a popular destination far beyond the city borders of Vienna, not only among students.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go. There’s a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well… Don’t mind me looking for the perfect tune while getting ready for my first mulled wine of the season. I highly recommend you join in. If you're still looking for the perfect accommodation to experience all these Christmas adventures in Vienna, check out our numa properties Wood and Strauss. They are both within walking distance of many different Christmas markets and beautifully decorated shopping streets. See you there, and Merry Christmas!