I was lucky enough to take a trip to Vienna, Austria with my sister Rebecca this November. We did so many fun things, but especially enjoyed being able to check out quite a few of the city’s Christmas markets!
Christmas markets began in Germany and date back to medieval times, but many cities in Europe now celebrate them in November and December each year. Vienna is a lovely place–one of my favorite cities in the world–with many different Christmas markets. We were able to visit seven on our trip (and read to the end for a bonus eighth suggestion!), so I wanted to share a little more about each one. If you’re looking for even more Vienna Christmas markets, check out Visiting Vienna’s guide to them all here! It was an excellent resource when planning our trip and won’t steer you wrong.
But before we get into the Christmas markets, I wanted to share a quick note on punsch & glühwein (mulled wine). These drinks are available at all the Christmas markets, and come in adorable reusable mugs, often boot-shaped, usually customized for each market and sometimes the current year. Please note that when you buy a mug of punch or mulled wine, you’ll also be charged a deposit–usually €5–which you can get back when you return the mug to any of the stands at the market. Or, you can also keep the mug as a cheap souvenir. 🙂 This trips up a lot of tourists, as they don’t understand how their €5.50 mug of glühwein suddenly became €10.50!
A few terms that might be helpful:
- Punsch = alcoholic punch beverage
- Kinderpunsch = non-alcoholic / kid friendly punch
- Beerenpunsch = punch with a mix of berries added – my favorite!
- Apfelpunsch = apple punch
- Orangenpunsch = orange punch
- Glühwein = mulled wine (roter for the usual, made with red wine, weißer for white wine)
What else do you need to know about Christmas markets? Most of them are open throughout the day, maybe opening at 10am or 12pm and closing at 8pm or 10pm. They’re usually busier at night, and have a lively, cozy atmosphere with all the lights, but we visited some during the day as well and also enjoyed the warmer temperatures and lighter crowds. Be sure to visit when you’re hungry too, as you’ll find a variety of regional foods like sausage, pretzels, stews, raclette, and sweet treats like Kaiserschmarrn. I also recommend bringing cash to the markets as some booths will only take cash, though usually there are ATMs (possibly with a steep fee) at the markets too.
1. Art Advent Market at Karlsplatz
Shopping-wise, this Viennese Christmas market was my absolute favorite! The market has strict standards for quality and requires that each booth is run by the person making the goods, so you can find some amazing souvenirs here. The hand-painted pewter Christmas ornaments are an Austrian specialty, but we also found beautiful jewelry, soaps and candles, handmade stuffed animals and hand puppets, delicate glass ornaments shaped like spiderwebs and snowflakes, and carved wooden toys for kids. It’s a very kid-friendly market too: there was a whole area set up with a petting zoo! One of my favorite interactions in Vienna was speaking with one of the artists of stone inlay jewelry. I don’t speak German and he doesn’t speak English, but we both spoke Spanish so we had a great conversation about how he’d recently moved to Vienna from Argentina and loves the city. And of course, I was able to find the perfect snowflake-reminiscent pendant with lapis lazuli and turquoise!
We finished off this Christmas market experience by attending an Advent concert at Karlskirche. (This was also recommended by Visiting Vienna!) They played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on historic instruments from the 1700s inside the beautiful baroque church. We even got to sit up in the balcony for an excellent view of the whole concert. It does get a little chilly in the church but don’t worry–they supply you with blankets!
2. Schönbrunn Palace Weinachtsmarkt
I highly recommend checking out the Christmas market at Schönbrunn Palace–partially because it’s adorable, with the booths all matching the palace’s iconic green and yellows, a lovely carousel and ferris wheel, a small ice skating rink, and a huge, beautifully decorated Christmas tree–and partially because it’s an easy one to visit as a tourist. You’re probably going there anyway, because who doesn’t want to tour Schönbrunn Palace and its beautiful gardens?
Be sure to try the Sisi Punsch, an apricot punch named in honor of Empress Sisi, who once called the palace home. Some of the mugs also feature the famous painting of her with diamond stars in her hair!
3. Weihnachtsdorf at Maria-Theresien-Platz
This is another easy one to check off the list as a tourist in Vienna, because it’s sandwiched between two of Vienna’s most iconic museums: the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) and Naturhistorisches (Natural History) museums. You’re going to want to see the wonderful collection at the art history museum, with works by Bruegel and Vermeer, as well as the iconic Egyptian rooms, the beautiful interior with Gustav Klimt paintings around the main staircase, and its gorgeous cafe. Nature and anthropology fans will want to visit its sister museum too, to see the Venus of Willendorf, the museum’s large mineral collection, and fossilized remains of saber tooth tigers and cave bears.
Weihnachtsdorf at Maria-Theresien-Platz is one of the largest Christmas markets in Vienna, and we thought the proximity to the art museum also led to having more creative and artistic options for the goods that could be found there. Some of our favorite finds at this market were carved beeswax candles and ornaments, a customized bouquet of ceramic flowers, minimal stone jewelry, wool scarves and hats, and hand-painted Ukrainian Christmas ornaments.
4. Wiener Christkindlmarkt
This one is the biggest, most famous, and most visited Christmas market in Vienna, located outside the city hall (Rathaus). It has a wide selection of food and Christmas decor. I found some wonderful “Old World” blown glass Christmas ornaments here, and even three different options for one I specifically wanted: a pretzel! The Rathaus lit up at night, large Christmas tree, and other lights are beautiful to see, so this is definitely one I recommend visiting at night, even if it does get a little crowded. It also seemed to be the best place to go ice skating if that tickles your fancy, with a large rink and plenty of skates available to rent.
5. Weihnachtsdorf at the Belvedere
This market is a little smaller than some of the others, but that also meant fewer crowds. The setting is gorgeous, set against the backdrop of the lovely baroque palace of the Upper Belvedere. This palace also houses an art museum with many works by Gustav Klimt and other Vienna Secessionist artists, including some of his most famous like The Kiss and Judith, so it was easy to stop by for some punsch and a snack after soaking in all the art!
6. Wintermarkt at the Prater
The winter market at the Prater was actually the first Christmas market we went to! It was so cool to ride the famous 1897 Riesenrad (Ferris Wheel) for views over the whole market from its 212-foot height. If you’re primarily interested in shopping, I’d skip this one, but if you’re looking for lots of great comfort food options and a lively atmosphere, this one could be just the ticket!
There seemed to be live music scheduled almost every night. When we were there the performers were singing 70s, 80s, and 90s hits, so it was fun to recognize some of the songs. At one point they sang three ABBA songs in a row! There was also a German song that everyone seemed to know and sing along with, and we were surprised to suddenly hear “New York” and “San Francisco” in the lyrics. It turned out to be “Ich war noch niemals in New York” by Udo Jürgens, and it’s so catchy it ended up stuck in our heads most of the trip!
7. Weinachtsmarkt am Stephansplatz
Stephansplatz, which wraps around Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), is lively at all hours of the day–we were in the area multiple times during our trip and there was always a crowd! There’s a large Christmas tree at this market too and the area looks especially nice at night, as you can see the street Christmas lights over nearby shopping streets like Singerstrasse and the pedestrian-only Kartnerstrasse.
It did seem a little smaller than some of the other markets, maybe only because it was more crowded, so it wasn’t our favorite of the bunch. But it’s easy to visit, since you’ll definitely want to see the interior of Stephansdom and maybe buy a ticket up the North Tower for wonderful city views. The main place to take a carriage ride through Vienna is right on the other side of the cathedral, so seeing the horses adds to some of the historic feeling as well. We didn’t end up taking a carriage ride, but maybe next time!
Bonus: Bratislava Christmas Market!
Just an hour train ride away, Bratislava makes a great day trip from Vienna. It has its own Christmas market, located in the main square (Hlavné námestie in Old Town Bratislava). A Slovakian coworker recommended the market to me as a cheaper alternative to Vienna’s markets, and this turned out to be true! We bought some laser cut wooden ornaments, for example, that were about a third of the price that they were in Vienna, and the food and drinks were quite a bit cheaper too. If you’re on a budget, this is an excellent market to hit up for souvenirs and gifts!
To make a full day trip of it, be sure to walk through Old Town and visit Bratislava Castle! We also had breakfast at Konditorei Kormuth, an elaborately decorated historic patisserie just off the main square, and walked through the Christmas Forest in Primate’s Square (Primaciálne námestie), with trees decorated by local school children that are given to the less fortunate at Christmastime.
I hope this gives you a brief overview of some of the most popular Christmas markets in Vienna! Have you visited any European Christmas markets? Which is your favorite? Do you have any favorite things to see or do in Vienna? Share in the comments below!
