VIENNA CHRISTMAS MARKET

The Vienna Christmas Market blew me away exceeding my highest expectations! I’m not going to lie, I’ve been to Vienna once before and liked the city but it wasn’t my favorite. In my mind, it didn’t compare to the rest of Austria! However, their Christmas Market is next level! I had a completely different experience visiting during the holidays. Coming from Advent in Zagreb, I wasn’t sure how Vienna would compare. I’m happy to report, Vienna Christmas Market is a top contester for one of the best Christmas Markets in Europe! With Christmas Markets and festivities all over town you won’t run out of things to do.

What makes the Christmas Market in Vienna so special? Well, as you can imagine, the city is decked out with the most impressive Christmas decor. Twinkling lights guide you from market to market across the city. The smell of chestnuts, mulled wine, and chimney cakes will surely bring you holiday joy. But the best part about the Vienna Christmas Market is the variety in markets. From a market with over 100 booths, to quaint markets with a handful of booths you can experience it all. Whether the market is big or small, you feel the joy of the season!

In this article, I have done my best to breakdown all you need to know to experience the magic of Advent in Vienna. I will cover evething from getting to Vienna to different market locations and most importantly, what you need to try! I hope you enjoy the article and should you have any questions, drop me a comment below.

And don’t forget to pin this for later!

Located in Central Europe, Vienna is a quick ride from many popular European destinations. Since Vienna is such a big hub, it’s easy to access by train as well as bus from surrounding cities. It’s generally more expensive to take the train but, oftentimes, the train is quicker! As far as buses go, I’ve found FlixBus and RegioJet to be reliable throughout my European travels.

TRAVEL TIP: This tip is an important one! If you’re traveling around Austria via train, you can book your ticket through the Austrian Rail (OBB) website. You generally have to print or validate your ticket once you arrive to the train station so read the fine print! This is where it gets tricky. If you’re traveling to Austria FROM a surrounding country, do not book on the Austrian website. You’ll have to print or validate your ticket at an OBB office at the train station. OBB doesn’t have offices in surrounding countries so you won’t be able to print it. I know this from a very expensive trip from Budapest to Vienna!!

Vienna is a great destination because you can pair it with so many cities! You can plan an Austrian vacation and visit Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. These cities are relatively close and Austria is well connected by public transportation. You can also combine a trip to Vienna with surrounding cities such as Prague, Bratislava, or Budapest as these are a short distance away.

With so many markets around town, it is difficult to visit them all but you have a few options. If you like walking, a handful of markets are within walking distance. Max and I were able to walk most of the markets. However, with that said, it is a lot of walking! Luckily, Vienna is well connected via subway. You can purchase a 24 hour transportation pass with OBB for 8 Euros. It costs 2.5 Euros per trip so this is a great deal! Another option is purchasing the Vienna Card. It is 17 Euros but includes free travel on public transportation as well as discounts on restaurants and attractions in the city.

There are approximately 6 main Christmas Markets in Vienna. The markets open Mid-November and Christmas Festivities are in full swing through the 26th of December. Unfortunately, the markets do not run through the New Year. But you still have plenty of time to visit since they open early! The markets are open the bulk of the day however, hours vary by market. With that said, most markets open around 10 am and close late in the evening.

Market Dates 2024: Open from November 16th until December 26th – these are the dates for most markets

If you are going to Vienna for the Christmas Market, spend 2-3 days in the city. If you have not been before, 3 days is ideal as it will give you more time to site see. Luckily, the Christmas Markets in Vienna are near tourist attractions. Many of the markets are set up in the courtyard of an attraction. Thus you can enjoy the Christmas Markets while also site seeing!

As I mentioned, there are quite a few markets scattered around Vienna. The best thing about the markets in Vienna is many of them are next to hot spots in town. Because of this, I recommend visiting as many markets as possible! You can pair sight seeing with the magic of Christmas. If you only have time for a few markets, you cannot miss Rathausplatz and Karlsplatz. They’re the heart of the Vienna Christmas Market constantly full of holiday festivities.

Vienna Christmas Market on Rathausplatz is by far the most touristy Christmas Market in Vienna, after visiting I can see why! With over 100 booths, the market is bustling at all hours of the day. The ice skating rink is unbelievable with an impressive track and spectacular lighting. As you skate around the ice skating rink you are surrounded by twinkling lights wrapped from the base of every single tree with festive music and an ample amount of Christmas spirit. If you plan on ice skating I recommend booking ahead! Aside from the ice skating rink, there’s a Ferris wheel as well as a few other rides and activities for kids. It is best to visit in the evening as animated lighting completes the market!

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace: There is a Christmas Market set up in front of Schönbrunn Palace which is a main tourist attrition in Vienna. As such, it is a must! It is a relatively big market but it’s spread out. It does not feel overly crowded because there is an open space in the middle with tables for people to relax and enjoy. This is the perfect market to visit if you don’t enjoy crowds since it’s spread out. Not to mention, Schönbrunn Palace is magical during the holidays with a large Christmas tree glistening at the center of the courtyard.

Christmas Village at Belvedere Palace is a cozy market with a handful of booths selling handcrafted goodies as well as classic treats. This is a great market to visit during the daytime so you can visit the Palace. The palace consists of the Upper and Lower Belvedere which are separate buildings connected by a beautiful garden.

Art Advent on Karlsplatz is a short walk from Belvedere Palace. The market on Karlsplatz differs from the rest of the markets in the city. To be a vendor at the market, you must produce your own products (as opposed to traded). While the market focuses on arts and crafts, there are plenty of food stalls. Rather than typical Christmas Market staples, the market offers organic food and drink. One of the best things about Art Advent on Karlsplatz is there is a lot of open space. It is a great spot for kids as there is a play area with farm animals and a pile of hay.

Christmas Market on Stephansplatz is a quaint little market surrounding St. Stephan’s Cathedral. You will find all the staples at this market. It is a great market to visit while exploring Vienna as Stephansplatz is the heart of Vienna. The market explodes with holiday cheer, from the enormous string lights to the smell of roasted chestnuts on every corner.

Christmas Village at Maria-Theresien-Platz: If you love museums or history, then this is the market for you! As you walk through this charming market, the Maria Theresa Monument will overshadow you. The monument stands at over 60 feet tall! You will also find the Museum of Natural history, Museum of Art History and the Museumsquartier nearby. Thus, this market is the perfect stop to grab a glass of mulled wine and reflect on Vienna’s fascinating history.

The Old Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung dates back to 1772! The Freyung Christmas market has a lot of healthier bio products. This makes it a must for health minded Christmas marketers. A few steps from Freyung is Am Hof Christmas Market. The markets sell similar goods and are a great spot to hang out and grab a drink.

There are so many staples to the Christmas Markets in Vienna. Most markets around town offer similar cuisine allowing plenty of time to try the classics! A few of the classic dishes you’ll come across include soup in a bread bowl, melted cheese on bread, and sandwiches. Of course, there are also a ton of booths selling sausages. And for your sweet tooth, there are donuts! While this is a common treat, these aren’t your average donuts! They are massive with a variety of flavors so if you like donuts, you can not miss this one! As far as purchases go, you can expect to find typical trinkets such as ceramics, mugs, and ornaments. But let’s discuss the staples of an Austrian Christmas Market!

If you’ve been to the Vienna Christmas Market, comment below your favorite dish :)

Pretzel – You cannot leave the Vienna Christmas Market without trying a Pretzel. You will notice these pretzels absolutely everywhere! And let me tell you, these aren’t just any pretzels! First off, they are gigantic. Secondly, these pretzels are loaded with everything from Nutella to cheese. So whether or not you prefer sweet or savory, you are in luck! We went with the cheese pretzel and had no regrets.

Käsespätzle (Aka Cheese Spaetzle) – This is not only one of my favorite Austrian dishes but it is also the ultimate comfort food! It is similar to Mac and Cheese and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day. This classic dish is made with Spaetzle rather than a traditional noodle. Spaetzle is an egg noodle commonly found in Bavaria.

Potatoes – If you like potatoes, the Vienna Christmas Market is for you! You can get everything from potato pancakes to baked potatoes, and spiraled potatoes. Potato pancakes are fried and topped with a variety of ingredients. You can choose your toppings but garlic is the classic option. Baked potatoes come with your choice of toppings usually sour cream, onions, bacon, and more. My personal favorite are the spiraled potatoes as they’re crispy and delicious!

Kaiserschmarrn (sweet pancakes): Kaiserschmarrn is a simple yet delicious dessert served at many of the markets in Vienna. Kaiserschmarrn tastes like a pancake with a dusting of confectionary sugar on top. Rather than looking like a traditional pancake, it is chopped into smaller pieces. To finish off this sweet treat, you’ll top it with jam or plum sauce. This dessert is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel): Of course, a Christmas Market in Austria would not be complete without trying strudel! While apple strudel tends to be the most common, there are a handful of flavors.

Glühwein (Aka Hot Wine): An obvious staple to warm up at every Christmas Market! My favorite thing about the market in Vienna is when you order Glühwein it comes in a mug. You generally pay 2-4 euros for the mug. After you have finished you can either keep the mug or return it and get your money back. There are a handful of markets that do this in Europe and it makes for the best souvenir!

Salt: One of the best things to stock up on at Austrian Christmas Markets is salt! Hallein, Austria is home to one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Needless to say, Austria knows their salt!

Gnomes: You’ll find gnome trinkets of all sizes for sale at the Vienna Christmas Market. I noticed a ton of booths selling the cutest little Christmas gnomes. Since visiting, I have been trying to figure out the significance of the gnomes. If you know, please comment below! Regardless, these little gnomes are the cutest trinket to bring home.

In comparison to other European Christmas Markets I have visited, Vienna is moderately priced. The food is reasonably priced but, I found the drinks to be pricey. The pricing tends to be similar throughout Vienna with the exception of a few spots. As expected, pricing at the most popular markets is pricer than the smaller markets.

Here is the pricing for a few popular items (pricing listed is from Rathausplatz – the most popular market):

• Ice Skating (at Rathausplatz) – 7.20 Euro (adult ice skating) & 6.75 Euro (adult skate rental)
• Käsespätzle (Cheese Spaetzle) – 6.5 Euro
• Pretzel – 4 Euro
• Sandwich – 4.5 – 5 Euro
• Mulled Wine – 4 Euro (+4 euro for the mug which is refundable)
• Gnome trinket: 7 Euro (small) & 9 Euro (medium)

I was so impressed by the Christmas Market in Vienna, I cannot wait to visit again one day! The city is bustling with overjoyed tourists and locals enjoying holiday festivities. I hope this article helps you plan your trip to Vienna. It’s such a special place to visit during the holidays, I could not recommend it more.

Headed to Austria don’t miss my winter guide to Innsbruck!

Safe Travels,

Sarah :)