Vienna (or Wien) is the capital of Austria and the most magical place to celebrate Christmas in Europe! This majestic city is known for its Classical music, elegant cafés, Imperial palaces as well as museums. One of the best times of the year to visit Vienna, Austria is during the month of December due to its award-winning Christmas markets!

Located in Eastern Austria, the city of Vienna sits along the Danube River. It is a German-speaking city and is one of the best destinations to see the Opera. What is also great about Vienna, Austria is that it’s near other major European cities like Bratislava, Budapest and Prague.

I visited Vienna during the 2018 European Christmas market season. To sum it up, I started this dreamy adventure in Munich, Germany. From there, I explored Neuschwanstein Castle in rural Bavaria. After spending a few days in Germany, I took the train to Salzburg and enjoyed a day trip to Hallstatt in the Austrian Alps.

In this article, discover the best Christmas markets in Vienna, Austria.

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Travel in Vienna Christmas Market Season:

There are a plethora of ways to visit Vienna, Austria. If you’re looking to fly into the capital city, Vienna International Airport is the main hub. For my Christmas market trip, I found great flight deals through Skyscanner!

Since I visited Vienna in the middle of my Christmas market trip, I got there by taking the train. I took it from Bratislava hlavná stanica (Bratislava’s main train station) to Wien Hauptbahnhof (Vienna’s main train station). If you plan to do a road trip around Central or Eastern Europe, it is best to rent a car!

Getting around Vienna to see the markets is easy. There is a well-developed public transport network that is operated by the Wiener Linien. It consists of a subway, tram and bus lines. Vienna also has ride sharing apps like Uber and Bolt as well as city taxis.

Discover the best places to visit in Vienna in 48 hours!

Best Hotels for Christmas Markets in Vienna:

Throughout the Austrian capital city are a lot of great hotels for all budgets as well as rental properties and hostels to stay at.

Whenever I travel, I always enjoy staying in accommodations that are closer to the heart of the city and where all the action takes place. During the Vienna Christmas market season, it is best to stay in and around the historic district of the city.

Below are my recommendations on the top hotels near the best Christmas markets in Vienna:

Luxury Accommodation: Rosewood Vienna

Boutique Accommodation: Hotel Sacher

Mid-Budget Accommodation: 25hours Hotel Vienna at MuseumsQuartier

Budget Accommodation: Vienna Boutique Hostel

Best Vienna Christmas Markets to Visit in Austria

The Christmas markets in Vienna are truly nothing like I’ve seen before! Even though I find all the Christmas markets in Europe to be magical, Vienna provides that WOW factor. From my personal experience, Vienna has the best Christmas markets in Europe!

The Christkindlmarkt Wien (Vienna Christmas market) dates to the Middle Ages. Scattered throughout the city are a variety of different markets that sell glühwein, wursts, roasted chestnuts, pretzels, pastries and chocolates. They also sell handcrafted goods, toys, textiles and more!

Vienna Christmas Market Dates and Info:

Viennese Dream Christmas Market at Rathaus:

(Rathaus Christmas Market, Vienna 2022 Dates – November 19 through December 26)

The Rathaus Christmas market in Vienna is the most magical in the city. Located in front of the Vienna City Hall is the main Christmas market that holds everything that’ll get you into the spirit. You could even go inside City Hall on the ground floor and learn how to make Austrian Christmas cookies or candles. It’s a lot of fun!

At Vienna’s biggest Christmas market, there are countless stands that will take you a couple hours to walk through, an ice-skating rink, Ferris wheel and other outstanding attractions to enjoy. You can also listen to Christmas carolers on the weekends.

Art Advent at Karlsplatz:

(Art Advent 2022 Dates – November 18 through December 23)

Another must visit Vienna Christmas market is the Art Advent in Karlsplatz. It’s around a 10-minute walk from Vienna’s Rathaus.

Overall, I LOVED how dreamy this market was with all its lights and decorations! The Karlskirche (baroque cathedral) also makes for a magical backdrop. One of the main reasons why the Art Advent is one of the best Christmas markets in Vienna is because you’ll find exceptional craftwork, quality regional handicrafts and the best entertainment performances. (Don’t worry, you can still get glühwein!)

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace:

(Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market 2022 Dates – November 19 through January 4)

Another one of the best Christmas markets in Vienna and a personal favorite is the market at Schönbrunn Palace. Even if you travel to Vienna during the non-Christmas season, I recommend visiting this stunning palace. It holds a lot of history being the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers.

Please note that the Schönbrunn Christmas market is further from the city center. It’s around a 40-minute walk (more or less) from the historic district, or you can take the city tram lines 10 and 58, bus route 10A and the U-Bahn route U4.

There are approximately 60 exhibitors offering beautiful, original gifts and handmade Christmas decorations at this market. You can also enjoy glühwein, typical Austrian-German foods and purchase local, Viennese goodies!

Christmas Village Belvedere Palace:

(Christmas Market at Belvedere Palace 2022 Dates – November 18 through December 23)

One of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Vienna is the one in front of the popular Belvedere Palace! It’s located at Vienna’s famous royal residence and there are over 40 decorated stalls to enjoy handcrafted goods, delicious Christmas market foods and live performances.

Other Best Christmas Markets in Vienna:

Christmas Village on Maria Theresien Square (2022 Dates – November 16 – December 23)

Christmas Village Campus University of Vienna (2022 Dates – November 11 through December 23)

Christmas Market at Spittelberg (2022 Dates – November 10 through December 23)

Winter Market on Riesenradplatz (2022 Dates – November 19 – January 8)

Old Viennese Christmas Market (2022 Dates – November 18 – December 23)

Am Hof Advent Market (2022 Dates – November 11 – December 23)

Christmas Market on Stephansplatz (2022 Dates – November 11 – December 26)

Advent Delights Market (2022 Dates – November 11 – December 31)

Things to do in Vienna, Austria at Christmas:

In addition to visiting all the best Christmas markets in Vienna, here are some of the best things to do in Austria’s capital city during the winter.

Visit the Old Cafés:

One of the top things to do in Vienna is to visit one of the old-world cafés to savor a delicious Viennese cake! What makes these cafés authentic in Austria’s capital city are its marble tabletops, traditional Thonet chairs, newspaper tables and a pianist playing in the background.

During my time in Vienna, my friend and I went all out and visited the famous Café Sacher in the heart of the city where we got to enjoy Champagne, a cappuccino and their famous cake – a Sachertorte. This delicious chocolate cake also has a layer of apricot jam and is covered in chocolate ganache. It was amazing and the perfect way to start the day!

If you decide to go to one of the old cafés in Vienna, I recommend going early to avoid crowds. You can wait for hours to get into some of these spots! Thankfully, the line to get into Café Sacher Wien wasn’t too bad when we went. Once we were finished, later in the morning, the line was wrapped around the block!

I loved how the café was elegant and made you feel like you were having breakfast in a palace! Here are other traditional cafés in Vienna, Austria:

• Café Hawelka
• Café Schwarzenberg
• Café Central
• Café Jelinek
• Café Sperl
• Café Korb

Wander Around Hofburg Palace:

The imperial Hofburg is the former palace of the Habsburg dynasty rulers and is currently the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria – Alexander Van der Bellen. The Hofburg Palace was also the birthplace of Marie Antoinette.

You could get tickets and go inside the Palace, but the grounds were beautiful to walk through. There were enchanting courtyards, beautiful parks and lawns, lovely gardens and more! To make it even better, it was snowing when I was there.

Get Lost in the Austrian National Library:

The Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, also known as the Austrian National Library, is Austria’s largest library. It’s a stunning place to visit during a trip to Vienna in December and will make you feel like you’re in a fairytale like Beauty and the Beast!

The Austrian National Library offers over 12 million books and artifacts. Within these artifacts are manuscripts, music manuscripts, photographs, maps, globes and more. It’s a place you cannot miss out on during a trip to Vienna, Austria.

Go to an Opera Performance:

Since Vienna is home to the world’s most renowned composers, you must visit one of the opera houses to watch a talented performance!

The best place to see an opera performance is at the Staatsoper on Vienna’s Ringstrassen boulevard. After a day of enjoying Vienna’s best Christmas markets, seeing an opera performance is one of the top ways to keep warm during the winter months.

Not only can you enjoy an actual opera performance during your time in Vienna, Austria, but you can also take a guided tour of the different venues around the city! Other great venues to see the opera in Vienna are at the Volksoper, Theater an der Wien and Schönbrunn Palace.

Savor Authentic Austrian Food and Beer:

During my time in Vienna, I savored delicious Austrian-German food and sipped some of the best beer I’ve ever had!

Here are great restaurants in Vienna to enjoy after exploring the best Christmas markets in the city:

Brandauers Schlossbrau: This beautiful Austrian beer hall and courtyard is the perfect place to savor an authentic meal with a brew. During my last evening in Vienna, my friend and I enjoyed some schnitzel, spätzle, potatoes and Viennese beer at this lively spot. It was amazing!

• Restaurant Steirereck
• Zum Schwarzen Kameel
• Restaurant Das Schick
• Pizza Randale
• Tian Bistro am Spittelberg
• The Palmenhaus

Want to experience other magical European Christmas markets? Check out the below:

2 Days in Tallinn at Christmas

Enchanting Cologne Christmas Markets

1 Day in Cesky Krumlov

I hope you all enjoyed discovering the best Christmas markets in Vienna, Austria and learning about the best things to enjoy in the city during the month of December. If you have any questions, please email me at info@browneyedflowerchild.com.

Basic Facts of Austria:

Currency: Euro, Capital: Vienna, Time Zone: Central European Standard Time

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