Vienna has several Christmas Markets and they are all known to be among the best in all of Europe. What is especially cool in Vienna is that every Christmas Market has its own cup which you can buy, and of course, drink hot chocolate and glühwein from it. So, if you visit all the different markets, you can return home with ten different cups if you would like to!
Vienna’s most famous Christmas market is at the Rathausplatz in front of the City Hall. This is very beautiful, especially in the evening as the house of the city council is illuminated. But there are several other Christmas Markets to be visited in Vienna. The Schönbrunn Palace has a great Christmas Market, you can find another one in front of Karlskirche, there is an untraditional but brilliant market at Spittelberg, and the list could go on forever.
If you want to experience a real Christmas atmosphere, Vienna is one of the best cities to visit in Europe. Read further about some of the different markets, and check out the dates of the different Christmas markets in the list under this text.
Dates for the Christmas Markets in Vienna in 2024
Rathausplatz Christmas market dates 2024
November 16, 2024 – December 26, 2024
These are the final dates for the most famous Christmas market in Vienna.
- 2024: November 16 – December 26
- 2023: November 10 – December 26
- 2022: November 19 – December 26
- 2019: November 15 – December 24
- 2018: November 16 – December 26
This is the most popular and famous Christmas market in Vienna. It is much more than just a market. Here you can find many programs for adults and kids, including an ice skating rink, a magical train, beautiful lights, and so much more. This is the place to go if you want to take fantastic photos.
Are you looking for a hotel or apartment close to Vienna’s most famous Christmas market? Look at the map below for price examples and great hotel and accommodation possibilities.
Booking.comSchönbrunn Christmas market dates 2024
November 8, 2024 – January 6, 2025
These are the final dates for the Christmas market by Schönbrunn. Do not forget that it changes a bit after Christmas and turns more and more into a New Years market.
- 2024: November 8 – January 6 (2025)
- 2023: November 18 – January 4 (2024)
- 2022: November 19 – January 4 (2023)
- 2019: November 23 – December 26
- 2018: November 18 – December 26
The Christmas market by Schönbrunn is located quite far from the city center, but it is still very popular due to the fantastic surrounding of the market. The Schönbrunn castle is an attraction in itself; you can walk in the park for hours year round. There is a fantastic view if you visit the Glorietta, and families will enjoy visiting the zoo in the park. The market has beautiful illumination at night, and since you should visit Schönbrunn anyway, this is a win-win situation. This market remains open until the start of the new year, making it perfect if you come to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Vienna.
Maria-Theresien Platz Christmas market dates 2024
November 13 – December 26
- 2024: November 13 – December 26
The Christmas market at the magnificent Maria-Theresien Platz is very popular among locals and it looks amazing, especially as both museums surrounding the Christmas market turn on the illumination in the evenings.
Spittelberg Christmas market dates 2024
November 16, 2024 – December 23, 2024
These are the official dates, so you can already plan your trip to one of the most special Christmas markets in the world!
- 2024: November 16 – December 23
- 2023: November 16 – December 23
- 2022: November 11 – December 23
- 2019: November 14 – December 23
- 2018: November 18 – December 23
This isn’t a traditional Viennese Christmas market. It doesn’t have magical illumination at a giant square. Instead, this is a market located in tiny streets where you walk up and down. People stand in the middle of the street and drink their hot wine, and the stores in the area are a natural part of the Christmas market. In a way, this is Vienna’s most special Christmas market, and you should definitely visit it.
Wintermarkt Präter Christmas market dates 2024
November 16, 2024 – January 6, 2025
Get ready for roller-coasters, the famous Ferris Wheel, Christmas concerts, and much more at this Christmas market.
- 2024: November 16, 2024 – January 6, 2025
- 2023: November 18, 2023 – January 7, 2024
- 2022: November 19, 2022 – January 8, 2023
Präter is a fantastic area in Vienna. Here you can enjoy a giant Ferris Wheel and enjoy an adrenaline kick as you pay to ride one of the many roller coasters in the area. Before Christmas, a big winter market is added to the area, and it certainly has a traditional Christmas market atmosphere. Once again, this is an area you should visit anyway, and because of the Christmas market, you just got one more excuse to do so. There are daily concerts from Wednesday to Sunday at 19.00 during the entire period of the event.
Belvedere Christmas market dates 2024
November 15, 2024 – December 26, 2024
This is a Christmas market located next to the beautiful Belvedere castle. It isn’t the biggest, but you definitely visit this one as well!
- 2024: November 15 – December 26
The Belvedere Christmas market is quite similar to the other Christmas markets, but it stays open through Christmas, all the way until New Year’s Eve. This beautiful market will help you buy local foods and drinks, and take some magnificent photos, especially in the evening.
Christmas market at Hof in Vienna in 2024
November 15, 2024 – December 23, 2024
This is one of the Christmas markets with the earliest openings in Vienna. Do you feel the smell of hot wine in your nose already?
- 2024: November 15 – December 23
- 2023: November 10 – December 23
The Christmas market at Hof is a hidden gem in the center of Vienna. Here you will find many locals drinking hot wine, eating sausage, and other popular food. Here you can buy authentic handmade goods from Austria, giving it a greater sense of being a local Christmas market than Vienna’s other Christmas markets.
Read more about the different Christmas Markets:
- Christmas Market at Rathausplatz
- Christmas Market at Schönbrunn
- Christmas Market at Spittelberg
- Christmas Market at Maria Theresien Platz
- Christmas Market at Karlsplatz
- Christmas Market at Belvedere
What can you buy at the Christmas markets in Vienna?
As you visit the Christmas markets in Vienna, you will find many similar objects at the different Christmas markets. Obviously, there are differences, but you will also see many similarities between the different markets.
One of the most important things you will find at every Christmas market in Vienna is the hot wine, often referred to as glühwein. Since the wine has been boiled, it normally comes without alcohol, but the taste of alcohol and wine is strongly present in the drink. As a result, most kids dislike the traditional hot wine served at the different Christmas markets. Hot wine, or mulled wine, or glüh wine, also consists of some additional spices (depending on who makes it). Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg are some of the most used spices.
If the kids don’t like the hot wine, they feel otherwise about the chimney cake. This is often referred to as the Sekler Cake, a sweet dough with sugar grilled and later dipped in cinnamon, cocoa, walnut, or vanilla. If you choose the cinnamon taste it reminds you quite a lot of cinnamon buns, just that it is much bigger and incredibly delicious. It might be that this is a favorite of kids, but don’t worry, adults love it as well.
It is very normal to find fruits covered with chocolate as well. This is another favorite of adults and kids as you get apples, strawberries, and other chocolate-covered fruits.
Would you like some more serious food? There are several options at the Christmas markets in Vienna.
This region is well known for delicious meat, and also sausages. As a result, you will find sausages of all kinds at the Christmas markets in Vienna. Some are filled with paprika, onion, and spices, while other sausages are more harmless and with less taste.
Another tasty thing you can enjoy at several Christmas markets is warm soup served in bread buns. What tastes better than a warm goulash soup, or maybe a pumpkin cream soup or a garlic cream soup in minus 5 degrees in the evening while enjoying the beautiful illumination of the Christmas markets in Vienna?
Austria is also known for its tasty cheese. Consequently, you will find several stalls where you can buy traditional cheese from Austria of all sorts. These are just some examples of what you should eat and drink at the different Christmas markets in Vienna.
Would you rather buy a souvenir, a present, or something else? You can find all sorts of objects and handicrafts at the markets.
Are you looking for some handmade soap consisting only of natural ingredients? It is very likely that you will find this if you visit the different Christmas markets in Vienna. Would you rather buy some toys for your children? There are often handmade toys available in several stalls.
One typical thing to buy is Christmas decorations. You can buy a model of Joseph and Mary in the stable with their Jesus child, or maybe some decorations that you can hang on your Christmas tree. Does it sound more interesting with a candle holder surrounded by beautiful glass that makes it shine in all sorts of colors? You will find them in all sorts of shapes and sizes if you go to the Christmas markets in Vienna.
The ladies will also find the earrings, rings, purses, wallets, and similar objects extremely tempting.
There are so many options. The best thing you can do is to set aside several hours and just visit all the different Christmas markets in Vienna. You will find so much more than this. The great thing is that there are changes from year to year. As a result, you will always see things you haven’t seen before and find objects you didn’t know you needed (before you actually see them).
A nice walk to help you discover some of the nicest Christmas markets in Vienna.
It is healthy to walk. So, why not discover some of Vienna’s most popular and beautiful Christmas markets on foot? Here we will share a fantastic stroll that will take you through beautiful streets and simultaneously bump into some of the best Christmas markets in Vienna.
Let’s start at Stephansplatz.
Stephansdom is one of the most famous attractions in Vienna. Here you can find a Christmas market as well. It isn’t the biggest, but it is especially good for those hungry and thirsty. You can get here on foot or by metro, making it an ideal place to start our Christmas market tour in Vienna.
When you have finished looking around at the market, walk along Graben (a beautiful street) and at the end, head towards Bognergasse. Here you will find exclusive shopping along the way (Prada, Louis Vuitton, and several other stores). After walking here for a few minutes, you will reach the Christmas market at Hof. This might not be the most famous Christmas market in Vienna, but it is beautiful and worth a visit.
When you are finished visiting the Christmas market at Hof, it is time to walk to the most famous of all Christmas markets in Vienna. The traditional Christmas fair located in front of the city hall (Rathaus) is less than 1km away. If you want a traditional Austrian Wiener schnitzel along the way, stop and have a meal at Cafe Landtmann (located extremely close to Rathausplatz).
Walk towards the Schottengasse, all the way to Schottentor. There you can turn left onto the Universitätsring. You will soon see Café Landtmann on your left side and the beautiful Christmas market at Rathausplatz on your right side.
This is a real Winter Wonderland in Vienna. This is more than just a Christmas market where you can eat and rink. Here you can go ice skating, and there are many other activities available. It might seem trivial, but it is beautiful, especially in the evenings. In other words, you must go there at least once when it is dark. The city hall itself is amazing, and with the lights from the Christmas market, this is one of the most magical places you can go in the world during this time of the year.
This is probably the Christmas market where you will spend most of your time. However, you still have more to discover, so drink your hot wine and get ready to walk along the Universitätsring further until you reach the Burgring. You can then keep walking until you see the monumental buildings of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural History on your right side. You have arrived at the Maria-Theresien Platz which means you are ready for even more Christmas market shopping).
Once again, this Christmas market is surrounded by two beautiful buildings, which makes it look even better. There are lots of stalls here where you can buy objects and if you have some time left, you should consider visiting one or both the museums at the square.
Above, you can first see the walk from the Christmas market at Rathausplatz to the Christmas market at Maria-Theresien Platz. As you finish there, walk towards Operning (or drop by Hofburg to take pictures first). You will soon see the magnificent opera building in Vienna. Turn left after the opera building, and you are ready to walk onto Kärtner Strasse. This is yet another beautifully decorated street in Vienna, and as you walk straight forward, you will end up at the Stephansplatz by the Stephansdom.
It has been quite a walk, hasn’t it? Are you satisfied? Not only have you seen some of the best Christmas markets in Vienna, but you have also seen many of the city’s most popular sights and attractions.
Would you like more? One of Vienna’s most special Christmas markets is the so-called Spittelberg market. This is located in several small streets not far from the Maria-Theresien Platz. If you use Google Maps, head for Stiftgasse, and you will find what you are looking for. If not, follow the instructions on the map below and take a detour after your trip to the Christmas Market at Maria-Theresien Platz.
The Christmas market at Spittelberg is special because it differs from all the others. It isn’t located in a big square. Instead, it is located on small streets. There are stalls here and there, but many stores in the streets also turn into a natural part of the Christmas market. Consequently, this Christmas market has a special atmosphere that you should enjoy and visit while in Vienna.
We guess you are getting tired by now. If you still have energy left in your legs, you can walk from the Spittelberg market to Mariahilferstrasse for some normal shopping. Would you rather continue your crazy Christmas market walk? Head towards Karlsplatz. It isn’t far away and there you will find yet another Christmas market at a giant square with a beautiful church in the background.
The picture above might seem a bit empty, but it was made in the morning before the market opened. If you use public transportation, this is a spot easy to reach as Karlsplatz is a spot where several subway lines intersect.
Since you are addicted to Christmas markets, you should definitely walk from Karlsplatz to the famous attraction Belvedere. This is yet another attraction that you will love, and you will certainly enjoy the Christmas market at Belvedere as well.
When you have finished this walk, it is probably time to go to bed. If you still want more, the final destination of your Christmas market marathon in Vienna should be Schönbrunn. This final destination is located quite far from the city center, making it a 6,5km walk from Belvedere to Schönbrunn. A much easier way to get to Schönbrunn is by using the metro system which is fast and easy to use in Vienna.
Have you been able to visit the Christmas market at Schönbrunn as well? You can travel home and say with good conscience that you have discovered the most beautiful Christmas markets in Vienna!
