5 Reasons to Visit Vienna at Christmas

Vienna is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful European capitals.

The winter season in Vienna is a magical time, and a weekend there just before Christmas is the best thing you can plan to get into the festive spirit.

Families, couples, and groups arrive in Vienna not only from other European cities but from all over the world during the Christmas season.

There you can visit some of the nearly 20 outdoor Christmas markets that are set up every year in various parts of the city from the beginning of December.

The main streets and pavements of the city are decorated with beautiful, colourful lights, while shops are adorned with wonderful Christmas displays, creating a romantic atmosphere.

All this idyllic scenery is further enhanced by the city's cosy cafés, bars, and restaurants.

If you want to end an evening in Vienna in the best possible way, then choose a carriage ride for the most atmospheric tour of the city.

On the other hand, if you want to experience something different, you can take part in one of the many ball-galas organised in Vienna during the Christmas period.

The events held throughout the city share classical music concerts, art exhibitions, and ice rinks as common themes.

For all these reasons, and many others, Christmas in Vienna has a distinct feel.

If you are thinking of visiting Vienna in the coming months, we give you all the reasons to make it a reality below. 

1) The Christmas markets resemble small villages within a big city

See below for Vienna's most popular Christmas markets:

 

Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz

This is one of the most well-known and beautiful Christmas markets in the world. Here you will find many stalls filled with ornaments and handicrafts to choose from.

This outdoor market is located between Vienna's City Hall, the Rathaus, and the Burgtheater, and operates daily from 10:00 to 21:30 until one day after Christmas.

Belvedere Palace Christmas Market

This market is organised every year in front of the Belvedere Palace and lasts until Christmas Eve.

It is perhaps the least commercial market in the city but very impressive in front of the illuminated palace. At the stalls, you will find many traditional items, Austrian food and drinks, and many Christmas decorations.

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn

This is the most popular market for tourists and has been voted the best in the entire city.

One of the factors that contributed to this distinction is the live music by gospel artists daily from 18:00 and on weekends from 14:00.

This market is located in the Spittelberggasse area and operates from mid-November until 23 December.

Foods you must try at Vienna's Christmas markets

Glühwein: hot mulled wine with Christmas spices. You'll find it with both white and red wine.

Maroni: roasted chestnuts.

Schaumrollen: tube-shaped pastry filled with whipped cream or meringue. 

Langos: Hungarian fried bread.

2) Concerts are always a feature of Vienna's Christmas events

See below for some of the most popular concerts taking place in Vienna.

‘Christmas in Vienna’ Concert

This is an event organised every year at the Konzerthaus and is perhaps the highlight of the Christmas events in the city, which is why you should book your tickets as soon as possible.

Every year, the Vienna Choir and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, among other artists, perform traditional Christmas songs at the concert.

Christmas and New Year's Concert at Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace has been a venue dedicated to music since the Habsburg era, and it was there that the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut.

The annual Christmas and New Year's concerts include an excellent repertoire of music by Mozart and Strauss. VIP tickets include a 3-course menu during the interval.

Concert at Stephansdom

Christmas concerts at St. Stephen's Cathedral take place every weekend.

It is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy world-class musicians performing pieces by Mozart, Bach, and Schubert.

New Year's Concert

To conclude the festive season in the best way, the New Year's concert is held every year by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

This is one of the most famous concerts as it is broadcast in 90 countries – including ours on state channels – on television and radio.

The concert is organised at the Musikverein, the city's third-largest concert hall.

3) Ice skating in Vienna

Viennese people love ice rinks in winter. That's why you'll find many throughout the city.

The most famous one is located at the Rathaus – Vienna's City Hall – and hosts the Ice Dream, which includes not only ice skating but also curling.

The largest – covering 6000 square metres – and most popular ice rink is created between the Konzerthaus and the InterContinental Hotel. For a small fee, you can rent ice skates and even take a lesson.

Some years, when the city faces a harsh winter and the Danube River freezes significantly, people choose to ice skate on the temporary natural ice rink.

4) You'll find the most beautiful alleyways in the heart of the city

If you walk through the alleyways in the centre of Vienna, you feel like you are living 200 years ago.

In some neighbourhoods, you can hardly see any large roads or department stores, which further enhances this impression and makes your experience unique.

Especially in winter, all the streets and alleyways of the city are illuminated with many lanterns, lending a warm glow to the cold winter.

Walking through the heart of the city, you will see magical scenes that you only usually see in films or photographs!

5) The entire city is adorned with Christmas lights

If there's one thing that truly distinguishes Viennese aesthetics during the festive season, it's the Christmas lights that illuminate the sky over the city streets.

Wherever you look, you will see strings of lights in bright yellow, red, and white colours.

This is a unique spectacle that you can only see during the Christmas season in Vienna.

Flights to Vienna

Now that we've presented you with the most important reasons to visit Vienna during the Christmas period, all that's left is to book your flights!

Direct flights from Athens to Vienna are operated by Aegean Airlines and Swiss Airlines.

The flight from Athens to Vienna takes 2 hours and 25 minutes. You can find cheap Aegean tickets through our homepage!

From Thessaloniki to Vienna, you can fly with Wizz Air and Austrian Airlines. The flight takes just 1 hour and 45 minutes.

You can easily and quickly book your flights to Vienna from Travelo, using the search form at the top.

For your accommodation in Vienna, you can view all available listings on Booking.com!