Festive Weekend in Vienna: A Complete Christmas Market Guide
Everything you need to plan the perfect winter weekend at Vienna's Christmas markets
This time last year, I’d recently returned from a long weekend of exploring Vienna’s Christmas markets and taking in the festive, wintery atmosphere. I’ve compiled this guide, inspired by my visit, for anyone who may be going in the coming weeks!
My time there consisted mainly of hopping around from market-to-market, discovering some great cafes and savoring local specialties (read: trying probably way too many wurstelstands for a 4 day period, of which you can check out below).
This visit was centered around the Christmas markets so you’ll find that this guide is focused on food, festivities, and shopping. While we didn’t have time for many historical sights, we were able to take in the beautiful architecture, Art Nouveau influences, and some landmarks along the way.
Writing this has made me want to immediately book a trip back and has also gotten me very excited for this year’s Christmas market trip to Belgium which I’ll share later. I hope you are able to find some inspiration for an upcoming or future visit to Vienna and as always, feel free to comment with any questions or additions to the guide!
Vienna Christmas Markets
This is not an exhaustive list of markets, but the ones that we visited over the course of our 4 day trip. As many of these are located in the city center or easily accessible via public transport, it’s definitely possible to see multiple markets in one day! We enjoyed roaming from one to the next, stopping in various shops and cafes along the way and really just soaking in the holiday spirit.
A helpful tip - from what I can remember, you’ll need cash for most of the food/drink and artisan stalls at the markets. Coming from London, where I rarely even need my wallet on me since everything is on my phone and contactless payments are universally accepted, I was surprised to discover that Vienna still has a prominent cash culture. In general, I found that a lot of smaller establishments preferred or only accepted cash.
Spittelberg Christmas Market
November 16 - December 23, 2024
Starting with my personal favorite, this market is set amongst the narrow and charming cobblestone streets of the Spittelberg district and had a great variety of local artisans (both stalls and shops) and food options. The cherry on top is that, in their own words, “the 2024 Christmas market is organised as an eco-event. Good ecological footprint, fairly traded or produced, local, regional and/or organic, vegetarian or vegan, resource-conserving and sustainable.”
Art Advent Christmas Market at Karlsplatz
November 15 - December 23, 2024
Another favorite of mine was the Art Advent market. It is set in front of the Baroque Karlskirche cathedral and features 78 artisan and organic food/drink booths. I found the quality of the stalls here to be very high with a variety of handmade goods like ceramics, glass, woodwork, art, textile & leather goods, and more. We purchased a unique woven candle and some painted glass ornaments for ourselves and as gifts!
Am Hof Christmas Market
November 15 - December 23, 2024
Am Hof is located on a large, historical square and had a lovely, local atmosphere. There were fewer artisan stalls here than other markets (there seemed to be more of an emphasis on food & drink), but the few that were there were fun to browse. Some of the artisan stalls were like little shops that you could pop in and out of. I recall there being a woodworking stand here with beautiful, geometric patterned cutting boards/serving platters that would make a great gift.
Freyung Altwiener Christkindlmarkt
November 15 - December 23, 2024
This market was smaller than the others that I visited, but still a delight to stroll through. You can easily pair it with the Am Hof market which is just around the corner. There was a great stand here with baskets of all shapes and sizes - if only I could’ve brought them home on the plane.
Rathausplatz - Der Wiener Christkindlmarkt
November 15 - December 26, 2024
After checking out Am Hof and Freyung, I recommend that you take a short 10 minute walk over to Rathausplatz, one of Europe’s largest Christmas markets and much bigger and different to the previous two you'd have strolled through. This one had everything: an epic looking skating rink that wound through the trees, a merry go round, ferris wheel, lights display, local delicacies, stands with local goods, and more. The setting itself was beautiful, situated in front of Vienna City Hall.
Stephansplatz Christmas Market
November 8 - December 26, 2024
This market’s location is both stunning and central, set around the iconic St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Being the first market we visited on our trip, it set the perfect tone as we sipped mulled wine from boot-shaped mugs, wandered through the stalls, and soaked in the festive atmosphere. It left us already dreaming of future Christmas trips back to Vienna.
Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market
November 8, 2024 - January 6, 2025
There is no denying that the setting for this Christmas market is stunning, situated right in front of the grand Schloss Schönbrunn - the royal palace that once served as the summer residence of the Habsburgs, Austria's ruling dynasty. There were many stalls of food, drinks, and traditional crafts. We found quite a few Christmas presents and decorations here! Though this market is further from the center, it’s worth the visit and you can reach it easily via the U-Bahn (U4 line).
Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Village
November 13 - December 31, 2024
Situated between the Kunsthistorisches art museum and the Naturhistorisches natural history museum, this market has a unique and grand setting. There was a good selection of food and beverage stalls as well as traditional crafts.
Where I’d Send My Friends
Restaurants
Glacis Beisl: a beautiful restaurant tucked away in the 7th district featuring classic Viennese dishes - the garden looked lovely to be enjoyed in warmer weather
Skopik & Lohn: located a bit farther from the city center but worth the journey to enjoy a contemporary take on Viennese cuisine in a cozy yet lively atmosphere
Casual Spots (mostly wurstelstands)
Hermann’s Wurstelstand: lively spot uniquely located in a car park
Leo Wurstelstand: Vienna’s first sausage stand
Alles Wurscht: a more modern take on the sausage stand with regional & sustainable ingredients and more than just sausages
Cafes
Caffe vom See: 4th district, near Naschmarkt
No Panic Coffee: 4th district, close to Karlsplatz
Café Comet: 7th district, near lots of great shops (see below)
Shopping
Naschmarkt Saturday Flea Market, Saturdays from 6:30am - 2pm
Various boutiques and vintage shops in the 7th district of Neubau (Burggasse, Lerchenfelder Strasse, and Neubaugasse to name a few)
Burgasse24 - vintage shop with a cafe
Calienna - concept store, cafe, design studio and gallery
glore - sustainable fashion
Luv the shop - Scandinavian fashion
Wolfmich - designer vintage
Hotel
We stayed at Hotel Motto. I can’t speak for any of the amenities or the restaurant as we didn’t use these, however our room was very comfortable and beautifully designed. The location was also convenient to everything we wanted to do and there were great views from the rooftop.
Vienna’s Christmas markets were a magical experience. I loved not only being able to enjoy the markets themselves, but also taking in the rich culture, architecture and cuisine along the way. I hope this guide inspires your own Christmas market adventure and helps you make the most of your time in Vienna. With another Christmas market trip on the horizon for me, I look forward to sharing even more festive discoveries soon. Until then, happy travels and happy holidays!
