Category: Christmas Markets

This weekend I discovered a Christmas market in the basement of an amazing building in the middle of Vienna. The building was designed by Adolph Loos and is a gem for all people interested in architecture. The market (which is open on weekends only) is focused on design and surprised me with two products: Phone covers made of water-resistant paper and travel reports as a graphic novel!

The Kultur- und Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Schönbrunn is situated at the Ehrenhof (Cour d’honneur) of Schloss Schönbrunn (Schonbrunn Palace). I was especially impressed by the splendid setting and the lively concerts on the stage.

The Weihnachtsdorf Schloss Belvedere is situated at the southern side of Schloss Belvedere (Belvedere Palace). I loved it for the great setting and the stars located at the pond in front of it. The offered goods were the general stuff.

The Advent market at the Karlskirche is special. Nearly every hut offers products made by artists or craftsmen. It was much fun to walk along the stands listening to the shopkeepers hammering and polishing their items.

One of the lesser-known Christmas markets in Vienna is the one at the Türkenschanzpark. During the siege of Vienna in 1683, there were a lot of Ottoman entrenchments ([german] Türkische Schanzen) right at this place. A remarkable sight of this market is the fountain depicted above.

At the rear of the Austria Trend Hotel Schloss Wilhelminenberg, I discovered a small Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) with two remarkable details. The Christmas market on top of a hill offered a fine view of Vienna’s outskirts.

The Kunsthandwerksmarkt am Hof is located in a square in the centre of Vienna. Actually, there is a combination of two Christmas markets there. One half is selling the general mix of food, artwork and toys. Another half is a compilation of craftspeople selling their specialized works of art.

The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt, a Christmas market next to an old abbey, offers the longest crib in Austria. By the way, one can combine the visit to this market with a Christmas market just opposite the street, which offers organic products.

The Weihnachtsdorf (Christmas village) at the Maria-Theresien-Platz is situated right between the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) and the Naturhistorische Museum (Museum of Natural History) and is, therefore, a fine place for having a break between two museum visits.

The Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) at Spittelberg is probably one of the most famous Vienna Christmas markets. I like this market, especially for its location, which is in the middle of a quarter with smaller buildings dating back to the Biedermeier period (first half of 19th century).

This Weihnachtsdorf (Christmas village) is situated in the huge inner yard of a former hospital called AKH. The market offers besides the general stuff a small lane of stalls where one can watch craftsmen at their work. So I spoke with a lady about how to make candles made of honey.

The Christkindlmarkt is considered the largest Christmas market in Vienna. It is located in front of the city hall. Compared to other markets, it offers a lot of stuff for children. For example, there are workshops where children create beautiful things like birdhouses or colourful candles.