Christmas Markets in Vienna: My Thoughts!

Christmas Markets in Vienna are not controversial, but they’re also not as easy to navigate as you’d like to think. Given that IES has a fall semester program, I figured I’d give you guys an idea about what’s special about Vienna’s Christmas Markets and if you should go.

First, to answer that last question, YES! You should go. But you should totally be aware of the situation with Christmas Markets in recent years. As the amount of tourists has increased in Vienna, so has the traffic surrounding the major sites. It got to a point where there was a restriction on people entering Rathaus.

Still, the Christmas Markets have a sort of magic that can’t be beat. A Christmas Market has a couple key components. There are the stands that sell things that you can eat or drink, like Kasekrainer (read my other blog about why these are the best street food in Vienna!) or Gluhwein (hot mulled wine). It is a wonderful experience to stand at a table with friends and relax with a cup of hot wine. There are also lots of shops that sell handmade crafts and decorations. Some of them are underwhelming, but I found that at the smaller markets, there are some super unique opportunities to purchase gifts or small trinkets. Support small businesses! Lastly, there are the lights and decorations. 

Now, to my opinion on these markets. I think it’s cool to go to a couple of the big ones, but honestly, once you go to one of them, you don’t need to go to the others unless you’re super into Christmas. I think being in Vienna and walking down the main roads in the inner city is good enough. Squeezing with other grumpy locals, waiting in long lines, and paying high prices for imported goods is a common experience at the larger markets. Then again, those markets have prettier decorations. I attached a couple photos for reference, and I recommend going to at least one of the larger ones, but seriously, if you don’t get a chance, you won’t be missing out.

My first impression when I arrived at Schonbrunn at 5:30 P.M. on a Tuesday was “Wow. There is a LOT of people.” I was in and out before 6 P.M. Every shop had a 20 person long line, and half the shops were crowded full of people, let alone the $30 prices for a stuffed animal. I would recommend Schonbrunn still, over the others, since it was a larger venue and had a couple cool things to do. But as a whole, I knew I wouldn’t come back after that visit.

One cool thing about all of the Christmas markets you visit is that you can purchase a souvenir cup from the gluhwein shops—when you buy your drink, you pay a deposit for the cup. You can just keep the cup if you’d like. I thought the one from Rathausplatz was the best, but it’s the memory that matters, so you don’t have to make the trip out if you already bought a cup.

The point of this article isn’t to scare you off from going at all. But I also don’t want other people to be surprised. It might not be the most pleasant experience if you go on a Friday evening before Christmas. Still, it’s a magical place and Vienna’s Christmas Markets really are the best in the world. I hope everybody enjoys their holiday season and gets a chance to experience the holiday charm!