Vienna Christmas Market Guide and Map 2023

Vienna Christmas Market Guide 2023. Each year Vienna and various local associations fit more than a dozen Vienna Christmas markets with Christmas trees, mulled wine, traditional food, and arts and crafts stalls. In addition, some of them boast live bands and gospel choirs, ice curling rinks, and even fire dances and an Alpine log cabin.

To find out where and when these markets are on, what exactly they offer and guided market tours use my up-to-date Christmas market guide 2023 and map for my home city.

Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz

Officially one of Europe’s most spectacular Christmas markets, the Wiener Weihnachtstraum (Vienna Christmas Dream) spreads loads of charms. Located between neogothic City Hall and famous Burgtheater, each of the almost 155 wooden huts offers a piece of seasonal magic: from sparkling Christmas baubles to hand crafted toys, jewelry, decorations, food and drink.

Find out more in Christkindlmarkt Rathausplatz.

Christmas Market at Freyung

Originally created to counter the – now gone – plastic dreams and hullaballoo of Rathausplatz market, the small Altwiener Weihnachtsmarkt focuses in particular on a traditional Christmas scenery. Framed by elegant town palaces like Palais Harrach and Palais Daun-Kinsky and baroque Church of the Scottish Order, the atmospheric market buzzes with beautiful crafts stalls, mulled wine and punch in various flavors, regular crafts shows, and traditional live music.

Take the opportunity to roam the stalls offering ginger bread, roast chestnuts, hand painted vintage signs, fashion jewellery, hand made regional wooden toys and beeswax candles. On some late afternoons you can listen to regional advent choirs or a Viennese bugle band performing on a small stage.

If you like to try regional snacks visit the farmers’ market on Fridays and Saturdays on the other side of the street.

Dates: 18th November to 23rd December 2023
Opening Times: daily 10.00 am to 9.00 pm
Location: Freyung square, 1010 Vienna

Christmas Village and New Year’s Market at Belvedere Palace

What a backdrop: Even though not blessed with a massive Christmas tree, the illuminated baroque façade of Belvedere Vienna Palace provides a majestic flair to Weihnachtsdorf Schloss Belvedere. Even in the palace’s large fountain pool a dozen Christmas stars sparkle away dark nights. First and foremost, expect arts and crafts stalls offering great quality products, from glass and ceramics to fine leather ware. Officially, the Christmas market ends on the 26th December but immediately morphs into a New Year’s market packed with good luck horse shoes, little chimney sweeps and other lucky charms. Definitely do spend some time at this market when visiting the Belvedere and Austrian National Gallery.

Dates: 17th November to 31st December 2023;
Opening Times: Monday to Friday 11.00 am to 9.00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 10.00 am to 9.00 pm; 24th December: 11.00 am to 4.00 pm; 26th to 30th December 11.00 am to 7.00 pm; 31st December 11.00 am to 6.00 pm; CLOSED on 25th December (tbc)
Location: Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, 1030 Vienna

Christmas Village at Altes AKH

By all means make sure you visit this Vienna Christmas market. Located on the compound of the Former General Hospital this market scores top on atmosphere and infrastructure. On top of dozens of stalls offering artisan Christmas decoration, mulled wine, punch, chestnuts and other snacks, you can do ice curling and warm yourself up at spacious Alpine log cabin Josefinenalm. At certain times, you can watch local craftsmen make candles. Starting from the end of November expect some lovely live music performances of advent tunes and Christmas carols.

Dates: 10th November to 23rd December 2023
Opening Times: Mon to Wed 2.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Thursday and Friday 2.00 pm to 11.00 pm; Saturday 11.00 am to 11.00 pm; Sunday 11.00 am to 8.00 pm
Location: Alser Strasse / corner of Spitalgasse, Court 1; 1080 Vienna

Christmas and New Year’s Market at Schönbrunn Palace

Not only popular with tourists, the Schönbrunner Weihnachtsmarkt has ranked top as the Vienneses’ favourite Christmas market. Compared to other Vienna Christmas markets it also scores high on live music. If Schönbrunn Palace is on your sightseeing list and you love advent concerts, visit in the afternoon on weekdays, as the live music and gospels start at 6.00 pm. On weekends music events take place from 2.00 pm. During the New Year’s Market from 27th December to 1st January expect live jazz bands performing at 4.00 pm.

Other than that, the hand-made Tyrolean nativity scene, Austrian traditional crafts and the Christmas gifts by Schönbrunn’s own limited edition are something to watch out for. Foodwise, that market serves fabulous warm dishes, from ‘Bauerngröstl’ (hearty type of hash) and cheese raclette to sweet Kaiserschmarren.

Dates: 18th November 2023 to 4th January 2024 (Christmas Market and New Year’s Market),
Opening Times: 19th Nov to 23rd December 10.00 am to 9.00 pm; 24th December 10.00 am to 4.00 pm; 25th December to 3rd January 10.00 am to 6.00 pm
Location: in front of Schönbrunn Palace’s main entrance

Christmas market at Stephansplatz

Although on central St. Stephen’s square right in front of Stephansdom (cathedral), the Weihnachtsmarkt am Stephansplatz takes back a gear from noisy shows and busy events. Much like at Belvedere Palace, the wooden stalls follow a simple elegant design concept with beautiful lighting. Most of the arts and crafts offered, from organic scented candles to ceramic angels, are made or enhanced in Austria. Even the spicy punches come in elegant and less sugary flavors. Bottomline, this is a pretty good place to celebrate after visiting Stephansdom or attending one of the advent concerts there.

Dates: 10th November to 26th December 2023
Opening Times: daily 11.00 am to 9.00 pm; 24th December 11.00 am to 4.00 pm; 25th and 26th December 11.00 am to 7.00 pm
Location: in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom)

Christmas Market at Spittelberg

If you have a hang for contemporary arts and crafts add this market in the arty district of Neubau to your bucket list. Specifically it covers amazing hand made seasonal gifts. You will find everything there from felt bags and excentric woollen hats to creative jewellery, ceramics, glass and wax creations. What is more, you will capture the area’s charming Biedermeier townhouses and cobblestoned streets when they look their most enchanting.

Dates: 16th November to 23rd December 2023
Opening Times: Monday to Thursday, 2.00 pm to 9.00 pm; Friday 2.00 pm to 9.30 pm; Saturday 10.00 am to 9.30 pm; Sunday and public holiday 10.00 am to 9.00 pm
Location: Spittelberggasse, 1070 Vienna

Christmas Market Am Hof

Located between Freyung Christmas market and the pedestrian area of Kohlmarkt and Graben the Weihnachtsmarkt at elegant Am Hof square presents a natural stop. By all means, reserve some space in your bags and tummies if you love handwoven wool products, frankincense, artisan honey and hearty Austrian snacks. This market’s speciality is definitely the Zirbenpunsch, a punch made of fragrant Swiss pine. As for music, expect regular live gospel choirs as well as local hits from Radio Wien, which sponsors the market and runs a charity show each Thursday.

Dates: 10th November to 23rd December 2023
Opening Times: Monday to Thursday 11.00 am to 9.00 pm, Friday to Sunday and public holiday 10.00 am to 9.00 pm,
Location: Am Hof square, 1010 Vienna

Organic Christmas Market at Karlsplatz

In a similar way to the markets at Altes AKH at Spittelberg, the Vienna Christmas market at Karlsplatz is a little edgy. Going beyond the usual mulled wine and inexpensive decorative gifts this market offers regional arts and crafts, and live acts such as fire dances, street theater and a fashion event. Remarkably for a Christmas market, this one even caters to your healthy eating habits: All products offered come with an organic food certificate.

If you travel with children and want to take some time off for strolling around the market, you can leave them safely with a well trained team to do Christmas arts and crafts.

Dates: 18th November to 23rd December 2023
Opening Times: daily, 12 noon to 8.00 pm; arts and crafts childcare program at the large yurt daily from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm at the Sternenwerkstatt
Location: Karlsplatz, 1010 Vienna

With 20+ Christmas markets spreading across Vienna how will you cover your favorites during your stay? A digital itinerary can blend your top choices with your preferred sightseeing and cultural program. Find out more about Vienna Unwrapped’s trip planning services.

Christmas Village and New Year’s Market at Maria-Theresien-Platz

Enclosed between three top museums the group of Christmas stalls at Maria Theresien Platz has grown into a sizeable market over the past couple of years. While the offer of mulled wine, punch, arts and crafts and seasonal decorations is standard, the backdrop is unique. Whenever I visit Museumsquartier or the Museum of Fine Arts in the run up to Christmas, this place is my stopover for a hot drink and chestnuts.

Dates: 15th November to 31st December 2023
Opening Times: Sunday to Thursday 11.00 am to 9.00 pm; Friday and Saturday 11.00 am to 10.00 pm; 24th December 11.00 am to 4.00 pm; 25th to 30th December 11.00 am to 7.00 pm; 31st December 11.00 am to 6.00 pm
Location: Maria-Theresien-Platz 1, 1010 Vienna

Funky Christmas at MQ

Welcome to the contemporary side of Vienna’s outdoor winter parties. Unlike at other local Christmas fairs, architects took care of designing slick winter installations after chasing off reindeers and angels. To kick off the season, dozens of lights beam and project magical winter worlds across Wintergarten. Once a week the Hofmusik (Court Music) series presents live artists, from soul and pop to electronic tunes. Since the museum complex’ various restaurants and cafés set up shop outside you can enjoy mulled wine, gingerbread and hot chestnuts while joining in some ice curling fun or driving remote control cars across a race track.

Location: Museumsquartier (opposite Museum of Fine Arts and Museum of Natural History)
Dates: 11th November to late December 2023 (TBC)
Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays 4.00 pm to 11.00 pm, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 1.00 pm to 11.00 pm;

Christmas Markets Tour

If you are short on time you can do both Christmas market hopping and sightseeing in one go. Besides, the tour groups are quite small and the local guide loves sharing Austrian Christmas traditions. Find out more.