Vienna Unwrapped Inspiration and Planning For Independent Travellers who are visiting Vienna
April 2024 New Years Eve in Vienna is about music, mulled wine, balls, parties and traditions. Many travellers either know too little about local events, or they are overwhelmed with the choice they are presented with. You should have it easier with my top list of the best things to do to celebrate the new year 2023/24 in my hometown.
Silvesterpfad Vienna
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. Clearly, our annual grand street party Silvesterpfad (‘New Year’s Eve Path’) celebrates New Years Eve in Vienna on the largest scale. Usually, the event lines up several free open air New Years Eve concerts in Vienna’s historic city centre. You can listen to everything from folk music, waltz and operetta to pop and rock tunes.
The Silvesterpfad officially starts at 2.00 pm. Subsequently, the whole pedestrian area and other historic squares turn into one big party area where tens of thousands of Viennese and visitors celebrate.
You can have tea, mulled wine, beer, champagne and warm food at the many New Year’s Eve booths in town. Many booths sell New Year’s Eve lead casting kits, a popular Austrian tradition performed at midnight of the New Year.
The largest fireworks are at Heldenplatz close to the Imperial Palace and at the Vienna Prater in front of the Ferris Wheel. If you have sensitive ears, consider wearing ear protection at those locations, and at Stephansplatz in front of Stephansdom.
My tip: The Viennese dancing schools provide free lessons in Vienna waltz dancing in front of Stephansdom between 2.00 pm and 4.30 pm.
Your Own Private Event: Sparkling Horse Carriage Ride
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. Doing an unusual thing like toasting with champagne in a horse carriage will likely stick in your memory forever. So, why not use the ‘sparkling’ Viennese horse carriage ride to clearly remember New Year’s Eve 2020? While your coachman hitches up the horses, your butler pours a bottle of bubbles into your champagne flutes. Local delicacy shop Zum Schwarzen Kameel delivers their iconic sandwiches along with chocolate and fruit petit fours before you head off into the night.
Since I have a sensitive stomach I double checked with the operators: because of the carriages’ perfect suspension the 40-min rides through the center are super smooth. Also, at that time of the year the carriages are closed with 360-degree windows and you get cosy blankets. Book tickets.
New Year’s Eve In Vienna Gala
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. Celebrate the new year with a glamorous ball and gala dinner at the Viennese’s own town hall. The neogothic building and halls are a fantastic and authentic place to dine, waltz, and ‘chin-chin’ your glasses to live orchestra tunes of Vienna waltz king Johann Strauss, and a modern live band.
A few dozen young Viennese debutants dressed in white and black will open the ball. Half an hour before midnight international soloists will sing the best songs from Viennese operettas my local grandparents and mum loved so much. At midnight it’s your turn to dance the midnight waltz. The warm buffet is cooked up by the town halls popular historic tavern, the ‘Wiener Rathauskeller’. Highlight of the evening: At midnight you can step out on the balcony of the town hall with a glass of champagne to watch the fireworks, while the Blue Danube Waltz is being played.
Date: 31st December 2023, from 6.30 pm
Location: Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus), Rathausplatz, 1010 Vienna
Admission: get tickets for the New Year’s Eve in Vienna Gala.
Die Fledermaus
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. The operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is a long New Years Eve tradition in Vienna. Die Fledermaus is hugely popular because it is hilariously funny and full of catchy tunes. Many Vienna balls play the famous Fledermaus quadrille at midnight. In essence, this famous operetta by Johann Strauss II revolves around a humorous series of events involving mistaken identities and romantic entanglements at a lavish masquerade ball in 19th-century Vienna. It’s a lighthearted and comedic work known for its beautiful waltz music and witty libretto, capturing the essence of Viennese operetta tradition.
In fact, some of the operetta lyrics are even referenced in our every day language. The best way to watch this popular operetta is at a local opera house. At Volksoper, there are still tickets available.
Performances: 31st December 2023, 1.30 pm; 07.00 pm
Tickets: tickets for the evening show; tickets for the afternoon show.
Candlelight Dinner at The Giant Ferris Wheel
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. What if you wanted to top dinner at a rooftop restaurant for New Year’s Eve? While not physically higher up, dining in an elegant vintage waggon at the Giant Ferris Wheel could well surpass expectations for the usual New Year’s Eve agenda. During 90 minutes, you will see Vienna’s skyline and famous Prater park gently change angles while you enjoy fine Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, apple strudel and more.
Location: Wiener Riesenrad, Riesenradplatz 1, 1020 Vienna
Price: from EUR 408 for 2 guests (3 course dinner)
Bookings: book online (German language website only) or call +43 1 729 5430 -19
New Year’s Eve On A Danube Yacht
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. While most boat operators hibernate during the winter, some small yachts are ready to cruise around Vienna, and even to Bratislava. In two to four hours your private skipper takes you around the Vienna Danube and Danube Canal to the city’s outer rims. At midnight, prepare to see the New Year’s fireworks at nearby Prater and at City Hall. Alternatively, get back on shore just before midnight and celebrate with the locals.
Location: Meet at Handelskai 269, 1020 Vienna
Price: from EUR 967 per group
Bookings: book online
Wiener Silvesterlauf
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. Before New Year’s Eve fully unfolds join a fun local tradition: Each year, almost 5,000 people run, walk or Nordic-walk around Ringstrasse boulevard at the annual Viennese New Year’s Eve Race Wiener Silvesterlauf. Since the 3.3 mile track leads past dozens of splendid historic buildings and you are welcome to walk you can fully enjoy the show. Actually, a few participants either wear typical signs of good luck such as pig costumes and 4-leave clovers or dress up as cartoon characters. What’s more, you will hear Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz as the event kicks off. And each year, some locals can’t help waltzing to it!
While the fastest runners take 16 to 19 minutes everyone else can take as long as 1.5 hours to make the circuit. At the end of the event the winners will receive their medals in the University’s main auditorium, along with the winners for the most original costumes.
Date: 31st December 2023, 11.00 am
Location: Ringstrasse, Universitätsring 1, in front of University of Vienna
Admission: EUR 18 to EUR 22; register online
Concerts In Vienna
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. Vienna’s best classical orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra perform New Years Eve concerts. In addition, there are regular classical concerts taking place on the 31st December, and a few contemporary concerts. Read more in New Years Eve Concerts.
Local Hangout With A View: Am Himmel
New Years Eve In Vienna 2023. If you want to escape from the crowds, go to ‘Am Himmel’ (‘in the sky’). This green space in the Vienna Woods is a highly popular weekend spot and offers fantastic views of Vienna.
Many locals love to dine at the down-to-earth restaurant Oktogon on New Year’s Eve, then visit the ‘Lebensbaumkreis’, a rather spiritual style tree-lined circle on the hill, and welcome the New Year from there.
Location: Am Himmel, 1190 Vienna; corner of Hoehenstrasse/Himmelstrasse;
Opening times restaurant: from 7.00 pm
Book a table: himmel@himmel.at
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