Vienna Unwrapped Inspiration and Planning For Independent Travellers who are visiting Vienna
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. If you have high expectations of Vienna in December you are spot on. Christmas in Vienna is packed with fantastic things to do. Use this page to find out about the best street markets, musical events, city ice skating venue and what to do on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Markets
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. Christmas in Vienna is about markets, mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, Christmas baubles and trumpet concerts. My favourite market is the Alt Wiener Weihnachtsmarkt at Freyung, because of its beautiful ceramics, wooden toys, candles and Christmas decoration. Don’t miss the mulled wine with orange juice at Demmer’s Teehaus. Second on my personal list is the one in front of Schönbrunn Palace. Check my Vienna Christmas Market Guide and Map 2022, and my special post about Christkindlmarkt Rathausplatz, Vienna’s largest Xmas market..
Advent and Christmas Concerts in Vienna
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. The best seasonal classical concerts take place in churches, such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Malteserkirche, Minoritenkirche, Peterskirche, and the small baroque jewel of St. Anna Church. The annual highlight of the season is the Christmas in Vienna concert with the Vienna Boys Choir at Wiener Konzerthaus.
As with all Christmas season events, try to book early. Read more about Advent and Christmas Concerts in Vienna and where to book tickets.
Ballet At The State Opera
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. When our State Opera ballet takes on the virtuoso techniques of this romantic ballet expect a breathtaking experience. In the fairy tale of The Sleeping Beauty the evil fairy Carabosse curses little princess Aurora, who, thanks to the intervention of the good Lilac fairy, sleeps a 100 years, to be woken up by the kiss of a handsome prince… . At the Wiener Staatsoper, the crew of dance legend Martin Schläpfer uses Tchaikovsky’s romantic tunes, as well as a dreamy stage set and ravishing costumes to ultimately stun and move its audience.
Because of the bittersweet plot, music, romantic costumes and dynamics the ballet will also likely draw many families to the opera. Book here.
Opera For Children
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. Many Viennese families use the festive season to introduce their kids to the world of opera. (The photo shows my husband and daughter at her first opera visit in Vienna.) Each year around Christmas, the Wiener Volksoper and the Vienna State Opera stage special operas for children. Alternatively, take your kids to watch a child-friendly, shortened version of Mozart’s Magic Flute at the historic marionette theater in Schönbrunn. Learn More.
Christmas Dinner and Christmas Day
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. When you celebrate Christmas abroad you often have to choose between a pure hotel experience or roaming empty streets while locals party behind closed doors. In Vienna, most Christmas markets close on the 23rd December, along with many restaurants and attractions. I wrote this page about Christmas Dinner And Christmas Day in Vienna in response to various enquiries from Vienna Unwrapped readers over the last years. I hope it’s useful to you.
Need help pulling your Vienna itinerary together? check out what my Vienna Travel Planning services can do for you
Ice Skating
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. Ice skating is popular and one of the best things to do in Vienna in the winter. The ice skating rink of the Vienna Association of Ice Skaters – Wiener Eislaufverein – spreads across amost 6,000 square metres between the Wiener Konzerthaus (Vienna Concert Hall) and the Vienna InterContinental Hotel close to Stadtpark.
Dates: mid November 2022 to March 2022
Opening hours: daily 9.00 am to 8.00 pm; week ends and public holidays: 9am to 8pm; (24th Dec: 9.00am to 3.00pm; 31st Dec: 9.00am to 3.00pm; 1st Jan: 10.00am to 8.00pm)
For a few Euros you can borrow ice skates on site. Because of Covid-19 restrictions the ice skating rink will likely limit the number of guests per session.
Insider Things To Do In Vienna December
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. If you want to go as far away from mainstream Christmas as possible, have your ear on the ground.
Between 1st and 23rd December head for a Viennese folk concert of the Musical Advent Calendar . Most of all you will unearth original local bands re-interpreting Viennese tavern songs and jazz. What’s more, many of them play in characterful community cafes, wine taverns, and even former cinemas. Get ready for exploring genuine places you never dreamed of discovering.
Dates: 1st to 23rd December 2022
New Years Eve In Vienna
Things to do in Vienna December 2022. I like New Year’s Eve in Vienna because the whole city turns into a party without leaving smashed windows and scorched earth. People also love to attend classical concerts, theatres and operettas, before they fall into each other’s arms for the traditional Vienna waltz at midnight. Learn more about what to do on New Years Eve in Vienna.
Check things to do during other months:
January: Things to do in Vienna, January
November: Things to do in Vienna, November
go to Vienna Tourism Calendar
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