Vienna Unwrapped Inspiration and Planning For Independent Travellers who are visiting Vienna
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Usually, January is a quiet tourism season. However, right from day one Vienna will host a series of amazing musical events and festivals. Other than that, watch the New Year’s Concert for free, see an operetta or do some ice skating.
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1. Virtually attend the New Year’s Concert (1st January)
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. The New Year’s Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is Vienna’s top cultural export. It is also the ultimate glamour treat for any lover of classical music. In 2023, the concert will take place under the baton of conductor Franz Welser-Möst.
Location: Vienna Musikverein
Time: 11.15 am to 1.45 pm
Tickets: Apply for 2024 tickets in January 2023
Great Alternative Options
If you dream about attending the New Year’s concert and were not successful watch the free live streaming of the New Year’s Concert outside the Vienna State Opera along Kärntner Strasse. There will be limited seats available.
For a much more intimate setting, head across the street for the marvellously restored salons of the Wiener Künstlerhaus. Far from big orchestral pomp, a talented pianist, violinist and cellist evoke some of the finest tunes that Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorák, Schubert, Rachmaninoff and others ever composed. My favourite? The variations of Rossini’s aria of the barber in Il barbiere di Siviglia. For further concert tips, visit the New Year’s Day concert calendar.
Alternatively, why not ice skate to the live tunes of the New Year’s Concert at Wiener Eislaufverein’s ice skating rink?
2. Laugh Out Loud At Johann Strauss’ Operetta ‘The Bat’
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. New Year’s Day is quiet in Vienna. But not everything is bordered up after the midday New Year’s concert. If you have missed Johann Strauss’ most loved operetta Die Fledermaus (‘The Bat’) the night before you can usually enjoy it in the first few days of the new year.
Essentially, the operetta portrays 19th century Vienna with its waltz tunes, merry songs and beautiful costumes. Luckily, at both the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper you will follow brilliant English surtitles, so no guessing game.
Date: 1st and 19th January 2023 (Wiener Volksoper)
Location: Vienna State Opera or Volksoper Vienna
Tickets: get tickets
3. Grab A Bargain During Winter Sales Shopping
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Like in most countries, January is a great time for bargain shopping. In fact, winter sales in Vienna start in most fashion and design shops just after Christmas and last well into the start of February. Even some jewelry shops lower their prices on certain items. For travelers like you, exploring Austrian clothes, jewelry, and homeware from cake tins to table cloths helps get a feel of local culture. If you’d like to know where best to shop, access my Vienna shopping tips.
4. Join A Naschmarket Food Tour
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. With the seasonal hustle and bustle gone, roaming market and artisan food stalls becomes attractive again. A local group of professional foodie guides regularly take small groups on a highly praised tasting tour across Naschmarkt.
Since this market collects food from Austria and specifically the Balkans, you will smell, bite and sip your way through Central and South Eastern Europe. Find out more about this fun and insightful tour.
5. Slippery Things To Do In Vienna January: Wiener Eistraum
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. The Vienna Ice Dream (Wiener Eistraum) skating rink is placed right in front of Vienna’s Rathaus. For me, the city hall ice skating rink is the best skating venue in Vienna.
Because it is so centrally located, you can continue your sightseeing while skating as you are surrounded by the neogothic City Hall, Ringstrasse boulevard and the Burgtheater, and the University of Vienna. I’m sharing our family’s skating experience there in Ice Skating Vienna.
Date: From mid January to early March 2023
6. Go Ice Curling On The Canal
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Curling has a long tradition in Austria and is a fun winter pastime. This year, Vienna’s leisure boat Badeschiff will let you curl on six ice curling lanes. The upper deck hosts punch and mulled wine booths with a view across the Danube Canal.
If you are brave enough to try ice swimming in the pool there will be enough schnaps to warm up afterwards.
Dates: November 2022 to mid March 2023
Opening hours: 12.00 pm to 10.00 pm
Bookings: lanes can be booked for 30 min between noon and 4.00 pm (EUR 30) and between 4.00 pm and 10.00 pm (EUR 40). Call 0043 660 312 47 03 to book.
7. Stopover At These Best Coffeehouses
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Clearly I won’t lie about average temperatures in January. When I’m outside for more than one hour, I use my mental coffeehouse map to find the best places to warm up over a Melange or tea. Especially in those that offer coffee specialities including shots of liqueurs to help fight wintery chills!
You can access my list of best Vienna coffeehouses to integrate a few warm stopovers in your itinerary.
8. Dance At The Vienna Philharmonic Ball
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Whether you like glamour or dancing or both, the Wiener Philharmonikerball is my top Vienna dance travel tip for January. For me, it is the most beautiful and most authentic Vienna ball, taking place in the sumptuous halls of the Viennese Musikverein. It is hardly found in mainstream Vienna event packages and considered an insider tip among Vienna travellers. For further information, go to Vienna Philharmonic Ball.
Other Vienna Balls in 2022/23.
Date: 19th January 2023
9. Learn About Fine Art And Architecture
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Before the tourism season gets back into full swing is the best time to explore Vienna’s top museums. At Belvedere Palace, for example, crowds usually gather in front of Gustav Klimt’s ravishing painting The Kiss (picture).
Besides the world’s largest Klimt collection the Palace houses Austria’s biggest art treasures in the Austrian National Gallery. And all of those are boxed up in lavish baroque halls that teach a lesson about classical architecture.
If I was an art historian I would pick this place, too, to enthuse people with Viennese treasures – read more in Belvedere Vienna.
Address: Belvedere Palace, Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, 1030 Vienna
10. Attend an Opera and Classical Concert
Things to do in Vienna January 2023. Throughout the month, the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Volksoper calendars hold six of the best operas in store. It shouldn’t really matter which day you are free to go if you love the tunes of Rossini (La Cenerentola), Massenet (Werther), Mozart (Magic Flute), Mussorgsky (Boris Godunov), or Puccini (La Bohème). Book tickets.
As for Vienna concerts, I would likely go for Vivaldi’s Four Season’s at baroque church St. Charles Borromeo (Karlskirche). In fact, Vivaldi lived his last year in Vienna, and is actually buried underneath the Technical University a few meters from Karlskirche.
Check what to do during other months:
find out about Things to do in Vienna, February
or more in Things to do in Vienna, March
visit Vienna Attractions – Guide to Hotspots and Insider Tips
go to Visit Vienna – 20 Free Vacation Tools and Travel Tips
find out more about Vienna Unwrapped’s Vienna Travel Planning services for independent travellers
back to Vienna Tourism Calendar
go to Vienna Unwrapped homepage
