Your Guide to the Vienna Christmas Markets

Bianca and I were sipping on fruity drinks seaside in Marseille when she mentioned that she’d booked a solo trip to Austria. It was a hot day in southern France as she told me about her plans to see the Vienna Christmas markets in November. I gushed at her magical plan to drink mulled wine, admire the lights and walk under the snow in Austria. She casually tossed out an invitation, “You’re welcome to join if you want!” I immediately took out my phone at the beach bar where we were sitting and looked up flights. Only 100 euros for a round-trip ticket between Marseille in Vienna on a November weekend? Late Friday night departure and back on Sunday night so I wouldn’t even need to ask for work off? It was a no-brainer, and that night I booked my flights. Our weekend exploring the Vienna Christmas markets was filled to brim but worth every penny. Here’s how to explore the Christmas markets and see some of the highlights in Vienna:

Cafe Central

This history-steeped cafe and restaurant heads all the way back to the 1850s. Cafe Central has worn several hats over the years: stock exchange, basketball club, storage. Word to the wise: reserve your table! We waited for a long time in the cold but succeeded at getting a table. Taste one of their pastries or opt for a savory brunch like me!

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Although I have strong reservations about paying to go into churches, we did pay to walk up to the top of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It had just started to flurry; it was almost poetic. Once we trekked up the small staircase, we peered out of the windows at the city of Vienna in a blanket of frost. The colorfully tiled roof of the cathedral contrasted the overcast, white skies. The square where the cathedral sits is home to many shops as well as a small Christmas market outside the church. We took a stroll and looked at all the different types of Christmas ornaments and trinkets. Just steps away from the cathedral is the Lindt store. Bianca wanted to make a stop to make a personalized chocolate teddy bear as a gift, and I was all about the free samples. I took a stroll through the store and caved. I bought chocolate to gift to family and friends. Unfortunately, most of what I purchased didn’t make it back unconsumed. Oops!

Demel

Talk about old: Demel has been around since the 1700s. This candy and pastry shop is in the heart of the city. You can go inside Demel or you can go up to its street window to buy some kaiserschmarrn, or scrambled pancakes.

Hofburg Imperial Palace

Along with its sweet treats, Vienna is also home to lots of history, including the footsteps of the Habsburg empire. The Hofburg Imperial Palace offers a variety of ways to learn more about the history of this royal family. I booked a visit to the Sisi Museum, which details the life of Empress Elisabeth. Definitely book ahead, as it was dicey for me to get a spot for the Sisi Museum.

Swarovski 

Swarovski got its start in Austria. You’ll see these jewelry stores all throughout Vienna. But at the location on Kärntner Strasse 24, you can not only shop for jewelry but also see their mini Swarvoski installations, including crystal leopards and opera ball tiaras. It also happened to be their Black Friday weekend. And instead of buying a run-of-the-mill sweatshirt or mug as a souvenir from my trip to Vienna, I upgraded. I found the most gorgeous pair of crystal earrings that I couldn’t get off my mind, and they were on sale. It’s the most expensive piece of jewelry I’ve bought, but I don’t regret it one bit as I wear them often and they remind me of Vienna.

Sacher torte at Cafe Sacher

Vienna is known for its sacher torte, or chocolate cake. Unfortunately, it’s not conducive to my gluten intolerance. But we did visit the famed Cafe Sacher marked by its velvet-upholstered booths and classical decor. I was underwhelmed by the gluten-free options, especially given the long time we waited for a table, but it’s a classic for Vienna.

Rathausplatz Christmas market

The Rathausplatz Christmas market was stunning with its lights and nearly 100 booths! If you’re headed to the Vienna for its Christmas markets, be sure to head to this major one.

No time for a sit-down meal when it’s Christmas market exploring time! Luckily at the Rathaus Christmas market, they sold their sausage and fries smothered in ketchup in a paper cone paired with a tiny fork. In theory, that meant that you could walk and eat. But my lack of gracefulness, the snow falling and the excess of ketchup made me grateful that this wasn’t a first date.

Later, we ventured out to the Altes AKH Christmas market, located on a university campus. It was much more low-key and less crowded, but we had fun exploring the different booths, sipping spiced wine and even finding Christmas souvenirs for my cat!

Palmenhaus

If you’re looking for an Instagrammable restaurant, look no further than Palmenhaus. This greenhouse restaurant was the perfect place to find shelter on a cold Vienna day and enjoy some vitamin C. They did have gluten-free options, and we had a splendid brunch.

Schönbrunn Palace Christmas market

Now that I’ve been to Christmas markets in Vienna, I’m ruined. I had no idea what I was missing. Lots of towns have their own version of a Christmas market, but in Vienna, these markets aren’t just lights, ornaments and spiced wine. It’s all that, but so much more. At the Schönbrunn Palace Christmas market, we found all sorts of unique trinkets: mulled wine kits, handcrafted candles and carefully decorated gingerbread cookies. And when all that shopping makes you hungry, you’re not hung out to dry. Hot pretzels, roasted chestnuts, sausage. I tried kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancakes, and it was the perfect snack to warm me up.

After we wandered the Christmas market, we were able to walk around the palace grounds. Schönbrunn Palace is a bit farther out (about 30 minutes by public transportation), but it’s definitely worth the trek.

Let’s just say my 48-hour trip to Vienna forever changed Christmas for me. Now that I’ve discovered the beautiful markets with their hearty cuisine and artisan souvenirs, I can’t go back. I hope my brief guide to the Vienna Christmas markets helps you as you plan and dream up your magical holiday celebration.