Vienna fairs. Attractions, prices, the most beautiful Christmas fairs
Known for its beautiful architecture, rich history and culture,Vienna becomes a real land of magic during the festive season, thanks to its Christmas markets. From about November 10 until Christmas, and even until the first days of January, the streets and squares of the city turn into festivals illuminated by a million lights. There are about 20 fairs! The whole thing starts early, but it is to make the November charrot more pleasant and to introduce the joy and atmosphere of Christmas when it needs it most. Vienna's fairs attract tourists from all over the world, including Poles. Many fairs are located near the most important attractions of the capital of Austria, so a visit to the fairs is a great opportunity to get to know the city. Here's an overview of Vienna's most beautiful Christmas markets.
Accommodation in Vienna
When visiting Vienna, we stayed at the Boutique Hotel Das Tigra, which is very conveniently located. It is located in the building where 6-year-old Amadeus Mozart once lived. The elegant hotel offers comfortable rooms and a delicious and varied breakfast with regional accents. It is worth mentioning that the hotel has the Austrian Eco-label, which means that it meets strict ecological criteria and operates in a sustainable manner.
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The most beautiful fairs in Vienna
The markets in Vienna are unique. These Christmas ones open around November 10 and light up the sky for over a month and improve the mood of residents and tourists during the autumn gray. There are about 20 of them, all available for free! And many of them are real gardens of lights. They are open all week, usually from around 12.00 (some stalls are already open earlier) until the evening, on weekends even until 21.00 or 22.00. The colorful fairs are an integral part of urban life, offering residents and tourists a unique culinary experience and the opportunity to buy local souvenirs and handicrafts. Here are the most famous and beautiful fairs in Vienna that we visited:
1. Christkindlmarkt in front of the Town Hall (Rathausplatz)
The most famous is the fair at the Town Hall, which in 2024 was recognized by CNN as the most beautiful fair in the world! It is fabulous and colourful. In addition to many stalls with handmade ornaments and traditional Austrian delicacies, it offers a large ice rink, carousels, children's theatres, a large nativity scene and even a garden of light. For us, a little too many people there. It is said to attract around 3 million visitors a year.
2. Fair at the University of Vienna Campus (Alserstraße, Spitalgasse)
We liked the fair at the Campus the most. It is much more intimate, fairy-tale and beautiful. Decorated in the park, it allows you to walk among illuminated trees and fairy-tale ornaments. Here, too, we met the most beautiful cups in the shape of a red shoe, although apparently a year ago there were gingerbread cups here, which would also be very interesting for us.
3. Christmas Village in Maria Theresa Square (Maria-Theresien-Platz)
Christmas Village on Pl. Maria Teresa is located between the buildings of the Museum of Art History and the Museum of Natural History. It offers dozens of stands with handicrafts, original gifts and culinary specialties. It is an ideal place for shopping in beautiful surroundings, here you could pay by card, which does not necessarily happen at all fairs.
4. Altwiener Christkindlmarkt Fair on Freyung Square
This traditional market on Freyung Square is one of the oldest in Vienna. About medieval roots, because it is located next to the former Benedictine monastery. It is not big and I think that's why we liked it so much, because it has a cozy, even intimate atmosphere. It offers a variety of handicraft stands and regional delicacies.
5. Weihnachtsmarkt Am Hof (Am Hof Square)
Located next to Freung Am Hof, it is also intimate and atmospheric, surrounded by a nice square. Here we also met beautiful mint cups. This is the perfect place for those looking for unique souvenirs and handmade items.
6. Market at Schönbrunn Palace (entrances: (Haupttor, Hietzinger Tor, Meidlinger Tor)
The fair at Schönbrunn Palace is spectacular and quite large. A great star introduces it, because the palace itself is also a star among Viennese monuments. This market is ideal for families with children. It offers an ice rink with cool children's vehicles in the shape of a teddy bear, carousels, a queue and smaller food portions for children.
7. Art Advent Fair at Karlsplatz
Art Advent at Karlsplatz is another atmospheric place with a lot of stalls located next to the beautiful church of St. Charles Borromeo, Around the great fountain, which is not filled with water during the holiday season, but with hay where children can play. In addition, there is a carousel, a lot of ceramics and various specialties, such as local doughnuts or chestnuts.
8. Belvedere Fair (Prinz Eugen-Straße 27)
The small fair unfolds during the holiday season under the Upper Belvedere and offers, in addition to Christmas decorations, jewelry and food specialties.
9. Prater Fair (Waldsteingartenstrasse)
The Prater Fair is unique because it is combined with a lot of fun. This is because it is an amusement park with many attractions. Admission is free, you only pay for experiences if you want to use them. We visited the palace of fear and drove the huge Ferris wheel Wiener Riesenrad twice. It is just over 60 meters high and offers unforgettable views of the city. A ride through the Devil's Mill costs 14 euros, or about 60 zlotys.
Map with fairs
I also put up a map with marked fairs mentioned in the article above.
Mugs at Viennese fairs
What is characteristic of the fairs in Vienna is that almost everyone is distinguished by their cups. You will find white, black, colorful, more or less elegant. In any case, this makes you want to find out what cups are available here as soon as you enter the fair. You pay a deposit of 5 euros for the cups, which is paid after they are returned, unless you want to take them as a souvenir. We have a red shoe and a mint mug with Santa. Red shoes can be found at the fair at Maria Theresa Square and at the Campus, while this mint is the symbol of the Am Hof fair (2024).
Punch, mulled wine, hot chocolate or warming tea
What about the cups? You can drink hot chocolate, warming tea or alcoholic mulled wine from them. Here you can choose between glühwein or punsch. Glühwein is a mulled wine with Christmas spices that cannot contain water. Punsch is a punch that, in addition to water, most often contains rum or whiskey. The punch is stronger, with an alcohol content of about 14%. You will find ponchos in various flavors, I liked orange the most, but they are also with cherry, plum, apple and even amaretto. They cost about 4-6 euros, which is not expensive considering the prices at Polish fairs.
Sample prices at fairs in Vienna in 2024
- Punch: €4.-6.50
- Mulled wine: €5
- Non-alcoholic punch: €4
- Tea: 3.5 euros
- Coffee: 2.5 euros
- Hot chocolate: 4 euros
- Cup deposit: €5
- Sausage with bread: from 5.50 euros
- Bread soup: 9.90 euros
- Langosz: 7 euros
- Hot dog: 8 euros
- Chestnuts: €3
- Trdelnik: 6 euros
- Carousels: 3-5 euros
See also Śląskie Jarmarki
History of Vienna Fairs
The tradition of Christmas markets in Vienna dates back to the Middle Ages, so the history of Christmas markets is really long. The first fairs began to be organized in the 12th century, and in the 13th century they became even more popular. Initially, local craftsmen sold mainly their products and food products for Christmas. Over time, fairs evolved and became a place of trade and social gatherings. Over the years, they have grown into traditions and have remained an important element of Austrian culture and festive rites to this day. Today, they are known not only in Austria, but all over the world. The Vienna fairs also opened up to the world and attracted diverse ethnic and cultural groups, which enriched the offer and atmosphere of these events. Christmas markets in Vienna are not just about shopping and food. But also cultural and artistic events. Many of them offer carol concerts, performances by artists or various workshops.
Our video about Vienna
Admiring the Viennese fairs, we of course admired its wonderful attractions. We invite you to watch our video.
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