<ul><li>When visiting Christmas markets, Austria is consistently ranked as one of the top countries in Europe.</li><li>The holiday season starts with Advent calendars and continues into Christmas with a full range of markets.</li><li>Austria's largest Christmas market is Vienna, which draws over 1 million visitors annually.</li><li>The city hosts two major markets: the original "Christkindlmarkt" and the sister market, "Weihnachtsmarkt."</li><li>The two markets are on opposite sides of town, but both are worth visiting if you want to get your fill of festive charm and delicious treats!</li><li>There are also smaller markets throughout Austria that will brighten your holiday season.</li><li>If you're looking for something new, consider visiting one of these regional markets instead,</li><li>Salzburg: A traditional market featuring regional specialities and local artisans.</li><li>Innsbruck: This market features unique gifts, handmade crafts, and various food options.</li><li>Graz: This market has something for everyone—from speciality foods to handmade goods to entertainment options galore!</li><li>Austria, a land of great beer and fabulous Christmas markets and traditions.</li><li>This is the time of the year to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.</li><li>The markets are filled with Christmas decorations, including thousands of lights, towering trees, and glittering displays.</li><li>You'll find vendors selling traditional foods like Glühwein (hot mulled wine) and Glühbirnen (glow sticks), as well as delicious treats like glühwein strudel and Lebkuchen.</li><li>Many of these markets also have live entertainment throughout the day and more with Our Holiday Vibes are Good Vibes Only!&nbsp;</li></ul>

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<ul><li>Christmas markets are a holiday tradition all over Europe, but the Austrian version is extraordinary.</li><li>Austria has more than 2,000 Christmas markets spread across the country, often the most lively places on the continent.</li><li>This year's season will start on December 1st until January 6th.</li><li>At each market, you'll find artisans selling wares—in addition to traditional gifts like toys and decorations—and food stalls serving everything from hot mustard sandwiches to meatloaf.</li><li>There will also be plenty of vendors selling traditional sweets, including marzipan and glühwein (hot mulled wine).</li><li>Visit one of these markets this winter if you're searching for something different from the standard cookie-cutter tourist attraction!</li></ul>

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<ul><li>The best time to visit Austria for the Christmas holidays is typically in December, leading up to Christmas Day.</li><li>During this time, the cities and towns across Austria are transformed into winter wonderlands, with festive markets, holiday decorations, and twinkling lights.</li><li>Vienna is a particularly popular destination during the Christmas season, with its famous Christmas markets drawing visitors worldwide.</li><li>Salzburg is another beautiful city to visit during the holidays, with its picturesque old town and traditional markets.</li><li>Innsbruck, with its stunning Alpine scenery and cosy winter atmosphere, is also a top choice for Christmas holidaymakers.</li><li>In addition to the holiday markets, visitors can enjoy outdoor winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating in Austria's picturesque mountain towns.</li><li>Overall, December is the ideal time to visit Austria for Christmas, when the country is most festive and magical.</li><li>Just be sure to pack warmly, as temperatures can drop below freezing during winter.</li></ul>

seasons to travel

The picturesque birthplace of Mozart and The Sound of Music comes around Christmas, with snow-dusted performances of Silent Night (the melody was written and performed initially nearby) and market booths that resemble those set up in the 15th century. Expect hand-knit socks rather than novelty candles as stocking stuffers, emphasising quality rather than quantity. Join the free daily performances at 5 p.m. in front of the cathedral or the Tuesday singalongs for maximum Christmas spirit (6 p.m.-8 p.m.).

Salzburg

At Christmastime, Vienna is illuminated with holiday lights. Snow-covered streets are illuminated by light from huge palaces, while icicles dangle from imperial Habsburg structures. Add hot beverages in coffeehouses designed for lingering, and you get a city with a joyous mood that is not saccharine. Numerous Christmas markets line the old town's tiny streets with kiosks brimming with traditional wooden toys and artisanal items like handcrafted soaps. Warm the chill of the open air with the bracing aroma of roasted chestnuts and freshly baked pretzels as you sip hot cups of mulled wine.

Vienna

christmas markets

Old Town Square in Innsbruck is where you can see the Christmas tree lights sparkling against the gilded copper shingles of the Goldenes Dachl, built in the 16th century (Golden Roof). The aroma of freshly fried kiachl, savoury and sweet doughnuts wafts over stalls containing antique goods and spicy biscuits at this location. It's easy to see why the place is so crowded, given how popular it is. A more reflective option can be found in Hungerburg, where you can ride a funicular to reach a Christmas market and the best view in town. There is also an annual "Krampus run" held on December 6th, during which the merry devils of Alpine legend are set free on the mountain slopes.

Innsbruck

In Graz, tradition is served first and foremost on the menu. Grab a warm glass of the native feuerzangenbowle, which consists of wine and rum set ablaze, and make your way to the Franciscan Quarter. Underneath the oldest monastery in Austria is where you'll find one of the country's longest-running Christmas markets. Here, tin toys and regional crafts go head to head with the giant wheel and carousel of the Advent Fair. Do not miss the nearby "Ice Crib," an annual ice sculpture displayed in the courtyard of the Renaissance-era Landhaus. After that, finish shopping at the arts and crafts market of Färberplatz, which is operated by a collective of local craftspeople and features the best gift selection in the city.

Graz

Even if the city of Linz is more modern than a scene from a fairytale, the aroma of gingerbread homes can be found across the city during the holiday season. Most of the Christmas activities take place in the central plaza. Still, the Volksgarten market is a charming respite from the crowds' thanks to its ice-sculpture exhibition and scattering of live workshops demonstrating how traditional gifts are created. Here you may watch woodturning, carving, and ceramics demonstrations; some even allow you to participate in the activity before browsing the items offered at around 60 different stands. This market is a relative newcomer, having only begun operations in the 1950s, yet, it is certainly worth a visit.

Linz

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<ul><li>In Austria, the time leading up to Christmas is "the most serene time of the year."</li><li>This correlates with the advent season. Many families observe beloved customs in the weeks preceding Christmas, such as making cookies, decorating Christmas decorations, and singing carols.</li><li>Advent is translated as "coming" and refers to the birth of Christ.</li><li>This time has spawned numerous traditions in Austria, including those from non-Christian cultures.</li><li>Baking Christmas cookies, hanging Advent calendars, pondering and making music with the family, meeting friends at the Christmas market, crafting Christmas decorations, and tying Advent wreaths are typical holiday activities.</li><li>The Latin Church's Advent season lasts between 22 and 28 days and includes four Sundays.</li><li>In 1839, the Advent wreath made its debut in Germany and eventually became Austria's prominent symbol of the Christmas season.</li><li>The four candles on the wreath have always served as a calendar.</li><li>Each Sunday during Advent, a fresh candle indicates how much time remains before Christmas Eve.</li><li>The Advent calendar has been significant in Christian traditions since the 19th century.</li><li>Similar to the Advent wreath, it counts the days till Christmas. The opening of the first "door" occurs on December 1st. According to tradition, the first Advent calendar was created in 1851, and the first printed calendar appeared in 1902.</li><li>Today, self-made models are top-rated, and there are virtually no limitations to one's creativity while designing them.</li></ul>

culture and tradition

Christmas in Austria begins in the late afternoon on Heilige Abend or Christmas Eve. Families typically sing Christmas songs around the first-lit Christmas tree on this day. The traditional Christmas Eve meal in Austria consists of fried carp, which traces back to when Catholics considered Christmas a day of fasting, so no meat was served. Therefore, the traditional Christmas meal in Austria consists of butter-fried carp with various vegetables and potatoes. This is typically followed by Sachertorte, the most famous cake in Vienna, or cookies like vanillekipferl (crescent-shaped biscuits made with nuts).

Traditional Christmas dinner in Austria

In Austria, the holiday season isn't complete until the mugs are full of steaming glühwein. Traditionally, glühwein is made by blending wine, cinnamon, and sugar to create Austria's most celebrated holiday beverage. It has been modified to entice even the most wine-weary, with added components ranging from orange to vanilla bean. And virgin types of glühwein are also available, so you can find vendors selling this pleasant, warming beverage at any market in Vienna.&nbsp;Austrian Christmas markets sell a wide variety of Christmas-themed beverages, including glühwein (hot mulled cider), kinderpunsch (non-alcoholic punch), and numerous variations of Weihnachtspunsch (Christmas punch). Regardless of your choice, these hot beverages are typically served in a festive mug, frequently bearing the name of the Christmas market and sometimes shaped like a boot or heart. Deposit money or take the mug as a souvenir.

Glühwein

Even while pumpkin soup isn't only served during the Christmas season in Austria, it's still important enough to mention because of its popularity during the fall and winter. Pumpkin soup is a popular dish in Austria. It is typically served with a hefty dollop of fresh cream and a swirl of dark brown pumpkin oil, an ingredient considered to be an Austrian speciality.

Pumpkin soup

Bread dumplings, or knödel, known in German, are a Christmas dinner staple in Austria and are popular all year round. Knödel is straightforward to prepare at home, using only potatoes, flour, semolina, and a pinch of nutmeg. At select Christmas markets, you can also find G'roste knödel (fried bread dumplings, typically with egg).

Bread dumplings

The holiday essentials are Lebkuchen, biscuits flavoured with spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and gingerbread. In Austria, they are typically ornamented and cut into Christmas-themed forms, like stars and bells. A vanilla crescent, or Vanillekipferl, is another traditional pastry in Austrian bakeries and markets. This essential cookie has a comforting vanilla taste. Linzer torte, a delectable jam-filled dessert consisting of a dollop of sweet raspberry preserves sandwiched between two almond biscuits, will likely be encountered if you visit Vienna in the wintertime.

Try spiced biscuits for a seasonal Austrian treat.

The word "Christmas" derives its name, "Weihnachtsstollen," from the German word "Weihnachten," which translates to "Christmas." Although stollen originated in Germany, it is prevalent in Austria during the holiday season. It epitomises an Austrian Christmas cake because it is obscenely decadent, stuffed with fruit and marzipan, and laced with a jolting dose of liquor.

Weihnachtsstollen

It's time to start getting the mood when vendors sell Maroni and roasted chestnuts throughout Vienna. This indicates that it's time to start getting into the Christmas spirit. Roasted chestnuts, given a light sprinkle of salt and presented in a paper cone, make for the ideal winter warmer when strolling around Austria's Christmas markets or taking in the country's magnificent lighting throughout the colder months. In Vienna, the Maroni stalls would typically also serve bratkartoffeln, which are potato wedges that have been roasted.

Maroni and Bratkartoffel

Kletzenbrot, often known as Austrian fruit bread, is packed with various zesty spices and loaded fruit. The holiday delicacy consists primarily of dough filled with fruit caramelised with sugar and rum and maybe combined with nuts to produce a sticky, moist centre. Nuts may also be included in the recipe. Dried pears, figs, dates, and raisins are some fruits typically used to prepare Austrian Kletzenbrot.

Austrian fruit bread

eats and treats

There are numerous Christmas markets scattered across Vienna during December, and one of the best places to begin is Hofburg Palace, with its few Christmas kiosks. Hofburg Palace is one of the most convenient places to start your explorations of Vienna, and it embodies the postcard-perfect romanticism you're sure to have seen.

Hofburg Palace

As you explore the Innere Stadt (1st District) of Vienna, there are several things to see and do, and the best way to take it all in is on foot. This landmark tower with a gigantic Christmas bow is just opposite the Vienna State Opera House and has recently been a popular stop for travellers to Vienna.

The Giant Christmas Bow

This 1786 tea salon has established itself as one of Vienna's finest tea establishments. They provide specialised pastries, tea, coffee, and a limited menu in a cafe. An excellent place to stop while you are shopping, grab some Christmas pastries, or for something native, try the renowned Sachertorte (the origins of which are contested between Demel and Cafe Sacher).

Demel Bakery

A tour of the Vienna State Opera's backstage areas in the Innere Stadt is available every hour for a moderate price of 9 Euros and at various times during the day. There is no other location on earth like Vienna during Advent. The Christmas markets are bustling with activity, the mood in the streets is joyous in a way you won't find in most of the world's other capital cities, and the season for concerts and operettas is well underway. Many of Vienna's plazas are transformed into enchanted Christmas markets, with the enticing scent of mulled wine and cookies contributing to the city's incredible ambience. Join us for five nights in this fantastic city to get a head start on your Christmas preparations and get ready to celebrate in style.

The Vienna State Opera House

Coffee house culture has a significant tradition in Vienna, and there is no more famous café (and therefore no longer line) than Cafe Central. Although touristy, visiting this iconic institution is a must for any first-time visitor to Vienna, and you'd be astonished by how delicious the pastries are. However, the majority of the customers are from out of town!

Cafe Central

The world-famous Christmas markets that draw tens of thousands of tourists each year are the starting point for the Christmas traditions that have made Vienna the centre of Christmas celebrations. In light of the city being home to many significant Christmas markets and numerous pop-up booths in all directions, you should get ready to be spoiled for choice.

A Traditional Christmas Market

It is well known that the winter food of Austria is hearty and filling; even the sweets are based on the concept of keeping warm during the colder months. If you're not a massive fan of sweets, you can try a bite-sized strudel at Demel (located close to the Hofburg Palace), where you can buy a small apple strudel to sample. Apple strudel is the most well-known dessert in Austria and can be found on almost every menu.

Traditional Apple Strudel

entertainments

By November, most cities in Austria will have entered the much-anticipated pre-Christmas period. In addition, this is the time of year when Christmas markets start setting up shops and welcoming customers young and old with gingerbread, fruits dipped in chocolate and mulled wine or cider.

Christmas Markets

"Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt" is from one of the most renowned German Christmas poems, typically recited on Sundays when the entire family gathers to light the advent wreath candles. Many Austrian households still make their wreaths and often make an event out of it by inviting neighbours and friends. Some even venture into the woods to collect fir branches. The original advent wreath included 24 candles, but only four are used nowadays. On each Sunday of Advent, another candle is lit. Some families maintained traditional candle colour schemes. Three are supposed to be violet, while one is pink for the third Sunday of Advent. The third advent is referred to as "Gaudete." In addition to singing, chanting, or praying while lighting the candles, the advent wreath's symbolic significance is to triumph over the darkness of life.

Advent Wreath

Christmas customs are taught throughout the school system, beginning with kindergarten. Many children start their education in Christmas poems and carols early Saint Nicholas Day is observed on December 6th by most organisations. Before the children are permitted to begin opening their presents on Christmas morning, it is common to practice for the first to recite poetry that they have memorised in the past.

Christmas Poems and Carols

Barbara Day is celebrated every year on December 4th. It is customary to cut a branch from an apple or cherry tree and bring it inside the house. If the extension has bloomed by Christmas day, the entire family will have a prosperous new year. In various parts of the world, a myth claims that someone in the family will soon be getting married if a branching flower is.

Barbara Day

Saint Nicholas Day is on December 6th. In Austria, it is customary to award children who have displayed good behaviour during the year with tangerines, nuts, and chocolate. Some receive a visit from Saint Nicholas "personally" in the afternoon, while others discover treats in their shoes the following day. "Krampus" is St. Nicholas' best friend and closest comrade. A trait of intimidation A pair of terrifying horns and enormous bells distinguish his look. On December 6th, if you listen closely, you can hear his bells outside, even from a vast distance. The tradition around "Krampus" is commemorated in various ways across the fifty states. Initially, the terrifying character was believed to provide good fortune, blessings, and a fruitful year. Today, Krampus chastises misbehaving children. Krampus parades, festivities, and coffee parties are prevalent in different countryside regions.

Saint Nicholas

After December 24th, the holiday spirit has only just begun! It's common practice for Austrians to keep the party going with loved ones on the 25th and 26th. Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day are other holidays where families and friends gather to prepare and eat. The last cookies find their place in full bellies, and everyone falls into bed very happy and tired in the evening. Everybody goes to bed that night, satisfied and exhausted after eating the last cookies. The three wise men, Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar, sing their way from house to house on January 6th; thus, the Christmas tree will stay up and be adorned until then. The Latin words for "Christ bless this house" are "C + M + B" and can be found on the door frame within the context of the current year.

Post-Christmas period

events and fiestas

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Austria Christmas Market Holiday Deals & Breaks

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Austria Christmas Market Holiday Deals & Breaks

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