If you’re bored of Christmas markets in the UK, there’s one European city which truly puts us to shame
Rumblings of Christmas cheer are slowly rippling through the country, with shops bringing out their obligatory festive adverts and treats flooding supermarket shelves. Along with all the hubbub over presents, decorations and parties, Christmas markets are slowly popping up to flog extortionate mugs of mulled wine.
Yet I’ve always found myself disappointed with the lacklustre effort the UK puts into its Christmas markets, and seeing the festivities in Europe puts us to shame. Christmas in Vienna, Austria’s capital, is like Christmas on steroids.
In one city they host no less than twenty Christmas markets, packed to the brim with locals and tourists alike. The fervour they have for the festive season is unlike any other I’ve experienced.
Last December, I took a trip to visit a friend who’d moved there from the UK, swapping the dreary grey shores of Southampton for one of the best cities to live in. Anyway, back to the Christmas markets.
Over a three-day period we wandered through only a fraction of Vienna’s market offerings, including the Christkindlmarkt at the Rathaus, Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace, Christmas Village Belvedere Palace, Am Hof Christmas market, Spittelberg Christmas Market, Weihnachtsdorf on Maria-Theresien-Platz, and Art Advent Christmas market on Karlsplatz. Unsurprisingly they all merge into one.
It would take until next Christmas to give a rundown of each, and since our festive adventure was fuelled by Weihnachtspunsch (a boozy Christmas punch), there’s a few which you can’t miss. Vienna doesn’t get a lot of credit for its festive givings, usually overlooked by its German neighbour, but credit where credit is due.
A bonus of Vienna’s markets is that all of them are free to enter, so if you find one’s too busy, you can simply totter along to the next one. By far the most impressive sight is the one at the former Habsburg palace, Schönbrunn.
Schönbrunn Palace is a sight straight out of the Baroque era, where you can roam through the expansive gardens up to the Gloriette on Marie Theresia Tor during the summer, and get merry until the palace lights in winter. If Bridgerton did Christmas, if you will.
The market itself is spacious, which means there’s plenty of space to roam from stall to stall. Its gargantuan Christmas tree towers over the market below, and is the perfect place for an obligatory photo.
The market is also perfect for families, or big kids, as you can take a turn on the ferris wheel or hire out one of the purpose-built curling rink, a new feature for 2024’s iteration. Viennese markets are also the perfect place to try out traditional cuisine, like spätzle (German egg noodles), kaiserschmarrn (fluffy pancakes with a plum sauce), or a bratwurst.
If you’re looking for a restaurant to escape the cold, Das Käuzchen in Spittelberg is a must. As a cheese fanatic, there’s one market which serves the best. Head to Am Hof’s Christmas market in the city centre. The same location hosted a wine market as early as 1358.
Am Hof is a foodie heaven and a complete assault on the culinary senses. You can find local favourites like langos, roast nuts, chocolate-coated fruits, Lebkuchen, soups, Alpine cheeses, Baumkuchen (cakes baked on a spit), Tyrolean specialties like Gröstl (fried potatoes and mincemeat), open cured ham sandwiches, sausages, oven potatoes, and more.
But here is where you’ll find the best raclette around at Raclette Hütte. Molten raclette cheese is scrapped off a massive wheel before being smothered over potatoes.
I’d recommend washing it down with a steaming mug of gentian punch, an alcoholic cocktail made with a liquor from the gentian plant. It’s a peculiar and acquired taste, but you won’t find it in the UK.
If you want to combine markets with sightseeing, you can easily pass through the narrow side streets of Spittelberg in Vienna’s 7th district. On the doorstep of plenty of bars and restaurants, Spittelberg’s market is also a great place to find trinkets or souvenirs.
It’s bustling once the sun goes down, so be prepared to dodge and weave through the crowds. However if hoards of people relishing in the festive spirit is your thing, one market – probably the city’s most iconic – is Christkindlmarkt at the Rathaus.
The centrepiece of the Viennese Christmas experience, lighting up the Rathaus with a luminescent joy. The senses are overwhelmed by aromas of spices, sweetness, and the occasional meaty waft while listening to choirs singing carols.
This is just a smidgen of what I explored last year, it may’ve been my first, but it certainly won’t be my last. Christmas on steroids? That’s just normal for Vienna.
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