Vienna is one of Europe’s great Christmas cities. From mid-November the squares of the old town fill with wooden stalls selling mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and handmade decorations, palaces become backdrops for markets and light trails, and churches and concert halls schedule Advent music almost every night. The city’s market tradition goes back to 1722, when a St Nicholas market was held on the Freyung. Here is what is on in 2026, with dates checked against the city’s own list.
The big markets
The Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz, in front of the neo-Gothic City Hall, is the largest and best known, with 97 stalls. It runs from 13 November to 26 December 2026, daily from 10am to 10pm, closing at 6.30pm on 24 December. The trees of the Rathauspark are hung with lights, and there are workshops for children inside the City Hall.
At Schönbrunn Palace the Christmas market fills the forecourt from 6 November, daily from 10am to 9pm, with a giant tree in front of the palace. The palace says the market continues after Christmas until 6 January 2027, from 10am to 7pm. In the park, the Imperial Lights trail runs on the same dates, 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and needs a ticket.
The Belvedere market stands in front of the Upper Belvedere from 20 November to 31 December, open until 9pm on weekdays and 11pm at weekends. On Maria-Theresien-Platz, between the two great museums, the Christmas village runs from 20 November to 26 December.
Smaller and craft markets
For handmade gifts, go to Spittelberg, where 122 stalls fill the cobbled lanes behind the MuseumsQuartier from 13 November to 23 December (from 2pm on weekdays, 11am at weekends). The Art Advent market on Karlsplatz, in front of Karlskirche, has 83 stalls of crafts and art and runs from 13 November to 23 December, daily 11am to 9pm. The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung (14 November to 23 December, daily 10am to 9pm) and the market Am Hof (13 November to 23 December) are both a few minutes from the Hofburg. There is also a small market on Stephansplatz beside the cathedral from 6 November to 24 December.
Across the Danube Canal, the Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz sets up beneath the Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, with free entry.
Ice skating
The Eistraum am Christkindlmarkt, the skating rink and paths in front of the City Hall, opens on 13 November 2026 and runs until 6 January 2027, daily from 10am to 10pm, closing early on 24 December and closed on 31 December. The larger Wiener Eistraum then returns to Rathausplatz from 22 January to 7 March 2027.
Christmas music
Advent concerts are held almost every evening in churches and palaces, including St Stephen’s Cathedral, St Peter’s Church, St Anne’s Church, the Minoritenkirche and the Orangery at Schönbrunn, and many are sold through ticket sites. The Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday Mass in the Hofburg Chapel at 9.15am, and also on 25 December. Seats cost from €14 to €52, and a small number of standing places are free from 8.30am. Check the programme first, as the Girls Choir sings on some Sundays.
The Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert on 1 January is sold by a lottery held the previous February, so tickets for 2027 can no longer be applied for.
Christmas and New Year opening
Most markets close on 23 or 24 December, when Austrians celebrate at home on Christmas Eve. Museum hours change over the holidays: the Kunsthistorisches Museum closes at 3pm on 24 December, the Albertina at 2pm, and the Natural History Museum is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The Leopold Museum opens daily from 7 December to 10 January but closes on 24 December. Shops close on 25 and 26 December, and many restaurants close on Christmas Eve, so book ahead if you want a meal out.
Practical tips
Mulled wine and punch are served in deposit mugs, which you can return or keep as a souvenir. Markets are busiest on Friday and Saturday evenings; go in the afternoon for a calmer visit. Days are short and often cold, so dress warmly and plan museum visits for the middle of the day. Book palace and museum tickets in advance in December, as time slots sell out.