- What's New at the Vienna Christmas Markets in 2026
- The Classic Vienna Christmas Markets: City Hall, the Palaces and the Cathedral
- Vienna Christmas Markets With a More Local Feel
- More Vienna Christmas Markets Worth Discovering
- Taste of the Season
- Practical Tips for Visiting the Vienna Christmas Markets
When the days get shorter and the first lights go up across the city, Vienna moves into its most festive weeks. During the season of the Vienna Christmas markets (Christkindlmärkte), the smell of roasted chestnuts hangs in the air and people gather around the punch stands.
The Vienna Christmas markets range from the big set pieces in front of City Hall and Schönbrunn Palace to small neighborhood affairs where people meet after work. Each one has its own character, many have their own mug, and several sit close enough together that you can visit two or three in one evening.
Below is our pick of the best Christmas markets in Vienna for 2026, with this season's dates and opening hours wherever the organizers have published them, and what makes each one worth the trip. Use our Vienna Christmas markets map to see at a glance which ones lie a short walk apart.
Prefer to see them on a tour? The 2-hour Christmas Markets Tour comes with a meal included.
What's New at the Vienna Christmas Markets in 2026
Two squares that went without a Christmas market last winter have one in 2026. The Christmas Village on Maria-Theresien-Platz returns after a one-year break, with a new concept for its 20th season between the two great museums on the Ringstraße. Schwarzenbergplatz, meanwhile, gets a Christmas market for the first time, built around the Hochstrahlbrunnen fountain.
The market at Belvedere Palace changes too: it moves away from the square directly in front of the palace to a new site at the far end of the large pond, under a new name, the K&K Christmas Market. At four markets run by the same organizer (Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz, Schwarzenbergplatz and the Uni Campus), the red boot-shaped punch mugs are made of glass for the first time.
Our Events in Vienna page is where we keep track of what's on in the city.
The Classic Vienna Christmas Markets: City Hall, the Palaces and the Cathedral
Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz (Vienna City Hall Christmas Market)
Set against the neo-Gothic City Hall, the market on Rathausplatz is the one we'd put first on any list of Vienna Christmas markets, and its organizer counts it among the biggest Christmas markets in Europe. Wooden huts fill the square, the Christmas park lies alongside, and between City Hall and the Burgtheater you can skate on the Ice Dream rink.
We love how this market delivers the whole season at once. It gets crowded, and that buzz is part of the draw. When you need a break from the square, head inside City Hall, where the International Advent Singing brings choirs from Austria and abroad to the ballroom on the four Advent weekends, Friday to Sunday from late afternoon.
Why go: The full Christmas spectacle in one place, and the natural first stop if it's your first time at the Vienna Christmas markets.
Dates: November 13 - December 26, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Daily: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- December 24 (Christmas Eve): 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Special Note: The Ice Dream rink stays open until January 6, 2027 (closed on December 31), so you can still skate here after the market huts have gone.
Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market
In the Ehrenhof, the great forecourt of the imperial summer palace, Schönbrunn sets up a market of about 90 stalls with the yellow palace front as its backdrop. The layout is wide and easy to walk, the stalls lean toward crafts and regional food, and there's plenty for children, from rides to craft workshops.
We always recommend arriving just before sunset, when the palace lights come on against the last of the daylight. Add a round of ice skating or Eisstockschießen (ice stock sport, a game similar to curling and widely played in Austria) and you've filled a happy half day. Schönbrunn also keeps going when most Vienna Christmas markets have closed: after Christmas it stays open daily until January 6.
Why go: An imperial setting and room to move, ideal to pair with a visit to the palace.
Dates: November 6, 2026 - January 6, 2027
Opening Hours:
- November 6 - December 23: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily
- December 24 (Christmas Eve): 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- From December 25: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM daily
Special Note: To combine it with music, the Schönbrunn Christmas Market and Classical Concert puts both into one day.
K&K Christmas Market at Belvedere Palace
The Christmas market at Belvedere Palace has moved: its huts no longer stand right outside the palace but at the far end of the large pond. The new name, K&K Christmas Market, is a nod to the "imperial and royal" (kaiserlich und königlich) Habsburg court.
The plan is a compact market of up to 35 huts in a uniform K&K style, with handmade goods, classic Christmas crafts and food that puts products from Vienna and the surrounding region first. The palace grounds and the water remain the setting, and we still find golden hour the best time to come, when the light on the Upper Belvedere turns soft.
Why go: To us, one of the most beautiful settings in the city, now with a market built around a single imperial theme.
Dates: November 20 - December 31, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Friday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- December 24 & 31: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Special Note: To pair your visit with the Upper Belvedere's art collection, home to Klimt's The Kiss, have a look at Vienna: Art and Architecture in the Belvedere.
Stephansplatz Christmas Market
Right at the foot of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Stephansplatz Christmas Market has been part of Advent here since 2013. The Gothic stone rises straight above the punch stands, and the stalls offer local crafts, gift ideas and traditional Austrian food.
It's the easiest stop on any day of sightseeing, since both the Graben and Kärntner Strasse start right beside the square. We always come back at night, when the cathedral is lit against a dark blue sky.
Why go: Right in the city center, with Vienna's best-known landmark as the backdrop.
Dates: November 6 - December 26, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Daily: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- December 24 (Christmas Eve): 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- December 25 & 26: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Special Note: Walk on along the Graben, home to the biggest of Vienna's Christmas chandeliers, a classic of the city's Christmas lights for years.
Vienna Christmas Markets With a More Local Feel
Spittelberg Christmas Market
In the narrow lanes of Spittelberg in the 7th district, the Christmas market winds between Baroque townhouses on Spittelberggasse and Gutenberggasse. In the 1970s there were plans to tear the whole quarter down; residents and the local arts scene fought them off. Today the stalls line those lanes rather than a square, which gives the market its village-like feel.
This is one of our favorite Vienna Christmas markets for gifts, with a strong focus on arts and crafts. The organizers run it as an eco-event: regional, fair trade and organic products, and plenty of vegetarian and vegan food and drink.
Why go: A true neighborhood feel, for gift hunters and slow wanderers.
Dates: November 13 - December 23, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Friday: 2:00 PM - 9:30 PM
- Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Special Note: The stalls spread over five lanes (Spittelberggasse, Siebensterngasse, Stiftgasse, Schrankgasse and Gutenberggasse), so give yourself time to wander them all.
Christmas Village at the Uni Campus (Altes AKH)
In the courtyard of the Altes AKH, the city's former general hospital and today a campus of the University of Vienna, a Christmas village has gone up every year since 1999. The huts spread across park-like grounds, and the mood is relaxed: a place where families, students and friends meet without any fuss.
There's no palace here. Instead you get a large, varied line-up of stalls, from regional food and crafts to Austrian designers, plus a stage, curling, a fairy-tale forest and rides for children. On Saturdays, DJs play at the X-Mas Party in the Salettl, and Tuesday evenings belong to students.
Why go: A local rhythm, plenty for kids and, for us, the most relaxed mood of all the Vienna Christmas markets.
Dates: November 13 - December 23, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Thursday: 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM
- Friday: 2:00 PM - 11:00 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- December 23: 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Special Note: Rathausplatz is close by, so the two make an easy pair. Dogs aren't allowed in this market.
More Vienna Christmas Markets Worth Discovering
Christmas Village on Maria-Theresien-Platz
Between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum, the Christmas Village on Maria-Theresien-Platz returns for its 20th season. The two museum buildings frame the huts on either side, and the Hofburg lies just across the Ringstraße.
Expect handmade Christmas ornaments, crafts and regional Austrian food. During the market, both museums run activities for children, which makes this an easy stop on a museum day with kids.
Why go: An imperial backdrop, a central location and a museum next door when your fingers get cold.
Dates: November 20 - December 26, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Friday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- December 24 - 26: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Special Note: Spittelberg is a short walk away behind the MuseumsQuartier, so you can add it to the same evening.
Christmas Magic at Schwarzenbergplatz
New for 2026, Schwarzenbergplatz gets its own Christmas market, called Christmas Magic (Weihnachtszauber). It's built around the Hochstrahlbrunnen, the fountain at the center of the square, with light installations around the fountain and in the gardens in front of Palais Schwarzenberg.
Alongside crafts, there's Austrian food (punch, mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, fried potatoes and a choice of hot dishes), a stage program, and a ballroom decked out in lights with live music.
Why go: A brand-new market built around its light installations, between Karlsplatz and the Belvedere.
Dates: November 13 - December 26, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Friday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- December 24 - 26: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Special Note: Art Advent at Karlsplatz is about 300 meters away, so the two fit easily into one evening.
Art Advent at Karlsplatz
In front of the Baroque Karlskirche, Art Advent is the market of an artisans' association. It began in December 1994, when craftspeople who had built up the Spittelberg market looked for a place where they could keep running things themselves, and the square in front of the church became their home.
The stalls are about handicrafts (ceramics, glass, wood, jewelry, textiles, leather and natural cosmetics) under the motto "regional, fair, ecological, sustainable". For children there's a straw landscape to romp in, a carousel, a "Draisinen Express" of little rolling vehicles pieced together from found objects and a craft workshop in a yurt.
Why go: A market run by the makers themselves, who sell their own work.
Dates: not yet confirmed for 2026 by the organizer
Wintermarkt at Prater / Riesenradplatz
At the entrance to the Prater, the Wintermarkt on Riesenradplatz brings a fairground note to the season. The Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad) turns above the huts, rides such as the winter train and the Autodrom keep running, and the stage hosts live music, shows and a Perchten parade, the Alpine procession of horned winter figures.
It's more about fun than tradition, and we like the contrast to the palace courtyards and historic squares. Admission is free, and it's great for families and groups of friends.
Why go: Lights, rides and music with your mulled wine, all the way into January.
Dates: November 20, 2026 - January 6, 2027
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Friday: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
- Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- December 24 (Christmas Eve): 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- December 31 (Silvester): 12:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Special Note: Ride the Ferris wheel after dark for the view over the lit-up market. You can book it ahead with a skip-the-cashier-desk-line Riesenrad ticket.
Altwiener Christkindlmarkt Freyung
On the Freyung, a wide square in the 1st district, the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt (Old Viennese Christmas Market) keeps things traditional: Christmas tree ornaments, glass, wood carvings, nativity cribs and candles, with Advent music on the stage.
We love returning here for the quiet, nostalgic mood. On weekends, artisans show their crafts live on the stage, and a CD of the market's Advent music is sold at the stalls for charity.
Why go: Christmas crafts and Advent music in a calm, central square; to us, the most traditional of the Vienna Christmas markets.
Dates: November 14 - December 23, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Daily: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Special Note: Am Hof is only about 200 meters away, so combine the two for an easy evening circuit.
Christmas Market Am Hof
A short stroll from the Freyung, the Christmas Market Am Hof fills a square that was once part of the Roman camp of Vindobona. More than 70 exhibitors sell handmade pieces, crafts and gifts, and the market carries on a tradition: a Christkindlmarkt already stood Am Hof from 1842 to 1922.
The organizers were among the first in Europe to give up disposable cups, and each year's ceramic mug is a collector's piece. Look for the Radio Wien stand under the Marian Column, where presenters pour punch for the charity Licht ins Dunkel, and for the Zirbenpunsch, the market's own punch since 1999, a favorite with anyone who prefers it less sweet.
Why go: Stylish and central, and our first choice for quality gifts.
Dates: November 13 - December 23, 2026
Opening Hours:
- Monday - Thursday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Friday - Sunday & December 8 (holiday): 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Food & drink stalls: until 10:00 PM daily
Special Note: Combine it with the Freyung for a peaceful evening circuit, and finish at the nearby Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church), which hosts the hour-long Christmas & New Year's Concert.
Taste of the Season
What to Eat & Drink at the Vienna Christmas Markets
You'll find the same festive staples at almost all Vienna Christmas markets:
- Glühwein (mulled wine)
- Punsch (a hot mixed drink, usually alcoholic and often made with fruit juice and rum)
- Maroni (roasted chestnuts)
- Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) and other hot dishes
- Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Strudel and Langos (Hungarian fried flatbread)
Some of the Vienna Christmas markets put regional food first: the new K&K market at Belvedere asks its food stallholders for regional products, and Spittelberg runs as an eco-event with organic, vegetarian and vegan options.
Then there are the mugs. Hot drinks at the Vienna Christmas markets come in a market's own ceramic or glass mug with a deposit: bring it back and you get the deposit returned, or keep it as a souvenir. The red boot-shaped mug of Stephansplatz and its three sister markets can also be bought empty at selected huts.
If you'd rather taste the season on a tour, the Christmas Market Food and Drinks Tour spends 3 to 4 hours on the markets' food and drink, with a meal included. And for something sweet with a show, Gerstner, the former imperial court confectioner, runs a 20-minute Baking Show & Tasting.
Practical Tips for Visiting the Vienna Christmas Markets
What to wear: You'll be outdoors, often into the evening, and a short visit easily turns into a long one. Dress in warm layers you can adjust, wear insulated boots, and bring a scarf and gloves.
Cash or card: The organizer of Stephansplatz and its three sister markets says every stall there takes cards. Payment options still vary from vendor to vendor, so carry some euros in coins and small notes.
How to get there: Leave the car and use the U-Bahn and trams. For Rathausplatz, take the U2 to Rathaus or trams 1, 71 or D; for the Freyung and Am Hof, the U3 to Herrengasse.
When to go: The Vienna Christmas markets look their best after dark, but arriving around 4 PM lets you watch the switch from daylight to lights, especially at Schönbrunn and Belvedere.
Mind your timing around the holidays: Closing dates differ across the Vienna Christmas markets. Spittelberg, the Uni Campus, the Freyung and Am Hof close for the season on December 23. Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz close early on December 24 and end on December 26. Belvedere stays open until December 31, while Schönbrunn, the Wintermarkt in the Prater and the Ice Dream rink at Rathausplatz carry on until January 6.
New Year's Eve: On December 31, once most of the Vienna Christmas markets have packed up, the Vienna New Year's Eve Trail (Silvesterpfad) turns the old town into an open-air party, with stages on squares such as Rathausplatz, Freyung, Am Hof and Stephansplatz and at the Wintermarkt in the Prater, plus waltz lessons on the Graben. If you'd rather spend part of the holidays in a seat, look at the Advent, Christmas and New Year's Concerts, 70 minutes of music from Advent through New Year.
Planning the rest of your stay beyond the Vienna Christmas markets? Our Vienna Travel Guide is where we bring together the city's sights, food and neighborhoods, in winter and the rest of the year.
