Must Buy items at Vienna Markets?

In Vienna, Art Advent at Karlsplatz is all handmade. Also, the market at the Schonbrunn Palace has very nice, unique items, all handmade. That said, the other markets in Vienna are also excellent - there are so many!! Your best places for more traditional items will be Vienna, Salzburg, Germany - we found more Chinese Imports in France & Switzerland. We go over every other year - we love the Xmas Markets.

As far as 'must buy' items - buy what you LOVE. Wood and pewter are big. The spinners, smokers, nutcrackers - most found in Germany.

Thank you for that information-much appreciated!

"Handmade" may mean different things. A couple weeks ago, in Ortisei Italy, I was talking at breakfast to an Italian who lives in Vienna and whose business is buying handcrafted items to sell to Christmas market vendors in Austria. He said that when he started in this business years ago, the hand carved wood items really were all handmade but that now they are all machine made and then hand finished and hand painted.

Ahh, good to know! I am thinking more items that are crafted by people.

The Naschmarkt food market is not what it was, but I would recommend anyone to visit the Schoko Company kiosk there, which has a large selection from the very inventive Austrian chocolate company Zotter (probably the closest thing in the world to a real Wonka).

Thank you for the tip on chocolate-I will find that kiosk!

Local Christmas market expert here.

Best markets for handmade items - Karlsplatz, Spittelberg, Am Hof, Freyung.

Thank you!! So helpful!!