Vienna at Christmas time..

You will have to hunt for it, but Emily has done an excllent post on the Christmas Markets in Vienna.

Greg V. - Here is a link you can start with - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/vienna-christmas-markets-2025-a-local-s-take

As for white wines, Vienna is famous for its Grüner Veltliner and its Weißburgunder. These are most popularly enjoyed in the summertime in a Spritz. If you want to try some good versions, check out the Wein & Co locations at Naschmarkt and in the first district. Also, Eulennest is a good place to enjoy wine. You might also enjoy visiting a heurigen, which is normally a good weather activity, but around Christmas will also be special. I like Feuerwehr Wagner and Mayer am Pfarrplatz.

If you share your exact dates, then I can see what events are happening and can make some recommendations.

Thanks Emily, I haven't made any definite plans yet, as it wouldn't be until next year. But I want to do some research now.
I'd love to visit some holiday markets. Does the Vienna Boys Choir have regular performances? It would be great to bring home some sweet white wine.

Do you have a YouTube channel? I think I might have seen your name for a travel video.

Mr. E, just curious - what are the Christmas markets like in Budapest? Do they receive a lot of tourists during the holiday season?

Greg V - No, I don't have a YouTube channel.

As for the Vienna Boys' Choir, you can check here - https://www.wsk.at/en/

Christmas in Austria is a family event. So don't stay between December 22 and 27.

While Christmas is a family time it’s quite ridiculous to say not to visit between 22-27.
From 24th afternoon and 25th you need to check opening times etc of restaurants and make bookings .

From 24th afternoon and 25th you need to check opening times etc of restaurants and make bookings .

All people who must work at Christmas are more or less fed up and would like to stay with their families.
I would never go in a restaurant during that time, given how I would feel having to work during Christmas.

Wmtf you may not want to go out during this time. However many other people do wish to visit during this time and if somewhere is open for business it is quite acceptable to use it.

I spent Dec 22-26 in Vienna with my wife and daughter, at the end of a tour or Christmas markets in 2023. We had been to Vienna a few years earlier in mid December and loved it, so decided to make it our base for Christmas Day. The markets were very busy on the 22nd and 23rd, and many were still open on Christmas Eve. We toured the Schonbrunn Palace on the 24th, and the market there was in full swing. I had made reservations for dinner at Plachuta on Christmas evening and it was every bit as good as it had been on my two previous visits there. I don’t know about the concert offerings because we didn’t look into them, but on our previous market trip my wife and I saw a performance of Hansel & Gretel at the opera house. That was about a week before Christmas, but I am sure you will find concerts running right up until at least the 23rd. Book well ahead of time though. And yes, Budapest has a great Christmas Market scene as well, although it seemed to me more heavily focused on food then on crafts and such. We spent three nights there immediately prior to Vienna, and the highlight of that stay was an absolutely magical performance of The Nutcracker at the Budapest Opera House.

"We toured the Schonbrunn Palace on the 24th, and the market there was in full swing."

ottawanderer, sounds like a great trip. I love castles, palaces etc. - I imagine Schonbrunn Palace must have been extra special at Christmastime. I'm hoping also to go my 1st opera show, while in Vienna. Hansel and Gretel sounds like a great show.

Yes, it was a great trip. Our full Christmas market itinerary included Bruges, Strasbourg, Munich, Nuremberg, Salzburg, Budapest, Vienna, Cesky Krumlov and Prague. The last two stops were after Christmas Day, but markets were still open. As for the opera in Vienna, Hansel & Gretel is more of a seasonal offering for families. It was certainly an enjoyable experience, but I would have preferred a more classical performance if one had been available while we were in town.

Sounds like quite a trip. Did you enjoy your time in Bruges?

Did you enjoy your time in Bruges?

Absolutely! While the actual Christmas markets were not particularly impressive, the whole city had a great Christmas atmosphere.

I would agree with ottawanderer’s assessment of Bruge and the markets.