Wife and I will be in Northern Italy (Aviano AFB area) over Thanksgiving. We'll be visiting relatives for the holiday. We have been in the area before and would lie to spend three days doing Austrian Christmas Markets while not too far away. Considering driving to Vienna which is suppose to have a wonderful Market. I also believe just free lance driving southern Austrian towns / villages would be just as nice without a long drive. So from Nov 27 on I believe the markets are open...drive to Vienna or free lance southern Austria or something else? thanks ....
Posted by
Greeley, co, usa
2587 posts
Salzburg has a nice Christmas market and there are ones in nearby small towns also. Salzburg's is every day, towns tend to be only weekends.
Posted by
dallas, TX, USA
227 posts
I loved the Salzburg market (don't miss the cemetary outside the Cathedral if you go!) and though Vienna is sometimes "too much of a good thing" for me, I thought the two Christmas Markets I visited there were great. One is huge and nice....the other is a pleasant stroll down the street and very nice.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I did a drive last Nov/Dec and visited Christmas markets from Frankfurt, the Romantic road and on to Salzburg. The drive was beautiful and the variety of small town Dinkelsbuhl, to the Salzburg market was great. I have been to Vienna and am sure the market is wonderful, but I loved the smaller town feeling.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
Salzburg's market is very large and spread out. It was one of my favorite markets last year. There is a large variety of items for sale. A choir performs in the evenings in front of the Dom and there is a small ice rink. I did not go to the markets in Vienna, however, I understand that there are several markets in different locations throughout the city. Another possibility is Innsbruck. There are several markets in the city including one in Allstadt and another along the river. If you want the link to my Christmas Market 2011 blog, send me a personal message. Enjoy!
Posted by
Auburn, Washington, USA
515 posts
Another vote for Salzburg!!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
You may want to plug in the driving times on Viamichelin.com. Aviano and Vienna lie about 6 hours from each other, and Salzburg is about 4.5. "So from Nov 27 on I believe the markets are open...drive to Vienna or free lance southern Austria or something else? thanks ...." The markets in larger cities typically last for several weeks, but the smaller ones may only stay open for a few days, and the dates vary. Rather than just blindly bouncing around looking for one, you might want to look at the schedule on the link below. It's in German and not ideally organized, but better than nothing: http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de/oesterreich.html