Ranking the Best Christmas Markets in Vienna
Since I learned of the existence of European Christmas markets, I have been dreaming of visiting during this magical season. My husband is a little less enthusiastic about Christmas, but I knew the boozy hot beverages, beautiful lights, and epic backdrops would win him over (hint: I was correct). Plus, there are so many other things to do in these amazing European cities and towns! After even a little research, I knew that Vienna had to be on the itinerary.
If this is your first visit to Vienna, you probably want to see the sights as well. One of the best things about the markets is that nearly every major attraction you want to visit will likely have a market outside! If you are looking for itinerary help along with food/hotel recommendations, check out my related post, Exploring Vienna in 3 Days (coming soon)!
On our most recent trip, we visited 24 markets in total, and 10 of them were in Vienna! So you can better organize your (likely limited) time visiting during the advent season, here’s my completely subjective ranking of the many Christmas markets in Vienna! I arrived at my opinions based on decor/lights, quality of goods for purchase, food/drink, and location. Please remember that even if a market wasn’t my favorite, it was still pretty great. And that doesn’t mean you won’t love it – this is a matter of opinion only! Let’s get to it.
#10: Winter in MQ
- Ambiance/Lights 7/10
- Food/Drink 5/10
- Goods for Purchase 1/10
- Location 6/10
Check out their website for current hours and dates open.
This one is more of an alternative holiday gathering spot than a market. It is in a very cool spot, located in the MuseumQuartier just behind Maria-Theresien-Platz. The lighting is modern and artistic, there are quotes and sayings projected onto the buildings, and there is ample seating (this is very important to me!). They also have a curling rink (more of a 2 late bowling alley on ice, but still pretty neat, as most markets don’t have any particular activities).
It gets low marks for shops, since there are only 1-2, and even the mugs were a no for me (I got a little obsessive about collecting mugs from the markets). We didn’t try the food here because it looked a bit boring, but enjoyed a Glühwein while seated under a covered area.
#9 Belvedere Palace Market
- Ambiance/Lights: 6/10
- Food/Drink: 5/10
- Goods for Purchase: 5/10
- Location: 8/10
Check out their website for current hours and dates open.
The Christmas market at the Belvedere Palace is a little quieter and more unassuming than many of the markets in Vienna. Our food/drink experience was mixed – we had an absolutely delicious Käsekrainer (cheese filled sausage), but then the kartoffelpuffer (a german potato pancake) was the most disappointing item we had at any of the markets. The signature mug was a keeper (when a hot beverage is inside, a magical picture of the Belvedere Palace appears), but overall the stands were hit and miss, with too high a ratio of mass produced items.
Location is where this market shines – the Belvedere Palace is a gorgeous, calm backdrop. While you’re there, tour the museum as well! The upper Belvedere’s most famous artwork in residence is The Kiss by Gustav Klimt (I really enjoyed the full collection). We were there mostly during the day (the sun was *just* beginning to set), so didn’t get the full effect of the market lights, and there was a small ride or two for the children.
#8 Christmas Village at Maria-Theresien-Platz
- Ambiance/Lights 6/10
- Food/Drink 7/10
- Goods for Purchase 3/10
- Location 8/10
Check out their website for hours and dates open.
The setting for this Christmas Village is another stunner – it is located between the Naturhistorsches (Natural History) Museum and the Kunsthistorisches (Art) Museum. It is also across the ring road from the Hofburg Palace complex. While it’s a large market with over 70 stalls, I saw a lot of repeat booths that were similar to those at other markets (meaning likely mass produced).
The food and drink selections were good, and they had two different mugs for drinking hot beverages (one shaped like a stocking/boot, so cute). There were plenty of stands so rarely a line. The decor is pretty standard for European style markets, with groupings of chalets decorated with greenery and lights.
#7 Stephensplatz Christmas Market
- Ambiance/Lights 7/10
- Food/Drink 5/10
- Goods for Purchase 6/10
- Location 9/10
Check out their website for hours and dates open.
Yet again, we have a market located in a gorgeous area of Vienna. This market is right outside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which is in the very center of the Innere Stadt area of Vienna (the old town area). All streets leading to the market have unique hanging lights that blew me away. With the huge gothic cathedral as the backdrop, it’s definitely got wow factor.
This is not a huge market, although it does extend back around the church, so don’t miss that area! There were quite a few international offerings at the booths. I didn’t try any food/drink since we were on our way to dinner. However, the soup/goulash stand smelled amazing (Vienna borrows several foods from neighboring Hungary – chimney cakes (like a cylindrical funnel cake that can have fillings) and langos (a fried flatbread usually topped with sour cream and cheese) are a staple at the markets as well).
#6 Am Hof Market
- Ambiance/Lights 6/10
- Food/Drink 9/10
- Goods for Purchase 7/10
- Location 7/10
Check out their website for hours and dates opened.
Am Hof square is one of the oldest parts of the city, and dates back even to Roman times! Knowing that markets have been held there as far back as the 1300s tells us we are in good company. It felt a little cramped as we walked through, which is a testament to its popularity. There were some quirky arts and crafts stand that would be good for finding a more unique gift.
The food and drink are where this market excels. As soon as we entered, I made a beeline for the raclette stand. If you like cheese, raclette is amazing. Wheels of cheese are cut in half and heated on the flat side, then scraped onto the cheese vehicle of your choice – usually potatoes or bread. Here, we tried it with potatoes and all the toppings, and it was as good as I hoped it would be! The drinks were interesting and varied – lavender glühwein, anyone? They also had a champagne bar, which was a first for us!
#5 Art Advent at Karlsplatz
- Ambiance/Lights 7/10
- Food/Drinks 8/10
- Goods for Purchase 9/10
- Location 7/10
Check out the website for hours and dates opened.
This market was not originally on our list, but we met some American expats at the Am Hof market who said we had to go. So of course, we worked it into our itinerary! Unfortunately, the weather was not great the evening we went – a rain that never quite made it to snow. it was still packed out however! This market is huge, and has a great children’s area with animals and arts and crafts tents.
The food and drink is all organic, and the goods for sale are all from local artisans. As you can tell by the name of the market, art is very much the focus. The booths are varied with every kind of craftworks you can imagine. Due to the aforementioned rain, I wasn’t in the mood to show, but I had to try the raclette again at this market . This time just the cheese on bread, and it was even better than the raclette with potatoes!
#4 Spittelberg Christmas Market
- Ambiance/Lights 8/10
- Food/Drinks 7/10
- Goods for Purchase 7/10
- Location 7/10
Check out the website for hours and dates opened.
This is another one that wasn’t initially on our list, but our tour guide from our first day in Vienna recommended it as a great place to check out a market frequented by locals, that has pricing geared more toward locals. There are also a ton of slightly less expensive restaurants in the area if you need to duck in and warm up. On a return trip to Vienna, I would absolutely stay in this area – it’s not far at all from Innere Stadt, but feels like a village neighborhood.
The market winds through several cobblestone streets in the Spittelberg area, which is just behind the MuseumsQuartier. It had a fun party feel (this was also a Friday night) and I appreciated that the Glühwein was 1 euro cheaper than the more central markets. it was also the tastiest Glühwein we had – the woman that sold it to us said it was her family recipe. There were plenty of stands that covered all the bases – jewelry, decor, warm winter wear, jams and jellies, etc.
#3 Altwienermarkt
- Ambiance/Lights 8/10
- Food/drink 7/10
- Goods for Purchase 8/10
- Location 8/10
Check out the website for hours and dates opened.
I loved the vibe at this market – it is fairly small and traditional in appearance. It’s located in a small historical square in Innere Stadt called Freyung, and feels like a place that friends would go to meet up after work and enjoy some delicious food and drink. While there were a lot of people there, the atmosphere was relaxed as well as festive.
They had actual wine, not just Glühwein, which was a nice change! The decor is really cute, and they have a stage for music and other entertainment. We didn’t sample any food there, but for a more out of the ordinary selection, they had a variety of open faced sandwiches.
#2 Market at Schönnbrunn
- Ambiance/Lights 7/10
- Food/Drink 7/10
- Goods for Purchase 10/10
- Location 8/10
Check out their website for hours and dates open.
Our visit to Schönnbrunn Palace was not seamless – we didn’t get our tickets ahead of time (mistake #1), somehow entered from the wrong direction (mistake #2), and the only ticket we were able to get allowed us to visit a whopping total of 4 rooms in the gargantuan palace (mistake #3). Thankfully, their wonderful market saved the day! There are inevitable comparisons to the market at Belvedere Palace – this one is larger, and as a result, the goods, food, and drinks are more varied.
We tried the Beerenpunsch (an alcoholic berry punch – just assume all punch is boozy unless it’s labeled “Kinderpunsch”), and of course, the Glühwein. For food, we sampled a Bretzl (pretzel) and Nudeln (handmade noodles tossed with cheese and bacon). I was very impressed by the quality of the goods as well. We visited our last day in Vienna, and my only regret was not waiting to buy more items here!
#1 Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz
- Ambiance/Lights 10/10
- Food/Drink 9/10
- Good for Purchase 7/10
- Location 10/10
Check out their website for hours and dates open.
Located in the square in front of the town hall (Rathaus), this is THE market in Vienna. If you only go to one (although why on earth would you do that), make it this one! Yes, it’s crowded and touristy, but it’s also stunning and magical! The space it occupies is large enough to handle the crowds, and I genuinely never felt cramped or claustrophobic. There are also so many food and beverage stands, lines never get too long. Give yourself plenty of time to explore this one – walk through all the available areas, because there is something to see around every turn.
We sampled Himbeerpunsch (warm alchoholic raspberry punch), Fuerzangenbowle (Glühwein with an extra shot poured over a sugar cube then set aflame), and Sisi Punsch (named after Hamburg Empress Elizabeth (Sisi) – an orange/ginger/vanilla flavor). There are a plethora of food options we didn’t see at many other markets, such as arancini and a million types of dumplings, both sweet and savory. We watched the ice skaters fly by – rather than a rink, it’s set up to wind through the grounds. There is a ferris wheel and double decker carousel (I had never seen that before). Every 30 minutes, a large heart travels across the square to brightly light up the Herzel (heart) tree.
It may sound like we were just running from market to market, but that wasn’t the case at all – we still had plenty of time for varied sightseeing and downtime! You can take as much or as little time as you feel like at each market! Because there are so many markets in Vienna, we grouped them together based on location. Some possible groupings that are near each other geographically (the markets at Belvedere and Schönnbrunn aren’t near any others, so just visit those when you visit the gorgeous palaces themselves):
- Maria-Theresien-Platz, Winter MQ, and Spittelberg
- Altweinermarkt, Am Hof, and Stephensplatz (all in Innere Stadt)
- Stephensplatz and Karlzplatz (both are right by a U1 metro stop, and are only 1 stop apart.
- Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz can be taken on its own, or it is well within walking distance of Altweinermarkt and Am Hof.
I’m happy to report that this visit to Vienna to enjoy some Christmas magic was well worth it, and exceeded my expectations. I’m already counting the days until we can go back! Frohe Weihnachten!
