Possibly my favourite month in Vienna. December is, of course, the Christmas season. The aroma of Glühwein and Punch courses through the streets, and the city glistens under thousands of seasonal (energy-saving) lights.
- Book a classical concert experience* for your trip
- See also:
Vienna in December 2026
We have all the usual museums, concerts, tours and similar. But let us explore December’s unique offerings…
My quick tip
The Christmas markets (see below) are the obvious attractions this time of year. But I know many visitors like to round off the day with an atmospheric light classical concert in some historical venue.
Browse my suggestions for concerts featuring the best of Mozart and Strauss in baroque churches, aristocratic palaces and turn-of-the-century magnificence.
The Christmas season
(The lights on the pedestrianised Graben in the city centre)
So, yes, it’s that lovely time of year. May I first direct you to 9 things to do in Vienna at Christmas?
Those are my top tips for enjoying a truly Viennese advent experience: from the best places to see the lights to the joys of Christmas recitals, roast chestnuts and, um, sausages.
Alternatively, browse my bigger Christmas 2026 overview that covers just about everything you need to know when visiting.
The markets
(The Schönbrunn Christmas market at the palace)
The Christmas markets dominate the Viennese December, of course, and may be why you’re here in the first place.
In 2026, expect all the main ones to open in November, and then continue daily until December 23rd or later. I keep a more detailed eye on market dates here.
Popular with locals, too, many markets are long-established traditional events: these are not gimmicks to keep tourists amused.
Colleagues, friends, and families collect together to share a mug of advent cheer and enjoy a bowl of goulash or a pair of frankfurters and then take home a chocolate-coated strawberry or two. Or three.
Or four.
(The lovely Art Advent market with the Karlskirche church behind)
I should mention that the markets deserve their reputation. Atmospheric, packed with local food and beverages, and stuffed with stalls selling arts, crafts and enough Lebkuchen to delight a hungry whale.
The markets also make a great evening when combined with one of those advent concerts mentioned earlier.
A couple of bonus markets and similar events tend to also pop up during December or late November. For example:
- An alternative to the traditional open-air markets for finding gifts and handicrafts is the Edelstoff X-MAS edition (December 5th to 6th): an indoor design fair in the Marx Halle
- A WAMP design market Christmas edition may drop into the MuseumsQuartier (2026 dates TBA)
- The Perle Pop Up Winterzauber market in the Ottakringer brewery has handmade crafts, gifts and more (2026 dates TBA)
- The Vienna Vintage Photo Fair has a special Xmas edition (2026 dates TBA) in cooperation with the Westlicht photography centre & camera museum (who host the market)
- Parallel Editions addresses small-scale art: editions, prints, art books and similar (next edition TBA)
Art in December 2026
(The Kunsthistorisches Museum has a Michaelina Wautier exhibition in 2025)
The more prestigious art museums save up their best exhibitions for the later part of the year, presumably to catch the December crowds. Early days, yet, but announced highlights already include…
- Lower Belvedere has a duo of solo exhibitions for us: one for Erna Rosenstein and one for Erika Giovanna Klien
- Revel in the genius of painter and sculptor Bernini at Palais Lobkowitz in an exhibition by the Kunsthistorisches Museum (from December 2nd)
- Political intrigue and murder in ancient times comes under the microscope in the Crime Scene Ephesus exhibition, also organised by the Kunsthistorisches Museum (but located in the Neue Burg)
- Enjoy an artistic dialogue between Herbert Boeckl and Hans Josephsohn at the Leopold Museum, who also look at the objective photography that emerged post WWI in the Austria of the 1920s and 1930s
- The No Way Home exhibition at the Jewish Museum explores the biographies of those who forcibly left Nazi Austria and how they fared in exile. The museum also examines the historical interface of oriental & Jewish studies and its cultural impacts
- Delve into the details of how we can make better use of resources by rethinking our approach to material goods over at the Technisches Museum
See the main exhibition listings for more suggestions as schedules continue to expand.
The power of voice
Voice Mania (2026 dates TBA) is an international A Capella festival that brings together vocal talents to brighten any December gloom with song. You might even encounter a few performances out and about in the pedestrianised centre.
New Year’s Eve
(A stop on the Silvesterpfad in a previous year)
A huge number of folk spend December 31st on the Silvesterpfad, which involves a trail of locations through the city centre with temporary stages and all sorts of entertainment: from public ballroom dancing lessons to DJs and funk bands.
No need to pack sandwiches, either: numerous food and drink stalls line the route.
The days leading up to the big night also feature the natural successor to the Christmas market as one or more New Year markets spring up (usually simply a continuation of their predecessors). You miss the Advent ambience a little, but the big ones still remain rather fine.
Catch the New Year’s concert(!)
(Christian Thielemann conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker at a recent New Year’s Concert; press photo © Wiener Philharmoniker / Dieter Nagl)
Yes, you read that right.
Should you wish to catch the prestigious and globally-recognised January 1st New Year’s Concert from the Wiener Philharmoniker orchestra, you can do so in December: the orchestra plays the full programme on December 30th and December 31st, too.
The only problem is you need to have applied for tickets via a lottery system much earlier in the year.
Dance on ice
(The ice skating association has a long and prestigious history)
The huge Vienna Ice World outdoor complex only opens in January. But we have other notable open-air ice rinks in Vienna. For example:
- The Eislaufverein holds a special place in the history of the city (and of ice skating), and the rink normally opens throughout December
- The Christmas on the Rathausplatz festivities include lighted ice trails through the park and throughout December as a taster for that larger Ice World event
Seasonal tip(s)
Escape the cold
(One of our traditional coffee houses)
The bracing December weather means you may wish to take advantage of Vienna’s classic cafés, where coffee is an art form, and time stands still long enough for you to warm your toes on strudel and your hearts on sachertorte.
And, if you want to make a point of staying warm, Vienna has its own thermal spa. You can reach Therme Wien easily on the U1 subway.
Another less time-consuming and more central warm water option is the Schwerelos Floating Centre, where you float (and, more importantly, switch off and relax) in a broad tub of warm saltwater. I loved it.
Dress warmly & time your market visit
(If we’re lucky enough to get snow at Christmas, it all looks beautiful)
December is winter time in Austria. And the Christmas markets look best at dusk and later, so you don’t even have the sun to keep you warm.
The markets are also popular (to say the least), particularly the nearer you get to December 24th. So consider going midweek in the late afternoon, when you probably get the best tradeoff between atmosphere and crowds. This also leaves additional time for evening activities.
Read more of my tips for visiting the markets.
Book early
A final word of advice…December is typically one of the two most popular months for visitors in Vienna alongside August. So plan and book accommodation early, especially if you want to stay in the city over the Christmas and New Year public holidays.