In January, most of Vienna usually hides out in a coffee house until it warms up. Seriously…you can while away the hours in the former haunts of folk like Klimt, Mahler and, um, Trotsky. They feed you cake, too.
But you probably want other suggestions for the month. Well, read on, dear visitor…
- See also:
Top activities in January 2024
How about the world-famous New Year’s Concert in the Musikverein? Though you need to enter the lottery early in the previous year to get a ticket. Still, plenty of other seasonal activities exist for your consideration beyond the usual tours, sights, and museums. For example…
The New Year markets
(A New Year market of the past)
A few New Year markets follow on from the more famous (and more numerous) Christmas equivalents.
Several of the New Year versions opened in the previous 2022/2023 season, but we’ll have to wait and see which ones open in 2023/2024. Most only run for a few days, though.
I’d recommend particularly the market at Schönbrunn Palace (open until January 4th in 2024) thanks to the elegant imperial surrounds and a high standard of arts and crafts.
Exhibitions and culture
(Enjoy the last days of the lovely Idols & Rivals exhibition at the KHM)
Many museums time their top exhibitions for the summer or Christmas visitor peaks. And the exhibitions at Christmas tend to extend into the early part of January to catch people staying in the city for the New Year. So be sure to check what’s on, particularly at the (art) museums.
January 2024 is a long way off, but plans already include these highlights, for example:
- These notable year-end exhibitions remain open for part of January:
- The Albertina’s Michelangelo exhibition, looking at his command of the human form and other examples of this genre from subsequent centuries (until January 7th)
- Raphael and monumental Renaissance tapestries at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (until January 14th)
- Robert Motherwell’s paintings at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien (until January 14th)
- The Albertina plans to have solo exhibitions running for Joel Sternfeld (until January 21st), Gottfried Helnwein, and Katharina Grosse
- Catch the final days (until January 7th) of Lower Belvedere’s presentation of the 300-year history of the wider Belvedere institution and its prestigious art collection. And the last days of their solo exhibition for Louise Bourgeois (until January 28th)
- The Weltmuseum’s perspective on Science Fiction(s) ends provisionally on January 9th, as does its look at modern Japanese calligraphy. The solo exhibition by Maximilian Prüfer runs for a few more months
- The Jewish Museum brings two exhibitions to a close, too (both available until January 14th): their look at the work of Maria Austria and their presentation of aspects of Jewish fan culture at selected European football clubs. But the small Frieden (peace) exhibition continues
- Enjoy a couple of solo exhibitions at the Leopold Museum: one for the pioneering expressionist Max Oppenheimer and another for the avant garde artist Gabriele Münter
- Fall back into some art from times past at the Wien Museum MUSA. Not too far in the past, mind you: the exhibition covers the noughties (the first decade of this century)
For more suggestions covering the major museums and art venues, check out the exhibition listings.
Now let’s add in a bit of music…
- The Konzerthaus typically hosts its annual Early Music Festival: Resonanzen (2023 dates TBA)
Get your skates on
(The giant ice rink in front of the Rathaus)
Be prepared for a pleasant surprise if you equate ice skating with indoor rinks. January brings two golden open-air skating opportunities:
- Wiener Eistraum (typically starts mid-January and continues until early March): a beautifully-lit set of rinks and trails across the square in front of the Rathaus and through the surrounding park
- Eislauf-Verein: a traditional open-air rink next to the Konzerthaus that’s well over a hundred years old. Usually open daily through January
Both have skates for hire, of course.
A warming coffee
If you’re looking to escape the cold in one of the more traditional coffee houses, then try this list and follow in the footsteps of some of the great intellectuals, artists, and writers of the past.
(Café Frauenhuber might be the city’s oldest coffee house)
Warm yourself with strudel and a melange (a local kind of coffee) as you browse the international papers, discuss Freud and Proust, write poetry on the human condition, post selfies on Instagram, and/or check the football results.
Slap on the skis
You won’t see too many people in Vienna waving ski sticks and buying chair lift tickets (for obvious reasons).
However, the city’s not actually that far from the Alps. So if you do want to take a day trip into snowy mountains, January is a good time.
(Definitely not Vienna)
The Semmering ski resort, for example, is a short bus or train ride away.
Vienna spa
An alternative to the coffee house for spending a long, lazy day in the warm is Therme Wien: the city’s hot water baths and spa.
The Therme has numerous thermal pools, both indoors and out, spa treatments, and much more.
Although on the edge of town, an extension to the U1 subway line means a train from the city centre takes you to the front door in about 16 minutes.
And for a little bonus…the spa entrance looks across to one of the finest patisseries and confectioners in Vienna: Konditorei Oberlaa.
Cakes and wellness may seem unexpected companions, but this is Vienna.
Bonus tips for January
Watch the weather
It’s midwinter in Austria. You might be lucky and still enjoy double digit temperatures. Or you might be unlucky and get something with a minus sign in front of it. Be prepared for cold weather and, quite possibly, snow.
Think about the zoo
(The lower entrance to the rainforest house)
It might seem strange to suggest Vienna zoo in January, when many animals do their best to avoid the seasonal chill. But here are two reasons you might visit anyway:
- Fewer people go at this time of year, which makes for an easier and more pleasant viewing experience
- The zoo has several large (and warm) indoor areas, particularly the Rainforest House, Aquarium, and Bird House
Think about other popular places
Once you get past the first week of January, visitor numbers likely plummet. This presents an opportune moment to visit those attractions, events and activities that otherwise get crowded over during busier seasons.
Good examples are:
- The palace tours at the Schönbrunn complex (the zoo actually occupies part of the grounds)
- The tours of the Sisi Museum and other parts of the Hofburg former Habsburg residency in the centre of town
- The top art museums, like the Albertina, Kunsthistorisches Museum or Belvedere, even if the special exhibitions listed earlier don’t grab you
- Tickets to the state opera house, which cost less than you probably think
P.S. Museums, venues, and similar normally stay open all year in Vienna, but January does put paid to some outdoor places and activities. For example, Schönbrunn Palace’s maze and other ticketed outdoor features close for winter.