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…
- Book a classical concert experience* for your trip
- See also:
January 2027: top activities
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, concerts, and museums.
Quick tip
Many locations now combine two of Vienna’s best sides: classical music and historical ambience.
Several churches and palaces, in particular, host evening performances* of light classical music by the likes of Mozart and Strauss.
New Year markets
(A New Year market of the past)
A few Christmas markets morph seamlessly into New Year markets.
Those Christmas markets tend to repeat reliably. But openings over New Year can change from year to year. However, expect at least one or two of the advent markets to extend into early January.
I traditionally recommend the market at Schönbrunn Palace, thanks to the elegant imperial surrounds and a high standard of arts and crafts. This Christmas market always continues through into New Year.
Another mainstay of post-Christmas fun is the Wintermarkt market close to the giant ferris wheel.
Exhibitions and culture
(Enjoy the last days of the Rembrandt 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.
My highlights
It’s a little early for full schedules, but January 2027 already promises the following joys:
- Two grand names in art join at an exhibition at the Albertina: Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon. The museum also has a solo exhibition for Shara Hughes, while their look at women artists in the collection continues for its final full month
- Your last chance to see the solo exhibition for avant garde artist Erna Rosenstein at Lower Belvedere (until January 10th), though the museum’s Erika Giovanna Klien exhibition continues until the end of January
- The Leopold Museum‘s joint exhibition for Herbert Boeckl and Hans Josephsohn also draws to a close (again, until January 10th), but the museum continues the New. Objective exhibition of post-WWI art photos
- The Albertina Modern has a retrospective for Austrian artist Franz West and showcases modern and contemporary art from Australia
- Palais Lobkowitz hosts the Kunsthistorisches Museum‘s exhibition offering new perspectives on the art of Bernini
- The Naturhistorisches Museum has the final days (also until January 10th) of its “then and now” exhibition of photos of alpine glaciers
- The Neue Burg hosts an exhibition by the Kunsthistorisches Museum that reveals a tale of intrigue, murder and politics in ancient times: Crime Scene Ephesus
- Two exhibitions for us at the Wien Museum. One looks at the cultural history of colour in four centuries of fashion, the other is a biographical one for Austrian artist Franz West that complements the Albertina’s retrospective (see above)
- The biographies of those forced into exile during the Nazi years take centre stage at the Jewish Museum. And enjoy an exploration of the historical intertwining of oriental and Jewish studies
For more suggestions covering the major museums and art venues, check out the exhibition listings.
Musical bonus
Now let’s add in a bit of music: the Konzerthaus normally hosts its Resonanzen Early Music Festival at this time of year (2027 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:
- The Wiener Eistraum always starts in mid/late January (from the 22nd in 2027) and continues for a few weeks: a beautifully-lit set of rinks and trails across the square in front of the neogothic Rathaus and through the surrounding park landscape
A mini-version of the Eistraum also graces the Advent season as part of the Christkindlmarkt event and typically remains open until early January.
- The Eislauf-Verein: a traditional open-air rink next to the Konzerthaus venue. Usually open daily through January
Both have skates for hire, of course. No need to pack them.
Chocolate and coffee
(Café Frauenhuber opened in 1824 and might be the city’s oldest working coffee house)
Vienna’s not short of chocolate, as any visit to a Konditorei demonstrates.
But for bonus sweet tooth joy, the Chocolate Festival makes its annual journey to Vienna in 2027 (January 30th to 31st). Possibly the closest I’ve got to heaven on this earth. Be still my beating stuffed-full-of-cocoa-solids heart. Not one of my toughest reporting assignments, I’ll admit.
If you’re looking to escape the January 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, authors and (ahem) travel blog writers of the past and present.
Warm yourself with apple strudel and a melange (a local coffee option) as you browse the international papers, discuss Freud and Proust, write poetry on the human condition, post selfies on Instagram, and/or debate the football.
Mid-January to late February are the best months to find space in some of the most popular locations, where queues outside are otherwise common. For example: Café Central or Café Sacher.
Vienna Spa & Schwerelos
(A saltwater tub at Schwerelos)
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 almost to the front door in about 16 minutes.
And for a little bonus…the spa entrance looks across to one of my preferred patisseries and confectioners in Vienna: Konditorei Oberlaa. They also have a lovely branch right in the centre, among other locations.
Cakes and wellness may seem unusual companions, but this is Vienna.
Continuing that wellness theme, a faster option for relaxing in warm water is the Schwerelos Floating Centre, which has a branch just behind Stephansdom cathedral.
Float in warm saltwater with ambient lighting (or darkness) and leave the cold and stress of January outside.
Slap on the skis
(Definitely not Vienna)
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.
The Semmering ski resort, for example, is a short bus or train ride away.
Seasonal tip(s)
Think about the zoo
(The lower entrance to the rainforest house)
It perhaps seems strange to suggest Vienna zoo in January, when many animals do their best to avoid the seasonal chill by hiding in straw-filled huts and houses. 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
(You’re more likely to find tickets available for the state opera house)
Once you get past the first week of January, visitor numbers in Vienna plummet. This presents the perfect moment to visit those attractions, events and activities that get crowded during busier seasons.
Good examples are:
- Those light classical music concerts put on especially for visitors in historical concert venues
- The palace tours at the Schönbrunn complex (the zoo mentioned above 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, they all have rather fantastic permanent displays
- Tickets to the state opera house, which cost less than you probably think
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.
Watch the weather
(You might see snow if you’re lucky)
January means midwinter in Austria.
You might be lucky and enjoy double digit temperatures (centigrade). Or you might be unlucky and get something with a minus sign in front of it.
Be prepared for cold weather. And, quite possibly, for snow. I have some specific tips for what to do when the weather turns wet. Mind you, climate developments might have something to say about all this…we’ve had notably mild winters of late.
Whatever…I’ll see you in one of those coffee houses.