Another month that feels like the young child staring forlornly through the sweet shop window while December and August get to buy all the nice things. But November in Vienna has its own pleasures.
In particular, you get to enjoy the Christmas flair, but without so many crowds.
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Activities for November 2023
Here are a few suggested activities and events specific to November, beyond the usual museums, concerts, etc.
Christmas markets and lights
(The Rathauspark before we had an energy crisis))
Call me old fashioned, but the Christmas season seems like it really ought to happen in December. However, the preparations and celebrations start much earlier in Vienna.
On the positive side, this means November offers seasonal spirit with fewer crowds than you get a month later.
Those responsible tend to switch on the Christmas lights sometime in the second half of the month, though the date rarely gets confirmed too far in advance. (The big date was November 18th in 2022 for most of the major displays.)
The lights tend to take a more upmarket approach, especially the white chandeliers in the very centre of town.
Lights are fine, but the real fun starts with the Christmas markets.
(The market at Belvedere)
The major markets begin opening from around the middle of the month and continue through to at least December 23rd.
Although the genuine advent atmosphere does indeed come in December, it’s not a bad idea to pop into those markets before then.
The markets get busier close to Christmas, so a November visit means you have more space to enjoy the cooked and crafted delights (of which there are many).
Top exhibitions in November 2023
(The gorgeous Kunsthistorisches Museum usually has a major exhibition in November)
With all its museums, Vienna hosts numerous exhibitions at any one time. But, now and then, a couple stand out from the crowd. And those top exhibitions often appear later in the year.
November 2023 is still a few months away, so I don’t have full details yet. But, for example:
- The Albertina looks set to have a Michelangelo-themed 2023 highlight, as well as solo exhibitions for the remarkable Gottfried Helnwein, Joel Sternfeld, and Katharina Grosse
- The Albertina Modern continues to showcase works that fit the theme of Diversity in Sex, Race and Gender
- Admire the work of Raphael and monumental tapestries of the Renaissance at the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s Silk and Gold exhibition
- Lower Belvedere continues its detailed look at the palace complex and art venue’s 300 year history and presents early works by Louise Bourgeois
- The paintings of Robert Motherwell feature at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien
- More solo exhibitions, this time over at the Leopold Museum: for Max Oppenheimer and Gabriele Münter
- We have the final days of the Literature Museum’s homage to Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann (until November 5th)
- Take trip back in time to the far off (?) days of the noughties (this century’s first decade): the Wien Museum MUSA has contemporary art from the era
- Or take a journey to a colder part of the planet in the Naturhistorisches Museum’s special Arctic exhibition (from November 8th)
- The Weltmuseum explores our potential futures through contemporary art (with a focus on indigenous voices) in its Science Fiction(s) exhibition. It also presents a solo exhibition for Maximilian Prüfer and introduces us to some modern Japanese calligraphy
- Pop into the Jewish Museum to contemplate the role of skin colour in terms of how people regard Jews and to gain a glimpse into the Jewish football fan culture associated with certain European football clubs
Bonus: the Photo+Adventure fair and festival (November 11th and 12th) is big on travel photography, for example, which means lots of photo exhibitions from top photographers covering various locations and/or themes.
Watch the stars
November offers a big opportunity for those who favour the geekier side of cinema, comics and/or cosplay: Vienna Comic Con is my favourite event of the year (November 18th and 19th).
Jack Gleeson, for example, appeared last time out, along with the likes of Clive Standen, Kevin McNally, Anna Shaffer, Nikola Djuricko, and Luka Peroš. You can read about my experiences there here.
Pretty things
(Ottakringer brewery, host of Fesch’Markt Wien)
The Christmas markets include a great deal of unique craft items, and the theme of crafted beauty continues at other events:
- The Art&Antique fair at the Hofburg palace (November 9th to 13th) brings together numerous Austrian and international art dealers and galleries. A chance to view (and acquire) everything from the latest contemporary designs to works from antiquity
- Fesch means handsome or pretty in German, and the Fesch’Markt Wien (November 10th to 12th) at the city’s largest brewery showcases the creations of dozens of independent design talents across a host of categories: from food to fashion and furniture
- The “Presse”-SCHAU fair (November 10th to 12th) typically covers design and lifestyle themes including watches and jewelry, travel, mobility, crafts, and more
- Art at the Park (November 23rd to 26th) is a high-quality art fair held on the premises of the luxury Park Hyatt Vienna in the centre of town
Music with a difference
Vienna is the home of classical music, with concerts everywhere. But among the pieces by Beethoven, Mozart and their ilk is a thriving modern and alternative scene.
The Wien Modern festival (normally throughout November) highlights the work of contemporary composers and performers with some of the world’s top orchestras participating.
And, on the topic of music, the KlezMORE festival (2023 dates TBA) celebrates this traditional form of Jewish music with performances, readings, films, and more.
Food & beer
(Roast chestnuts and more)
As the temperatures fall so the Maronistands rise up like mushrooms, peppering the city with their little huts and heated ovens.
This is your chance to travel back in time for some original fast food: roasted chestnuts. (And potato-based snacks the medieval Europeans missed out on.)
The GENUSSWELTEN gourmet festival rolls into the MAK (November 10th and 11th). A week later at the same location we have the Vegan Planet fair (November 18th and 19th).
Finally, beer lovers should find their way to the Craft Beer Festival (2023 dates TBA), when dozens of breweries offer up their wares for the discerning consumer of the amber nectar.
Bon Appetit, as they don’t say in Vienna (try Mahlzeit or Guten Appetit).