The best Christmas markets are perhaps those with palatial backdrops, where you sip mulled wine beneath marbled eves of imperial splendour. Step forward the Christmas market (Weihnachtsdorf) at Belvedere.
- Beautiful location by a baroque palace
- Smaller and less frantic than most other Christmas markets
- Romantic setting great for couples
- The palace art exhibitions are a must
- Expect around 42 stands
- 2025 dates: TBA (was Nov 15 – Dec 31 in 2024)
- Book a classical concert experience* for your Vienna trip
- Nearby:
- See also:
The market
(Not a bad view, even in a photo taken using a low-end smartphone)
As the name suggests, the Belvedere Christmas market sits right in front of the gorgeous Upper Belvedere palace, the former home to Prince Eugene of Savoy that dates back to the early 1700s.
I defy you to enter the Belvedere complex through the southern gate after sunset and not stand open mouthed in wonder at the beauty of the scene before you.
Stand at the tip of the lake for the best view. When friends and family visit, I get them to close their eyes and then guide them to that point. A gasp of astonishment is guaranteed.
Pictures cannot do it justice. For a moment, the world seems a better place; this is what Christmas in Vienna is all about.
Wait for the twilight blue sky to appear for the best background for photographs of the palace, market and Christmas lights in their entirety.
Should you reach Upper Belvedere from the usual entrances below or to the side of the palace, then you need to walk out of the market and around to the south for that photo.
(The stands adjoin the palace front)
The palace itself houses a prestigious art collection, including a globally-important selection of paintings by Gustav Klimt.
Klimt’s most famous work, The Kiss, would set you back way in excess of €300 million (at the very least). So you might prefer to pick up something a little more affordable at the market.
Besides, The Kiss is far too big to fit in a stocking.
The Belvedere market is quieter (relatively) and a touch smaller than most of the main markets, with a single broad channel typically flanked by around 20 stands on each side.
On my previous visit, I found jewellery made from amber, silver, glass, or steel; scented woods, soaps, and candles to tickle the senses; ceramics, wooden toys, woolly hats & jackets, decorations, leather goods, specialist chocolates, drinking horns made from real horn, and more.
And, naturally, you won’t run out of things to eat and drink.
In past years, the market offered quite an eclectic range of food. It now seems to have pivoted toward more traditional Austrian and Alpine fare, like sausages, Leberkäse, giant doughnuts, pretzels, raclette and Kaiserschmarren.
And, of course, expect such seasonal regulars as chocolate-coated fruit, Lebkuchen, roasted almonds and roast chestnuts. In an unexpected pleasure, the tornado fries booth offered particularly generous portions on my trip.
Given Belvedere’s original owner, I did miss the booth that used to sell food from the Savoy, although raclette kind of fills that role.
(The market by day. The windows look in onto Belvedere’s giant central staircase)
If you’ve little ones, I spotted a carousel. But for me the market is, perhaps, best suited to couples looking to capture the romantic flair of times gone by.
Steal a fleeting kiss before the lake, then share a steaming mug of punch in front of the palace before shopping for Christmas delights.
2025 dates & times
I don’t have details yet for the 2025 Belvedere market, but last year’s version opened from November 15th to December 31st.
Scheduled opening times last time out were:
- 11am to 9pm (weekdays)
- 10am to 9pm (weekends)
- 11am to 4pm on December 24th
- 11am to 7pm from December 25th to 30th
- 11am to 6pm on December 31st
How to get to Belvedere
Ah, there’s a whole article with travel tips for Belvedere. You want the part telling you how to get to Upper Belvedere palace. The complex has two palaces at either end of landscaped gardens, and I’ll let you guess the name of the lower building.
Find the market at the front of the building, which means the side facing away from the gardens and that lower palace, i.e. on the opposite side to the main museum entrance.
Belvedere is, of course, a popular tourist destination in its own right. Consider visiting during the day to enjoy the various permanent and special art exhibitions. Not to mention the stupendous interior architecture.
Then, afterwards, pop into the Belvedere market for a well-earned mug of something hot and a bite to eat.
Address: Weihnachtsdorf Schloss Belvedere, Prinz Eugen-Strasse 27, 1030 Vienna | Website