Austria has plenty of Christmas markets. But the most famous is probably on Vienna’s Rathausplatz: the square in front of the town hall. This Christkindlmarkt is the centrepiece of the Viennese Christmas experience…
- Vienna’s main Christmas market
- Typically around 99 booths
- Adjacent park has Advent displays
- Includes the Tree of Hearts
- Emphasis on sustainability and kids
- 2025 dates: Nov 14 – Dec 26
- Ice skating trails open longer (until Jan 6th)
- Book a classical concert experience* for your Vienna trip
- Nearby:
- See also:
A Christmas Tradition
(The giant entrance arch with a sneaky glimpse of the tree of hearts on the right)
There are those who argue in favour of more cultured alternatives elsewhere, but the Christmas market that garners the most attention in Vienna is the version on the Rathausplatz square.
This is the home of the Wiener Christkindlmarkt. The roots of this yuletide market go back to the late 18th century, though it only moved to its present location in 1975.
Who knows how many visitors the market normally attracts, but estimates put the number at 2.8 million for the previous edition.
The Christkindlmarkt
(The market, Rathaus, and giant tree)
All lit up with the partly-illuminated Rathaus city hall behind it, the market makes quite a sight; the Christkindlmarkt has blossomed afresh in recent years, largely thanks to an improved layout and decorative ambience.
On the culinary front, you always find traditional seasonal cuisine with various places selling everything from pastries to (oven) potatoes, Buchteln to Baumkuchen, and dumplings to doughnuts (a glossary might help).
And you’re never more than a short throw of a chocolate-coated strawberry away from somewhere offering mugs of Christmas punch or bags of roast chestnuts.
Gastronomy at the market focuses on regional and (particularly) organic food: look for the word Bio on menu boards, which means organic in German.
The non-food front makes for quite an eclectic mix.
Numerous art and craft stalls offer decorations, gourmet condiments and the like, but also textiles, accessories, and other items of a less adventurous nature. Anecdotally, I’d say the wares even went up in quality at the previous edition.
(Look to the Spittelberg and Karlsplatz for locations with a stronger focus on artisan and unusual offerings.)
(A giant merry-go-round has appeared in recent years)
The tree & other bonuses
The Rathaus Christmas tree dominates the market vista and has a large nativity scene at its feet.
Each year, a different Austrian province gifts the giant tree to Vienna in a traditional gesture of friendship (possibly through gritted teeth, depending on the current state of domestic politics).
A giant carousel returned again in 2024, and a dedicated cabin in the park offered advent activities for young children. So I hope for more of the same in 2025.
The Rathaus park
The Rathausplatz offers more than just the market, because that adjoining park has other Christmas treats, too.
(A lighted entrance to the park)
So, though the market itself delights with its mix of traditional Christmas sights and smells, make sure you also wander through the surrounds.
The glades either side of the square feature a fair few seasonal highlights. These typically include a nativity scene trail and a Ferris wheel. And various gastronomy stands…so you can enjoy a snack or mug of punch away from the full market bustle.
The decorations and lights turn parts into a romantic wonderland (if you ignore the people and phones). And the romance goes all the way up to 11 with the now traditional Tree of Hearts, which I can never seem to photograph adequately.
(The cabin for kids activities at the previous market)
A bit kitschig and twee?
Of course.
But twigs and boughs full of giant lighted hearts makes a fine background when sharing a snack with a loved one.
And, frankly, this is the time of the year when you suspend your cynicism, embrace the seasonal spirit, and replace your troubles with something made of pastry and lathered in enough chocolate to float a cow.
(Decorative lights in front of the tree of hearts)
Another traditional highlight in the park is the illuminated ice skating (where you hire skates on site), which lets you glide through the park and transports you along a Disneyesque Christmas trail (albeit with considerably more sausages and less fairy glitter).
The ice skating remains open until January 6th, so a little longer than the market itself.
The Christkindlmarkt’s organisers once declared the location an area of respite from commercial Christmas stress. But don’t imagine this implies you can take a gentle stroll around the stalls. At peak times, the place gets remarkably busy.
Having said that, recent markets have followed a more open layout, which makes for a slightly more relaxed visit. The 2024 version was notably spacious compared to previous years.
(The Ferris wheel in the park)
The best time to go is (inevitably) after dark, when the lights and sights combine to give the true Christmas market experience you read about in leather-bound tomes of travel. Just be prepared to share that experience with quite a lot of other folk, especially as you near December 24th.
Many visitors prefer to go late afternoon, just before the peak crowds and leaving time for an evening advent concert.
Tip: If you want a good twilight photo without actually entering the market, stand at the top of the steps leading up to the Burgtheater on the other side of the road. Look across for a great view of the lighted entrance arch, illuminated booths and Rathaus.
2025 dates and times
In 2025, the market runs from November 14th through to December 26th.
I await opening times, but here the details last time out:
- 10am to 10pm
- …but the market closed at 6.30pm on December 24th
How to get to the Christkindlmarkt
Public transport gets you to the market easily, though it’s within walking distance of most of the centre. Even closer if you stay in one of the nearby hotels.
The trams 1, 71 and D stop right outside at Rathausplatz / Burgtheater. That stop commonly closes at busy times for safety reasons (at the previous market, this meant from 3pm to 10.30pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and also on December 25th and 26th). The same trams take you to adjoining stops at Parlament and Schottentor.
Alternatives requiring a short stroll are…
Tram: Lines 2 (get out at the Rathaus or Parlament stops), 49 and 46 (both Ring/Volkstheater), 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 (all Schottentor)
Subway: U3 (get out at Volkstheater), U2 (get out at Rathaus)
Bus: 1a (get out at Schottentor) and 48a (Ring/Volkstheater)
Address: Christkindlmarkt, Rathausplatz, 1010 Vienna | Website