Each year, the forecourt of Schönbrunn Palace turns into a Christmas market that extends through New Year. The palace and its outbuildings form a lovely backdrop for this family-friendly event.
- Gorgeous location in front of the palace
- Spacious with a strong focus on arts, crafts & kids
- We got ice skating and curling, too, last time
- Expect around 99 stalls
- 2025 dates: Nov 6, 2025 to Jan 6, 2026
- Book a classical concert experience* for your Vienna trip
- Nearby:
- See also:
- Christmas markets overview
- Schönbrunn Palace overview
- Hotels near Schönbrunn
Crafts, cuisine & kids
(View from the main entrance)
It’s really quite hard to beat the atmosphere at the Schönbrunn Christmas market, though the Belvedere version also has its palace backdrop.
No street markings or garish signs spoil the historical vista. Instead, lights beckon to weary travellers as the entire front of the palace glows gently in the twilight just behind a large (and particularly lovely) Christmas tree.
(After the market ends, the Christmas tree usually finds its way into the nearby zoo to enrich the lives of some lucky animals.)
You almost expect some long-whiskered gentleman in a top hat to appear at the top of the palace steps, ask after your family, and beg the honour of your company for the evening.
The Christmas market isn’t quite so noble, but that’s because its filled with chat, the clinking of mugs and the occasional squeal of a child on the merry-go-round or ferris wheel.
As such, a visit there makes a particularly nice dual experience when combined with, for example, a palace concert afterwards. Marzipan and Mozart? Strudel and Strauss?
(Schönbrunn is no stranger to large numbers of visitors heading into the courtyard. This is Napoleon and his army entering in an 1809 painting by Balthasar Wigand. Public domain image kindly provided by the Albertina, Austria)
What’s at the market?
Dozens of stalls fill the giant courtyard, offering booth after booth of good quality arts and crafts from the workshops, studios and manufactories of candle makers, glass blowers, chocolatiers, wood carvers, metal workers, toymakers, needleworkers, ceramacists and other artists and artisans.
As a result, the market qualifies as a strong source of Christmas gifts and decorations. Perhaps only the market on Karlsplatz offers more choice.
On the culinary front, you have plenty of gourmet food for sale. At last year’s market, I found mustards and mountain cheeses, honey and hams, salami and sauces, and much more.
And not forgetting the food and drink for consumption on-site, featuring the likes of waffles, crepes, sweet dumplings, baked potatoes, hotdogs, fruit crumbles, pancakes, flammkuchen, raclette, pretzels and other fare.
Rather appropriately, you could get Kaiserschmarren, too: a dish allegedly named after (and enjoyed) by one of Schönbrunn palace’s former occupants: Emperor Franz Joseph.
I also found plenty of vegetarian options on my visit, particularly meat-free toppings or vegan alternatives for classic snacks like Langos or Leberkäse.
Spacious & kid-friendly
Compared to previous years, the market is spread out more diffusely across the courtyard to create more of a village-like atmosphere.
New organisers have also added features to make the market more activity-oriented and kid-friendly.
Last year, for example, you could rent curling lanes. Or go on a ferris wheel, carousel and little train ride. Or hire skates and try a small artificial ice skating rink, which children under 14 could even use for free before 2pm.
A nice touch were the tiny cabins and tables suited to little folk, though big folk seemed to enjoy them just as much on my visit.
So drop in, turn your clock back a couple of hundred years and don’t ask anyone if the Hungarians should gain full independence.
2025 dates & times
The 2025 market runs from November 6th, 2025 to January 6th, 2026.
Market opening times are:
- 10am to 9pm
- Closes at 4pm on December 24th
- 10am to 7pm from December 25th onwards
How to get to Schönbrunn
To reach the market, follow the instructions for finding the palace (or stay in one of the nearby hotels.)
The event takes place in the huge courtyard next to the main palace building.
Needless to say, consider getting there early and enjoying the other numerous attractions at Schönbrunn, such as a tour of the palace or a trip to the zoo.
If the Austrian winter blesses the Christmas market with snow, then the park and gardens also look particularly splendid coated in white.
Out in the wooded or tree-lined areas, you might also spot red squirrels. They aren’t shy, so often come quite close to visitors.
Address: Schönbrunn Palace, 1130 Vienna | Website (new event organisers)