Place a hay bale in the Schönbrunn Palace courtyard and it would soon acquire a certain imperial elegance, nostalgic charm, and its own souvenir range of pitchforks.
You simply cannot beat the setting. And the Easter market here is a lovely seasonal treat.
- Beautiful surrounds in the forecourt of the Habsburg summer palace
- Top quality wares and edibles, with a fair bit of seating
- The giant Easter eggs make excellent photo motifs
- 2023 dates: TBA
- See also:
The market
(Schönbrunn Easter Market; photo © www.ostermarkt.co.at / FOTOFALLY)
Given the imperial location, the Schönbrunn Easter market already has an advantage over its colleagues elsewhere in Vienna. Add in that it’s the biggest and you have – in my opinion – the top option.
I like, for example, the organic foods and lovely decorated eggs at the Freyung and the art and food booths at Am Hof, but there’s something special about meandering past truffles and trinkets in the shadow of the great summer Habsburg palace.
Two rows of market stands curve around one side of the giant courtyard, with huge Easter eggs at a couple of locations. And most of these stands contain high-quality arts and crafts, some familiar from the Christmas market held at the same location.
The stalls offer jewellery, glassware, wooden toys, handmade soaps, crockery and ceramics, textiles and more. But some sell Easter decorations, too (including the inevitable painted eggs), thereby ensuring the Easter feeling flows through the market.
Expect to find assortments of regional meats (like rare breed hams), jams, chutneys, oils, honeys, alpine cheeses, and vinegars, not to mention schnapps and liqueurs.
Not that all the food is to take away and enjoy later.
On one visit, I spotted, for example, wild boar Leberkäse, poppy seed potato gnocchi, sweet apricot dumplings, fried potatoes with Easter ham, Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancake), crepes, waffles, and dark bread served with gherkins, horseradish and cold roast pork.
(Vegetarian alternatives grow in number each year. I found, for example, hummus in pita bread, bean goulash, vegetarian bowls, and red bean and lentil salad in 2022.)
Browse for your Easter accommodation
(service provided by Booking.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
The location offers more seats than usual at a seasonal market and free-standing bar tables, too. So you can relax with your food and wash it down with a traditional drink, like Viennese beer or wine, or a not-quite-so-traditional one, like a tropical fruit punch.
Be warned: even with all these seats and tables, space can get scarce at busy times. It was already quite crowded when I last dropped by (on an early April morning in 2022). Visitors still had enough space to get close to the wares, though, and the only real queues were at the food stands.
The Schönbrunn market also makes an effort to keep the kids happy. For example, an Osterhasen Werkstatt (Easter rabbit workshop) offers various activities for children, and I spotted a little carousel made from discarded items like abandoned bicycles.
Once you’re done with the market, wander around to the other side of the palace and see what flowers and colours spring has brought to the landscaped gardens. Pansies seemed to be the theme last year.
And consider Schönbrunn zoo, should you wish to see what baby animals the season also put into the world.
Opening times 2023
The Schönbrunn Easter market normally opens up a couple of weeks before Easter, but I await confirmed dates for 2023. Opening times at the last market were daily from 10am to 6.30pm.
How to get to the Schönbrunn market
The main entrance to the palace complex opens onto a courtyard where the market takes place. You can’t miss it. Follow these directions to get there.
Subway: U4 (either to the Schönbrunn or Hietzing stations, then a short walk).
Tram/bus: Take tram lines 10, 52, and 60, or bus line 10A, to the Schloss Schönbrunn stop.
The palace does have a large car park located close by: just over the road, diagonally opposite the main entrance to the complex.
Address: Schloss Schönbrunn, 1130 Vienna | Website