One of the most impressive squares in Vienna is the Michaelerplatz, a square surrounded by more historic buildings than you can slap a preservation order on. And at New Year, a small market moves in.
- Sells New Year knickknacks, punch and wintry fare
- Unusual for its white booths
- Lovely location at one end of the Hofburg palace
- Next dates: TBA (if it repeats)
- See also:
- New Year markets in Vienna
- Vienna in January
The k.u.k. Neujahrsmarkt
The best thing about this market is undoubtedly its location. Stand on the square and you find yourself staring up (and down) at:
- A tract of the Hofburg palace complex
- Excavations revealing the remains of Roman houses and roads
- The church of St. Michael (dating back to 1220)
- The Loos House, an iconic example of Viennese modernism
- Palais Herberstein, former location of Café Griensteidl and Vienna’s writing community in the late 1800s
You likely missed out on ever experiencing the coffee culture of the original Café Griensteidl, on account of being born after the 19th century ended.
As a decent 21st-century alternative, you can always walk up Herrengasse, which leads off Michaelerplatz. This takes you to Café Central, one of my favourite traditional coffee houses.
Anyway, that’s all quite an impressive historical pedigree for a small square.
Browse for your New Year accommodation
(service provided by Booking.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
And if you still need a bit more period flair in your New Year market, the square acts as a common parking space for the carriages and horses that take visitors on city tours; with a bit of good fortune, you can buy a used horseshoe from them at this time of year.
(You’re actually only a quick trot away from the Spanish Riding School, as well.)
The k.u.k. Neujahrsmarkt (New Year market) has quite a challenge to live up to these surroundings.
The 18 or so white booths are rather striking, a little different from the usual wooden booths that every other market has. The contents, though, are fairly standard for year-end markets.
You can, of course, get your New Year lucky charms, punch, Schnitzel, and pastries here.
On my visit, I also spotted wooden toys and hats-a-plenty, decorated glass candle holders and snow globes, for example. The market normally follows on from the Christmas market on the same site.
Consider the market worth a quick peek as you pass through, and you can always while away a few minutes with a steaming mug of something hot and admire the remarkable history around you.
At night, for example, the dome of the palace tract is beautifully lit, and the Christmas lights leading away down Kohlmarkt make quite a sight.
Opening times
A Christmas market on the same spot normally precedes the New Year market. At the time of writing, I don’t have information on the next edition. The event skipped the 2021/2022 season.
Watch out for local information nearer the time.
How to get to Michaelerplatz
The square connects the Hofburg with the main pedestrianised centre, so spend more than a few hours sightseeing in Vienna and you’ll probably walk through it anyway.
Subway: the U3 line passes more or less underneath, with the nearest station being Herrengasse.
Bus: trams don’t run across the historic centre, but the 1A and 2A bus lines service a stop on the square (these normally shut down during the actual New Year’s Eve celebrations, because too many people crowd the streets).
Address: Michaelerplatz, 1010 Vienna