The Silvesterdorf is a large New Year market that spreads across a beautiful square and entices visitors with a post-Christmas bonanza of food, arts, crafts, and possibly pigs.
- Strong on quality wares and a variety of food stalls
- Usually has special New Year punch mugs available
- Continues the Christmas market at the same location until December 31st, 2024
- Book a concert experience* for your Vienna trip
- See also:
- New Year markets in Vienna
The New Year market
(The market in a previous year)
Silvesterdorf translates literally as “New Year’s Eve Village”, and this one sits between two of the prestigious buildings that popped up during the great period of urban (re)construction that marked the second half of the 19th century in Vienna.
Perhaps it’s coincidence but, when I visited in the 2023/2024 season, the stalls nearest the Naturhistorisches Museum (natural history museum) sold food and drink, while those nearest the Kunsthistorisches Museum (art history museum) sold creative handicrafts and similar.
So a deserved flourish of the hat to the planners.
(Incidentally, if it all gets too cold for you, both those museums have excellent cafés inside.)
The Silvesterdorf New Year market has essentially always been a continuation of the Christmas market on the same site. Same stands, more or less; same contents, more or less. Even the piped in music continues the Christmas themes.
The notable differences I found in 2023/2024:
- Though most of the mugs continued with Christmas market motifs, the mug stand also had some featuring New Year symbols.
- One or two stands added traditional New Year motifs to their wares, too. Pig-shaped items, in particular, count as lucky charms that the Viennese exchange with friends and family at New Year.
(An earlier New Year mug in action)
- Most of the Christmas stock was not discounted, but with exceptions. For example, I found 30% off ceramic plates at one stall.
(If you want cheap Christmas items, visit the city’s department stores. They usually sell off their seasonal stock after Boxing Day at a steep discount. Though you won’t get the kind of handcrafted unique items sold at the seasonal markets)
Punch was, as at every Christmas and New Year market, ubiquitous, and the food included all the seasonal snacks and fare plus the traditional fried sausages, langos, and roast chestnuts. And a couple of international dishes added a global flavour to proceedings.
(Appropriately-themed snow globes)
The arts, crafts and other items left quite an impression on me, too.
Expect the likes of candles and woolly hats, regional schnapps and liquors, wintry decorations made from cinnamon sticks, dried fruits and bay leaves, jewellery, toys, ceramic flowers, and much (much) more.
Dates & times
The Silvesterdorf follows on seamlessly from the Christmas market, and is open until December 31st. Scheduled opening times from the 25th are 11am to 7pm, though the market closes at 6pm on New Year’s Eve.
Getting to the Silvesterdorf
The location is positioned quite perfectly for public transport.
Subway: the Volkstheater U2/U3 station
Trams: the Silvesterdorf borders the Ring, which hosts a continuous stream of trams. Take the 1, 2, D, 46, 49 or 71 lines to Ring/Volkstheater or the 1, 2, D or 71 to Burgring.
The 1, 2, D and 71 services will possibly not serve these stops on the evening of December 31st, though, if the Silvesterpfad New Year celebrations mean too many people are walking around their routes.
Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna | Website