Written by: Mar Cinca
If you’re looking for an alternative to spending Christmas inbetween family meals and you’d rather have a fairytale Christmas holiday, Vienna is the best choice for you.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Christmas and New Year’s markets start mid-november in Vienna. The most famous one is the one placed in the City Hall Square, Christmas and Advent Magic Market; where we can find the “real” Christkindl (an angel that brings presents on Christmas Eve) and in the City Hall Park we can find impressively decorated Christmas trees.
There are many more around Vienna, from more traditional ones such as the Old Christmas Market in Freyung’s Square or the Advent Market in Am Hof Square, to the Pink Christmas in Vienna, for the gay community or the Cultural Christmas Market, in Schöbrunn Palace, with austriac and foreign sellers. For those looking for a more active and young atmosphere, you can find an ice pavillion, a curling rink and DJs at the MQ Winter Area (MuseumsQuartier).
NEW YEAR’S EVE
After walking through the christmas markets, on December 31st we can take the Silversterpfad, or New Year’s Eve Trail, where one can stroll through the city while drinking toddy and tasting gastronomic specialties. At midnight, Pummerin bell strikes 12 and the Blue Danube waltz is played. Meanwhile, in the City Hall Square and the Prater there are firework shows.
An unmissable event is the Vienna Philharmonic’s Orchestra New Year’s Eve Concert, where they have to raffle the tickets in their website because of the huge demand. If what you want is to have a dreamy New Year’s Eve, that looks right out of Sissi’s court, you must go to Vienna’s New Year’s Eve Ball at Hofburg’s Imperial Palace, with tickets that range from 38 to 470€. It is also traditional to enjoy the so-called hangover breakfast (Katerfrühstück) in the City Hall Square on New Year’s morning.
ACCOMODATION
Luckily, there’s a great range of hotels & lodgings for visitors to choose from. Gegenbauer’s vinegar factory has been repurposed into a hotel that aims to display the artistry of the place.
An alternative option is the Trailer, homely luxurious trailers placed in disctrict 3, on Daniel Wein’s Hotel garden.
Finally, Chez Cliché gives us the opportunity to live in fictional character’s appartments, or Urbanauts repurposes empty commercial premises into accomodations called Street Lofts.
