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CHRISTMAS

Vienna Christmas markets: The dates and locations for 2023

Although there's no shortage of Christmas offerings in Austria, no one does Christmas quite like the Viennese. Here's a guide to some of the best Christmas markets in the capital - and when you can start enjoying them in 2023.

Published: 14 November 2023 12:38 CET
Updated: 2 December 2023 08:04 CET
Vienna Christmas markets: The dates and locations for 2023
Vienna's City Hall Christmas market is opening this weekend (© stadt wien marketing_Johannes Wiedl)

Christmas is its own season in Vienna, which you can see clearly in the number of Christmas markets that appear already in November – before winter gets into full swing.

There’s also one for most tastes – whether you’re looking for a dazzling spectacle of lights and the widest possible array of food, Glühwein, and holiday wares – or favour a more understated ‘klein, aber fein’ (small but nice) vibe.

Those looking for the top of the line the Austrian capital has to offer at Christmas can check out the Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz, or the Christmas and New Year’s Market at Schönbrunn Palace. The Weinachstdorf am Maria-Theresien Platz also fits this bill beautifully.

READ ALSO: When do Austria’s famous Christmas markets open this year?

All three are huge and central, with the largest possible range of food and goods – both in variety and in price.

The Schönbrunn Palace market also hosts a number of live music performances, pairing the sounds of Christmas with glowing lights and steaming wine to give you the highest possible sensory stimulation.

Maria-Theresien Platz allows you to drink Glühwein and browse stalls under the watchful eye of the Empress’s statue – and continues as a New Year’s market even after Christmas, something that’s not the case for most markets in Vienna.

For those looking for something a little more intimate and cosy, the Christmas Market at Stephansplatz harks back to a more traditional festive season, with the Stephansdom’s Gothic architecture reflecting the soft hues of Christmas lights against a smaller collection of wooden stalls, selling more traditional products.

Similarly, the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung focuses more on arts and crafts. Every day, you can even catch a demonstration of traditional handicrafts. Meanwhile, all handicrafts sold at the Adventmarkt am Karlsplatz are made locally.

READ ALSO: Nine festive foods and drinks no Austrian Christmas is complete without

Those looking for particularly authentically charming feeling can visit one of the oldest Christmas markets in Austria – the Weihnachtsmarkt am Spittelberg, set amongst the narrow houses and cobblestone streets of the Spittelberg neighbourhood. The focus here is for smaller vendors to get to show off and sell their authentic wares.

For something time-limited and quite different, try out the Medieval Christmas Market hosted by Vienna’s Military Museum at the end of November and beginning of December. The four-day market features everything from metalwork and wood carvings to hearty food and punch made fresh and directly onsite by the stall owners. You’ll also find jugglers and fencing duals onsite to entertain crowds. Entrance is even free for those dressed up in medieval costumes.

IN PICTURES: A guide to the main Christmas markets in Austria

Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz

Rathausplatz, 1010

November 10th – December 26th, 10:00 – 22:00 daily

(Christmas Eve, 10:00 – 18:30)

READ ALSO: How to celebrate Christmas like an Austrian

Weihnachtsdorf am Maria-Theresien Platz

Maria-Theresien Platz

November 15th to December 31st

11:00 to 21:00 Sunday to Thursday, 11:00 to 22:00 Fridays and Saturdays until December 23rd.

11:00 to 16:00 Christmas Eve

11:00 to 19:00 December 25th to 30th

11:00 to 18:00 New Year’s Eve

Christmas and New Year’s Market at Schönbrunn Palace 

Schloß Schönbrunn, 1130

November 18th to December 23rd, 10:00 – 21:00

Christmas Eve – 10:00 – 16:00

Christmas Day – January 4th, 10:00 -18:00

READ ALSO: Eight unmissable Christmas experiences in Austria

Christmas Market at Stephansplatz 

Stephansplatz, 1010

November 10th – December 26th, 11:00 – 21:00

Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung 

Freyung, 1010

November 17th – December 23rd, 10:00 – 21:00

Adventmarkt am Karlsplatz

Karlsplatz

November 24th – December 23rd

12:00 – 20:00 Daily

READ ALSO: 12 things you only get once you’ve celebrated Christmas and New Year in Austria

Weihnachtsmarkt am Spittelberg

Spittelberggasse

November 16th – December 23rd

14:00 – 21:00 Mondays-Thursdays

14:00 – 21:30 Fridays

10:00 – 21:30 Saturdays

10:00 – 21:00 Sundays and public holidays

Mittelalterlicher Adventmarkt

Heeresgeschictliches Museum

November 30th – December 3rd

13:00 – 22:00 Thursday

9:00 – 22:00 Friday to Sunday

READ ALSO: Five Christmas songs to improve your German language skills

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VIENNA

Where in and around Vienna can I pick strawberries?

The strawberry picking season is soon here, and we list where you can go to pick and snack on the sweet red berries.

Published: 10 May 2024 16:03 CEST
Where in and around Vienna can I pick strawberries?

In and around Vienna, there are many choices for where to go to pick, snack, and fill boxes with strawberries from the fields. And if you want to be sustainable and save a few euros, it is a good idea to bring your own container for the berries. It will be weighed before picking, and then the weight is deducted when you are done.

Here, we list some great options for strawberry picking. 

Bio-Erdbeerwelt 

Bio-Erdbeerwelt, or “Organic Strawberry World”,  is a strawberry farm located in two different spots in Vienna: Süßenbrunner Straße and Strebersdorf.

The farm is known for its organic cultivation of strawberries, and it is a great place to go if you want to spend some time picking strawberries in the fields without having to travel far. 

The self-picking season typically starts at the end of May, although the exact date depends on the weather conditions and will be announced on their website.

The fields will be open for picking from 10 am to 7 pm, with the last entry possible at 6:30 pm.

The admission price for adults is €12/person and includes 2 kilograms of strawberries. For children, the price is € 6/person and includes 1 kilogram. Each additional kilogram costs €6.

Bio-Erdbeerfeld

This organic strawberry farm is located both in Vienna and Haslau, a small village in Lower Austria. Unfortunately, the fields in Vienna are currently closed, but the fields in Haslau will open up for self-picking in the upcoming weeks, and it is just a short train ride of 40 minutes away from the city.

Situated right at the Donau, Haslau offers a beautiful location to enjoy while picking the organic berries in the fields.

The fields are open daily from 8 am to 7 pm. The prices for self-picking are not yet announced but will soon be listed here.

Box with strawberries. Photo by Ali Elliott on Unsplash

Erdbeerland Piris

This strawberry farm is located in Pitten, near Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria. The fields are family-owned, and in addition to offering strawberry self-picking, they also sell other vegetables.

It is compulsory to wear trousers while walking through the fields, and there is an admission fee of €2 for self-picking for both adults and children.

The price per kilogram is €5.50, and if you pick 6 kilograms, you will receive 1 kilogram for free. There are five different types of strawberries in the field, and you can try them all to find out which one is your favourite.

To reach the farm, you can take a train to Wiener Neustadt, where you need to change trains for a short 15-minute ride to Pitten.

READ ALSO: Train travel in Austria: The best day trips from Vienna

Mühlbauer’s Erdbeerfeld

Pick your own strawberries and eat them to your heart’s content for free – this is the motto of the family who has been cultivating the strawberry fields in Neulengbach, Lower Austria, since 1975.

The price is €4.80 per kilogram, and if you pick more than 5 kilograms, the price is reduced by 20 cents for each additional kilogram.

The opening of the self-picking season is yet to be announced but usually begins at the end of May or the beginning of June.

The farm is located a 30-minute train ride from Hutteldorf in Vienna and is located in the beautiful Vienna Woods. It offers a great opportunity to combine strawberry picking with a hike or just with spending time in nature.

BIO-Erdbeergarten Bruck

In Bruck an der Leitha, in Lower Austria, just a short 30-minute train ride away from Vienna, you can enjoy picking and snacking on organic strawberries from the many fields of this strawberry farm.

The fields are open from Monday to Sunday, 9 am to 6 pm, and the strawberries cost €4.90 per kilogram. The opening of the self-picking season usually starts at the beginning of June. 

The farm owner also cultivates organic spices and herbs. This year, the focus is on lavender, parsley, sage, and fennel.”

Steinfelder Erdbeeren Zeit

This strawberry farm is located in Steinfeld, close to the beautiful nature park Hohe Wand in Lower Austria. It is family-run and allows you to pick and snack on the sweet berries while looking at the cliffs and beautiful surroundings of Hohe Wand.

The family states that the soil conditions, the sun, and the closeness to the mountains give the strawberries a unique aroma and taste.

Opening hours will soon be announced on their website.

READ NEXT: Eleven unmissable events in Austria in May 2024

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