Christmas in Vienna, from the City Hall to the gates of Schönbrunn.

Vienna is the European capital of Advent with the most variety: more than a dozen markets spread across squares and palaces. For a first visit two are enough, the one at the City Hall and the one at Schönbrunn, and you can see both in the same day by metro.

Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz

This is the city's biggest Christmas market, in front of the City Hall. In 2026 it opens on Friday 13 November and closes on Saturday 26 December. Opening hours are 10:00 to 22:00 every day, except 24 December, when it closes at 18:30. The official website announces the arrival of the Christkind as one of the market's events, along with a carousel and, beside the stalls, the Eistraum, the skating rink with the Burgtheater and the illuminated City Hall as a backdrop.

The Eistraum runs longer than the market: it opens on the same 13 November and carries on until 6 January 2027, with the same hours and closed on 31 December. Skating tickets are bought in the website's online shop.

Schönbrunn Palace market

In the Ehrenhof, the palace's main courtyard, a second market is set up with free entry. According to the Viennese press, in 2026 it opens on 6 November and closes on 6 January 2027. Its hours are 10:00 to 21:00 until 23 December, 10:00 to 16:00 on the 24th and 10:00 to 19:00 from the 25th. It pairs well with the palace visit if you do the palace by day and the market in the afternoon.

Other markets

There are more at the Freyung, in Spittelberg, at Karlsplatz and in front of the Museum of Art History, each with its own calendar. If one in particular interests you, check its website before you go: here we only give dates for the two above.

Getting there and when to go

You get off the metro for Rathausplatz (line U2, Rathaus station) and for Schönbrunn on the U4. To avoid the crowds, go on a weekday morning or early in the afternoon; at weekends and at nightfall, with the lights on, the market fills up. From the centre, St Stephen's Cathedral and the cafés are a short walk away.