Vienna felt like Christmas ever since we arrived (pre-Thanksgiving). In our weeklong stay it only kept getting Christmas-ier and Christmas-ier.
We saw this street with no lights when we arrived. Then we saw the addition with red globes hanging between them. That was not festive enough, so they added panels of red with golden swirls and more lights just before we left!
And I’m not complaining one bit.
I LOVE it.
Christmas decorations are EVERYwhere. Lights hang between the buildings, tinsel and ribbons decorate the storefronts, and there are Christmas trees all over the streets, both au natural and decked out with ornaments!
Literal chandeliers hang between the buildings downtown. Other configurations of light decorate the city between buildings while you see real full sized trees (decorated and not) in the streets!
There are Christmas Markets (Weinachtsmarkts) in every major plaza, complete with mulled wine, hot cocoa, and warm punch (Glühwein, heiße Schokolade, und Punsch). Stands also sell treats, traditional christmas decorations, small gifts, and ornaments.
The Christmas Market at Stephensplatz, the most iconic church in Vienna. We’re enjoying mulled wine out of ADORABLE bootie cups.You can see the decorated Christmas Market stands in the plaza in front of Schönbrunn Palace.Far Right: Christmas Market stands + Roman Ruins, in front of a palace, what a fun combination!Christmas Market at KarlsplatzA short covered street in downtown Vienna is another perfect place for a Christmas Market. Spiralkartoffeln (Spiral Potato) and gingerbread are common treats and also sold in many Christmas Markets.At The BelvedereBelvedere day and nightKarlsplatz market had the most “alpine” vibe, for lack of a better descriptor. I’ve never seen a merry-go-round with such rustic seat/vehicles, nor a play-pile of straw until now!
Ceramic wares—from ornaments and figurines, to butter holders and bowls—and ornaments are particularly popular, especially those made of natural materials or classic ones such as pewter.
A closer look at some of the Christmas Market wares.
Some cable cars were dressed up too. We saw this one with people dressed up in holiday (elves/santa) gear waving and saying “Frohe Weihnachten!” (Merry Christmas) to passersby as they hung out the sides of the moving vehicle.
Left: Cable car. Right: Even smaller streets had lights hanging between them!
Just before we left we saw them light up the tree in front of Stephensplatz! There’s also a tree out of lights on the corner of this building. See the lights dance!
Left: Lit Christmas Tree accents the beautiful tiled roof of St. Stephens Cathedral. Right: Lit Christmas tree accents an otherwise regular building.
And this is just the beginning. Is it December yet? =)
Incredibly beautiful! Thanks for sharing! Visiting a Christmas market in Europe has been a bookmarked destination for many years! Lucky you! Happy December!!!
Incredibly beautiful! Thanks for sharing! Visiting a Christmas market in Europe has been a bookmarked destination for many years! Lucky you! Happy December!!!
Yes! It was a goal to be in the area during the holidays – even if it means braving the cold 😉