Vienna and Christmas Markets in 3 Days
By Gillian & Graham Boyd Published 20 April 2026
3 days in December is enough for a magical mixture of Christmas markets, exploring the historic city, seeing the Spanish dancing horses and cosy café culture.
You could even take in a classical concert in the evening or see the illuminations at the main Christmas market at Rathauspark. Book ahead for main attractions as December is busy. Apart from the Christmas Markets, the other attractions are available all year round so this itinerary can easily be adapted to the summer.
We stayed for 4 nights in December at the historic Hotel Bellevue Wien, in Alsergrund district of Vienna. The included breakfast was wide ranging and excellent. It was booked through loveholidays.com. We chose the area for its wide variety of restaurants within walking distance for the evenings and for good tram links to central Vienna for day time sight-seeing. Trams run every 10 minutes and its only 20 minutes to the Rathaus Platz.
White horses and carriage emerging from Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
Palmenhaus Brasserie in Burggarten park Vienna Austria
Palmenhaus Brasserie
Have a meal or drinks in the former tropical house overlooking a pond. It feels suitably different to everything else in Vienna. It’s popular so book ahead. Graham thought this would be the perfect spot to try out one of Austria’s traditional dessert’s, Apfelstrudel. In summer you could wander the Burggarten just outside and this restaurant is close to the Hofburg Palace.
Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna Austria
Hofburg Imperial Palace
Home to the Habsburg dynasty, the palace expanded from the 13th Century to the 20th Century, with 18 wings, 19 courtyards and around 1,400 rooms. The Habsburg’s were known for being lovers, not fighters and expanded their European influence and power through their famous marriage diplomacy.
Expanding Palace
One downside, was that the Palace needed to be continuously extended as each new member of their family brought not just their new spouse but also their own court. You may not be able to command an extension of your own by marrying in to the family today, but you can still rent one of the famous apartments at the Palace.
Inside the Hofburg Imperial Palace, we were more interested in seeing the Spanish Riding School than the interior, but you can also visit the Imperial Apartments, the Austrian National Library, considered one of the most beautiful in the world and The Sisi Museum.
Who was Sisi?
Sisi (Empress Elisabeth of Austria) was a legendary Empress, famous for her beauty and obsessive strict dieting, resulting in a waist of around 20 inches. She was loved throughout Austria and Hungary and became even more famous in death, as she was murdered by an Italian anarchist because of her high profile.
Fall of the Austrian Empire
The making of the Habsburg dynasty which had grown to include all of modern day Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and parts of Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Italy was also its downfall. The ethnic and national diversity made it unstable as each region had their own language, culture and national ambitions. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Bosnia triggered World War 1 and the dynasty completely collapsed by the end of the war in 1918.
We were in Vienna at Christmas, but another palace well worth visiting in the summer is the Schönbrunn Palace, outside of the city centre, which is famous for its gardens.
Spanish Dancing horses at Riding School in Hofburg Palace Vienna
Spanish Dancing Horses
See the world famous Lipizzaners, the white stallions and their riders, perform a ‘ballet’ to the sound of classical music in the huge baroque Winter Riding School at the Hofburg Palace. The atmosphere is memorising as the horses perform their precise and intricate movements. You’ll have to take my word for it, as photography is strictly forbidden during the performance, but you can get photos of the horses at the stables.
The Gala books out well in advance and even Morning Exercise needs to be booked ahead. We secured tickets to the Morning Exercise so missed the full pageantry of the costumes at the Gala Performance but it was still an enjoyable experience, with great costume and much more affordable. If your language skills are up to it, you could have a behind the scenes Guided tour in German. Book direct with srs.at
Rathausplatz Christmas Market Vienna
Christmas Market at Rathausplatz
This is the premier Christmas Market in Vienna and for good reason. Based outside the City Hall, it is the largest in Vienna and has all the usual crafts and stalls you expect at a Christmas Market, plus a gorgeous hobby horse carousel.
It was lovely to see it in the daytime, but for me it was magical to return after dark and see all the lights and your breath in front of as you hold a mug of glühwein, hot mulled wine. Wander through the illuminated garden and feel like a child or swoosh your way around the ice-skating rink. Entrance to the market and gardens was free. Ohh, it really helped to get me in the Christmas mood and was my favourite of the many Christmas markets we attended.
All the Christmas markets sell a wide range of traditional Christmas ornaments, wooden toys, crafts and gifts. The workmanship and quality are very high, and the price tag reflects this. But now I am reminded of Vienna and this wonderful trip every year when I decorate my home for Christmas, as I couldn’t resist a few purchases. Late November to mid-December is the best time to visit.
2026 Dates for the Vienna Christmas Markets
Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz Mid-November 2026 – 24 December 2026
Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market Early November 2026 – 6 Jan 2027
Old Viennese Christmas Market (Freyung) Mid- November 2026 – late December 2026
Belvedere Palace Christmas Village Mid-November 2026 – late December 2026
Smaller markets are scattered through out Vienna.
Fancy some cake at Demel Vienna Cafe
Eat Sachertorte
This dense chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam and chocolate icing is Vienna’s most famous cake. It is in the style of the period it was created, by Franz Sacher in 1832 and so may seem dry to the modern palate, as it is meant to be eaten with unsweetened whipped cream. This adds the fat and moisture which is not in the cake itself.
Where to Eat Sachertorte
You will see the cake on many menus in Vienna though the two iconic versions are made by the Hotel Sacher (near the State Opera) and the Demel Vienna Cafe (near Hofburg Palace).
Cake War
The Hotel Sacher and Demel waged a ‘cake war’ for 9 years in 1954-1963 over a legal dispute to claim the right to use the label ‘The Original Sacher Torte’. The Hotel Sacher (with 2 layers of jam) claimed it held the original recipe from Franz Sacher in 1832, while the pastry shop Demel (with one layer of jam) claimed rights through his son Eduard Sacher who worked there.
Although the Hotel Sacher won the dispute, both still produce their versions. But if you don’t want a chocolate cake, there are other many delicious cakes in Vienna. We ate at Demel Vienna Café established for the Habsburg family and built in 1888 where we also admired the enormous gingerbread house in the window that they are rightly famous for.
Inside of Saint Stephens Cathedral Vienna
Free Walking Tour
On our final day we booked a free 2 hour walking tour which meant we learnt the history of the buildings we had already walked past. We came with questions and had them answered by our informative guide. There are a number of Free Tours and they focus on different themes so you can choose what you like. Just remember “free” is not free, so please tip the guide at least €10-15 pp. With hindsight it probably would have been better to have done the walking tour earlier in the trip.
If you’d rather be independent but would still like some background, you can do the DIY walking tour using city-walks.info.
Whichever walking tour you choose be sure to see the Rathaus (City Hall), the Staatsoper Opera House (best views from the terrace in front of the Albertina), the Hofburg Palace at Josefplatz and St Stephens Cathedral. Listen to bells ringing at the Cathedral and to the music of Christmas carols.
Saint Stephens Cathedral at night from the SKY Bar
Sky Bar @ STEFFL
In every city we seek out a rooftop or sky bar because we love a good view. In Vienna we found the SkyBar above a department shop in the main pedestrian shopping area. Open from 10am to midnight, we went for dinner with an international menu, though you can go just for drinks. The outside roof top was decorated for Christmas and the view of the Cathedral all lit up was worth it.
Tree tenants in Hundertwasserhaus
Hundertwasserhaus
If you like Gaudi, then you’ll like one of our favourite places in Vienna. Visit the Hundertwasserhaus for a very different architectural highlight to the rest of Vienna. It is a unique apartment block designed inside and out on the concepts of artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) and Joseph Krawina on environment and sustainability by converting a former car tyre factory.
Known for his iconic colourful façade, curved walls and floors, it makes a striking image. Add to that his concept of tree tenants with more than 200 trees and shrubs on the roof terraces and balconies and you also have a green oasis in the urban landscape.
How To Get There
Get there by tram 1, stop Hetzgasse. You can see the apartment block and street easily at any time – it is a public street after all – and is free.
How to See Inside
The Hundertwasserhaus apartment block is full of private homes so you would need a personal invitation to see inside. But you can visit the Hundertwasser Museum and pop across the road to the Hunderwasser Village, a sort of indoor village square with shops and bar in the distinctive Hundertwasser style.
Alternatively, the Kunstcafe coffee house on the ground floor of the Hundertwasser plays a free film which leads viewers through his house. See hundertwasser-village.com and click on the flag for the English version.
Warm and cosy in the rustic Greichenbeisl
Eat at a Classic Viennese Beisl
A beisl is a traditional Viennese restaurant with several near the historic centre. We ate at the famous Greichenbeisl complete with signatures from Beethoven and Mark Twain on the walls.
The Beisls are known for their dark wood and cosiness and historically you would have seen aristocrats and workers eating side by side. The menu doesn’t vary and will have all Viennese classics such as Pork Knuckle, Wiener Schnitzel, Goulash and Tafelspitz.
Final Thoughts
Vienna is a great place to visit on a long weekend break. Completely walkable, with many superb outdoor cafes and bars for a deserved rest. Christmas and the markets add an extra dimension to a city which already boasts amazing architecture, fascinating history and a rich food culture.