The best Weihnachtsmärkte (Christkindlmärkte / Christmas markets) in Vienna (Wien) in 2025 are at the Rathaus, Maria Theresien Platz, Freyung in the old town center, and at the Baroque Schloss Schönbrunn and Schloss Belvedere. In 2025, many of the large and famous Christmas markets in Vienna will be open for the Christmas season from mid-November to early in the New Year.
Christmas markets in Vienna (Wien) are as popular in the festive season as in the rest of the German-speaking world. The Austrian capital has several markets but the best ones in the old town are within easy walking distance from each other at the Rathausplatz, Maria Theresien Platz, and Freyung. The Baroque palaces Schloss Schönbrunn and Schloss Belvedere in the suburbs of Vienna serve as the beautiful backdrops to two further Viennese Christmas markets. Book hotels in Vienna early for the Christmas holiday period, especially when staying on weekends.
In 2025, many Christmas markets in Vienna will be open on Christmas Day (December 25) but expect hours a bit shorter, especially on December 24. Several markets stay open after Christmas as New Year’s Markets until early in January 2026. These include the new Weihnachtsmarkt at Schloss Schönbrunn and the winter market at the Riesenradplatz at the Prater. For something different, visit the Wien Therme thermal baths and spa — only 15 minutes by U-Bahn from the center and open on Christmas Day.
Visit the Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Rathausplatz, Vienna
Vienna’s largest and best-known Christmas market is the Wiener Christkindlmarkt in front of the Neo-Gothic Rathaus (city hall). It is colorful and gets very busy, especially late afternoon and early evening.
This lively Weihnachtsmarkt in front of Vienna’s Rathaus claims to be the most popular Christmas market in Austria. Annually, around 3 million people visit this market including around half a million foreign tourists. The market has around 150 stands.
The Wiener Christkindlmarkt is child and family-friendly with special events, rides, a large Ferris wheel, and an ice skating rink in addition to the regular Christmas market activities and a large display of nativity scenes.
2025: Opening Hours Christmas Market at Vienna Rathaus
The Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Rathausplatz, Vienna, is held from November 14 to December 26, 2025. Opening hours are daily from 10 am to 10 pm (closing at 6 pm on the 24th).
The Eistraum am Christkindlmarket, with its large ice skating rink and a few food stands, will function until 6 January 2026.
The Christmas market at the Vienna town hall is likely to be even busier in 2025 and 2026 as the large markets at Maria Theresien Platz will be closed due to construction work at the museums.
Weihnachtsdorf Stephansplatz at Vienna’s Cathedral
The Weihnachtsdorf Stephansplatz main attraction is its location — right next to the beautiful Gothic Stephansdom (Cathedral). This is also its main disadvantage — no one can miss it, so it tends to get very busy. The surrounding streets are full of further shops and restaurants, while the lights in Graben are the most beautiful in Vienna.
The market is fairly small but fun to have a quick drink, snack, or browse gift ideas. It is usually the first Christmas market to open in Vienna and is open on Christmas Day.
Top Tip: When the main market is impossibly crowded, walk around the church. The stalls at the back of the choir are often much quieter.
2025: Opening Hours of the Stephansplatz Christmas Market
The Weihnachtsdorf Stephansplatz (Christmas market at the cathedral) is open daily from 8 November to 26 December 2025 from 11 am to 9 pm. It closes at 4 pm on the 24th, and 7 pm on the 25th and 26th of December.
Visit the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at Freyung, Vienna
The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt (Old Vienna Christmas market) is probably the best traditional Weihnachtsmarkt in the center of Vienna. It is in the old town center, but just far enough from the main tourist drag to reduce crowding. It is often far more pleasant spending an evening here than at the larger, busier markets.
This Christmas market is beautifully located and has a less commercial feel than many others. Many artists demonstrate their skills and crafts. It has an active entertainment program with puppet performances for children in the morning and further music performances in the late afternoon or early evenings.
2025: Opening Hours of the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at Freyung
The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at Freyung, Vienna, is held from November 14 to December 23, 2025. The market is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm.
Weihnachtsdorf (Christmas Village) at Schloss Belvedere Palace, Vienna, 2025
Just outside the old town area of Vienna, but still very easy to reach on public transportation or even on foot from the town center, is the Weihnachtsdorf in the gardens of Schloss Belvedere. Schloss Belvedere is a magnificent Baroque palace, and the art museum inside is the home of amongst others Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss.
In 2025, the Weihnachtsdorf at Schloss Belvedere is open from November 14 to December 31, 2025, from 11 am to 9 pm (10 am on weekends). The market is open until 4 pm on December 24 and 6 pm on December 31.
Weihnachtsmarkt at Schloss Schönbrunn in Wien
It is worth taking the short tram or U-Bahn train ride from central Vienna to Schloss Schönbrunn Palace to visit the Christmas market in the magnificent setting in the Ehrenhof in front of the imperial palace and the favorite residence of Maria Theresa and many other Habsburg rulers.
The Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Schönbrunn sells mostly Austrian products and has an extensive cultural program as part of the market. Wednesday is especially for families with many performances and activities aimed at children staged throughout the day. On all other days, special activities and workshops are also available for children.
2025: Opening Hours of the Christmas Market at Schloss Schönbrunn
The Christmas market at Schloss Schönbrunn Palace is open every day from 6 November 2025 to 6 January 2026. The market is open daily from 10:00 to 21:00, but closes at 16:00 on the 24th, and is only open until 19:00 from 25 December onwards.
Admission to the Christmas market and most of the gardens at Schloss Schönbrunn is free. Buy tickets well in advance to see the interior of the palace.
Note: The Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Schönbrunn is under new management since 2024. Old websites and links only state that the Kultur- & Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Schönbrunn closed after 30 years without indicating that a new Advent market is functioning at the palace.
More Christmas Market Fun in Vienna in 2025
The large Christmas markets in Vienna are very popular and can get very crowded, especially in the final days before Christmas. Often, it is possible to find quieter markets just a few blocks away or in neighborhoods outside the main tourist areas. These markets will be less crowded, have a more local clientele, but also shorter hours, and are very unlikely to operate on Christmas Day.
Two markets frequently missed by foreign tourists are both well-known in Vienna and easy to reach:
The Christmas market at the Karlskirche is famous for its large number of handicraft stands. This is the best market in Vienna to buy special arts or handmade crafts. It is also very popular among families with entertainment, especially for smaller children. Although any Christmas market aims to earn money, this market has a much less heavy-handed commercial feel compared to many others in Vienna.
In complete contrast is the Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz-Prater. The Prater with the large Ferris Wheel is a well-known fun park in Vienna. During the Christmas Season from mid-November to 6 January, a Christmas market functions next to some of the rides. It is open mostly daily from noon to 10 pm, closing at 5 pm on the 24th. Many days this market is very quiet compared to the center, especially if visiting during the day (when it’s a bit dull to he honest).
More Christmas Season Fun in Vienna
Vienna is a hugely popular tourist destination over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Foreign tourists arrive from all parts of the world. Some streets in the center can get uncomfortably busy, but often it is possible to go about completely normally just a block or two away on a parallel road. The same goes for shops, restaurants, and cafés. There is no need to queue for a famous name if a very good alternative is just a block away.
Vienna’s top cafés are popular year-round and always worth visiting. However, don’t queue for two or three hours to enter the top names. Vienna is full of perfectly good cafes without queues or attitude.
Sightseeing day cruises on the Danube from Vienna are possible during winter with many special dinner and event cruises scheduled during the Advent and Christmas market holiday season.
Christmas and Classical Music Concerts in Vienna
Classical and Christmas music remain very popular in Vienna. Book early, as tickets for the top orchestras and Advent concerts sell out fast in the Christmas period. Many churches have cheap concerts or even free concerts with donations requested. Times are posted on the doors.
It is usually possible to get tickets for concerts in the Kursalon, where many a Strauss waltz was first performed, and a New Year’s Eve concert on the 31st — expect a lot of Strauss and Mozart. Further popular concerts around Christmas and New Year’s include performances at Schloss Schönbrunn and at St Peter’s Church.
The only way to buy tickets for the famous Vienna New Year’s Day classical music concert (Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker im Musikverein) is to enter the annual official lottery. See How to Buy Tickets for the Vienna New Year’s Day Concert — the process starts in the preceding February!
All cities in Austria have Christmas markets during the Advent period and Christmas holidays. Many smaller towns have markets only during certain weekends or days prior to Christmas. A White Christmas is fairly rare in Vienna but common in ski resorts in the Austrian Alps.
Weihnachtsdorf (Christmas Village) between the Museums in Vienna — NOT held in 2025 or 2026!
Only a short stroll from the Rathausplatz is the Weihnachtsdorf (Christmas Town) at Maria Theresien Platz. This Christmas market is beautifully located between Vienna’s magnificent Kunst- (Art) and Naturhistorischen (Natural History) Museums. Across the Ring is the magnificent Imperial Armory, the World Museum with Moctezuma’s feather headdress from Mexico.
This popular market will be closed in both 2025 and 2026 due to construction work. This will, unfortunately, increase the crowds at other markets, especially at the nearby Rathaus.