Advent in Vienna 2025 began across most of the city on November 14 and will run until December 26. I wandered through its streets and squares to discover what this year’s edition offers, an event that has drawn visitors from all over the world.
by Tina LončarNovember 27, 2025
Although we didn’t come to Vienna with the intention of admiring the holiday lights, wandering through squares decorated with Christmas trees, or patiently standing in the long lines for kaiserschmarrn with powdered sugar and strawberries at Stephansplatz, it would still feel almost sacrilegious to visit the Austrian capital during its famous Advent season and not do at least one proper tour of the city. Vienna was wrapped in a kind of winter I hadn’t felt in years-grey, windy, and a bit harsh- but we layered on every sweater we had in our fashion arsenal and set off to wander the streets and squares without any sort of plan or itinerary. After we finally got our Wiener schnitzels at the iconic Schnitzelwirt—following what is apparently a completely normal round of waiting in the cold—and came to realize why even Ed Sheeran leaves the place happy, we had more than enough energy and enthusiasm to go see what the Advent that’s often called “the most beautiful in Europe” has to offer.
Even our very first stroll down Mariahilfer Straße, past decorated shop windows and glowing holiday lights, with streams of people flowing between them, hinted that Vienna truly comes alive for Advent. The fact that most of the Christmas markets around the city squares open as early as mid November says enough about how eagerly the city awaits the magic of Christmas. Vienna has turned its Advent into a tourist attraction, and it seems to be a very profitable one. During the three days I spent roaming the city, its streets were filled with voices speaking languages from every corner of the world. But let us leave financial reports and tourist projections aside. Unlike Zagreb’s Advent, which is mostly concentrated around the center, Vienna’s is more spread out. Every major square has its own Christmas market, yet each one stands on its own. Walking from one to the next should not be too much of a challenge, even with the cold relentlessly biting your cheeks. Once the sun sets, illuminated Vienna, with its architecture spanning a palette of styles from Baroque and Gothic to Art Nouveau, is a spectacular sight even without any decorations. Still, after my romantic soul had its fill of the poetry of Vienna at night, I decided to return to the city in daylight and explore everything its Advent has to offer, as thoroughly and patiently as my cold sensitive nature allowed. These are some of the Advent locations that impressed me the most.
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Stephansplatz, located in the very heart of Vienna, is especially striking at night when St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) and its Gothic facade are lit up in dramatic red light. This is likely the oldest market in the city, first mentioned as far back as 1626, but what truly fuels its popularity is not its long history but its location. Anyone determined to shop their way through the city will probably end up at Stephansplatz in the end, tired, cold and craving mulled wine. Around the modestly decorated tree and the cathedral, clusters of wooden stalls offer traditional Austrian crafts, Christmas ornaments and souvenirs, while the air fills with the irresistible scent of holiday favorites like hot punch and roasted chestnuts. One thing that’s impossible to overlook is the enormous line right by the cathedral, where people wait for their kaiserschmarrn. We did not try it, but there is probably a good reason why this version of the classic shredded pancake is more popular than others in the city.
I was told that the Christmas market in front of the City Hall (Rathaus) is the most famous and the very best of the entire Vienna Advent—and really, who can resist something described as “the best”? It is so popular that people simply call it the Wiener Christkindlmarkt. We all know the scene, the huge glittering arch in holiday colors with the Rathaus tower rising behind it and the charming retro carousel spinning nearby. For me, that was reason enough to cross the city just to see it for myself. And truly, the moment you get close to Rathausplatz, it becomes clear why this market has such a brilliant reputation.
The sun that revealed itself that morning, slipping out from beneath its cap of grey clouds, felt perfectly timed, adding a gentle, unexpected lift to our walk. The impressive Neo Gothic building in the background looked like a set from a Christmas movie, and the entire square and park are transformed into a shimmering holiday stage, filled with countless wooden stalls humming with laughter and chatter. The atmosphere is lively, children are skating or riding colorful carousels while their parents chat casually and sip punch. Everything smells of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and warm spices. As for the food, traditional regional dishes are everywhere. You can find sweets like Buchteln and Baumkuchen, baked potatoes straight from the oven, and even Wiener schnitzel and Schinkenfleckerl. I know, you need a dictionary for all of it. Although I don’t exactly swoon over holiday decorations, and often slip into a Grinch-like mood when it comes to Advents, kitsch, and all that enthusiasm, the Rathausplatz Christmas market was the closest I’ve ever come to true Advent magic. And I’d go again in a heartbeat.
I have a soft spot for palaces and castles. Their old-world grandeur always stirs the imagination and makes you wonder who you might have been in those long-gone times. I love them even more when they are surrounded by parks and gardens once walked by aristocrats who chatted about books, philosophy or perhaps Sacher cakes. It is no surprise that Schönbrunn Palace, one of Vienna’s most recognizable landmarks, had been on my bucket list as a place I absolutely had to visit. The former summer residence of the Habsburg dynasty is a lavish Baroque complex with hundreds of rooms, grand halls and richly decorated interiors, and it is complemented by grounds arranged in the style of a charming French garden.
On the day I convinced my travel companions to visit Schönbrunn, Vienna was covered with a thin sheet of the season’s first snow. The sun was melting it relentlessly, yet the sight of the Christmas market, with crowds of people who had the same idea as me, looked especially idyllic. In front of the palace stood a large Christmas tree, holiday decorations, carousels and countless wooden stalls selling traditional crafts and delicious Austrian specialties. But what suited me most after several days of marathon Wiener-schnitzel tasting was the chance to stroll through the Schönbrunn grounds, escape the crowds at the market in front of the palace, and stretch my legs in the vast park, lightly blanketed with snow.
What truly sets Vienna’s Christmas markets apart is the backdrop provided by the elegance of the city’s architecture. Art Advent on Karlsplatz is considered magical for exactly that reason. Set in front of the stunning Baroque façade of Karlskirche, which looks especially enchanting at night, when the light spills around its imposing columns, the Advent market on Karlsplatz is intriguing for another reason as well. More than most other Advent locations in the city, Karlsplatz is focused on art, crafts and handmade goods. The selection usually includes artworks, clothing, jewelry and accessories, holiday decorations, ceramics and much more. If you are looking for something unique and original, Art Advent at Karlsplatz is the place to be.
Unlike the large, much-hyped locations of Vienna’s Advent season, what struck me as especially charming were the small neighbourhood markets. Little stopovers you stumble upon while wandering the city without a plan, searching for its must-see spots. Tucked away in small Viennese squares, they feel like perfect little places to pause, to have a cup of mulled wine, dissect the latest gossip with a friend, soak up a hint of Christmas spirit on your weekend walk back from the market, or simply enjoy an unhurried winter walk with your dog. These small neighbourhood markets have an intimate, unpretentious charm; they’re relaxed, and they seem to attract more locals than tourists, Viennese looking for a break from the hectic Advent rush. The good news is that there are no endless lines for kaiserschmarrn here, and the air smells of perfectly roasted chestnuts, cinnamon, and wine.
It seems that Vienna’s Advent managed to disarm even the cynic in me, who ended up there entirely by accident. The most important recipe for enjoying it is simply to surrender to the city’s Christmas energy. And yes, don’t forget your gloves.
Photo: private archive
