{"id":3293,"date":"2022-08-11T21:37:43","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T19:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/?page_id=3293"},"modified":"2026-10-27T17:33:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T16:33:18","slug":"the-market","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/the-market\/","title":{"rendered":"The market"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proudly presenting the Vienna Christmas Market<\/h2>\n<\/div>

When the many shopping streets and Advent markets light up the city of Vienna in the run-up to Christmas, one place shines especially brightly: the Vienna Christmas Market is considered one of Europe\u2019s biggest and most beautiful Christmas markets. Year in and year out, countless guests from Austria and abroad visit and marvel at the traditional Christmas market at Vienna\u2019s Rathausplatz.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Your plan for the Vienna Christmas Market: experience, marvel & enjoy<\/h2>\n<\/div>

A variety of market stalls and dozens of attractions – with this overview map you have the perfect overview of one of Austria’s largest Christmas markets. Use the perfect companion for orientation during your visit to the Vienna Christmas Market!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Everything the heart desires<\/h2>\n<\/div>

The offer of the market stallholders at the Vienna Christmas Market is one of a kind: from toys that will make children\u2019s eyes light up, to festive decorations for the run-up to Christmas and the celebration itself, all the way to clothing accessories for winter. And that\u2019s not forgetting the luxurious selection of delicacies, sweets and snacks and warming beverages that will have visitors following their noses in order to satisfy all their cravings. These can be enjoyed at standing tables under the shelter of pergolas and with a view of the Christmassy Rathauspark.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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\"\u00d6koEventPlus<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u00d6koEventPLUS<\/h2>\n<\/div>

The Vienna Christmas Market will delight visitors with its unique charm and is all about sustainability! Since 2026, the Vienna Christmas Market has been able to call itself an \u00d6koEventPLUS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Did you already know? 75% of the products, food and drinks on offer are organic and sustainably grown.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The market stallholders present their offer<\/h2>\n<\/div>

The Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz once again invites visitors to discover its festive atmosphere and culinary delights. From early November 2026, you\u2019ll find an overview of the market stalls and their offerings here. Get inspired before your visit and look forward to experiencing the magic of the Vienna Christmas Market!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Christmas Market past and present<\/h2>\n<\/div>

180 years of the Christmas Market in Vienna<\/h3>\n<\/div>

For almost 50 years, the Vienna Christmas Market has been lighting up the Rathausplatz each year. The market stallholders opened their Christmassy wooden huts here for the first time in 1975. But in reality, the Christmas Market has been around for much longer \u2013 even if it wasn\u2019t always called that: from the year 1600, the \u201cThomas Market\u201d was held at Vienna\u2019s Graben square. This market was named after the Apostle Thomas, who was one of Jesus\u2019 twelve disciples. In 1772, the market relocated to Freyung square and was known as the \u201cSt Nicholas and Christmas market\u201d. When this market was then moved to Am Hof square in 1842, it was given its present-day name of \u201cChristkindlmarkt\u201d. It\u2019s fair to say, therefore, that the Vienna Christmas Market has been around for at least 180 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>

The Vienna Christmas Market today: presents galore, sensory indulgence and Christmas spirit<\/h3>\n<\/div>

A lot has changed at the Vienna Christmas Market. The range of products on offer and the programme have been diversified. This means that today, Vienna\u2019s Rathausplatz is home to more than just a Christmas market designed to impress with artisan handicraft, jewellery stalls and punch stands.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Christmas in the park<\/h3>\n<\/div>

The Rathauspark surrounding the Christmas market also creates a wonderful Christmas atmosphere for young and old alike with its famous Heart Tree, a small but exquisite culinary offering and other traditional and fun attractions. Here, visitors will also come across a giant Advent wreath from the Evangelical Church. As to why it features more candles than usual? Back in 1839, in an attempt to shorten the time until Christmas for children from the poorest families, the founder of the Diakonie, Johann Hinrich Wichern, lit a candle every day on a cartwheel decorated with 20 small red candles and four large candles in the \u201cRauhes Haus\u201d of the Diakonie in Hamburg. It is this idea that gave rise to what we have come to know today as the Advent wreath. By the way: since 2016, it\u2019s also been possible to go for a spin around the park on ice skates: the Ice Dream at the Christmas Market brings winter and festive Christmas spirit to the city and the people, no matter the weather.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Oh Christmas Tree<\/h2>\n<\/div>

The Christmas tree at the Vienna Christmas Market represents the heart of this traditional Christmas market. Each year since 1959, a splendid conifer grown in the magnificent countryside has been donated by a different Austrian province or the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

But where does the tradition of the Christmas tree actually come from?<\/h2>\n<\/div>

The Christmas tree as we know it today originates from a Protestant custom. As far back as around 300 years ago, the living rooms of wealthy Protestant families featured a little Christmas tree. It is largely thanks to the imperial family and their influence on the general public that the Christmas tree eventually became popular among Catholic families too. In 1816, Henriette von Nassau-Weiburg, the wife of Archduke Carl, had a marvellously decorated Christmas tree erected for the Christmas festivities. More and more families took a liking to this new custom, and several followed the imperial example.<\/p>\n<\/div>

A Burgtheater actor inspired Viennese locals<\/h3>\n<\/div>

But Burgtheater actor Heinrich Ansch\u00fctz, well-known in the 19th century, also played a part in the popularity of the Christmas tree at Christmas Eve celebrations in Vienna. When he moved from Germany to Vienna in 1821, he didn\u2019t want to miss out on the Christmas tree tradition of which he had grown fond, and set out to search for a suitable fir tree. Since he was a well-known figure, his preparatory purchases for the Christmas present-giving drew attention. His friends copied his example and thus things took their course, as he himself described: \u201cI can truly say that my arrival in Vienna contributed not insignificantly towards the rapid general acceptance of the Christmas festivities. For the very next winter, entire forests were being ceremoniously carted to Vienna, and all the toy manufacturers and retailers were preparing for the new market conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

In front of the tree: nativity scene and tower brass ensembles<\/h3>\n<\/div>

The large nativity scene right in front of the Christmas tree is also not to be overlooked. It represents the traditional Christmas scene with life-size figures and sets the stage for a \u201cfeast for the ears\u201d that is part of Austrian musical tradition: from the roof of the large nativity scene, the Christmassy sounds of the tower brass ensembles from Vienna and the Austrian provinces ring out.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"100-width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3293","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3293"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10193,"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3293\/revisions\/10193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christkindlmarkt.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}