Christmas time is the perfect excuse to arrange a trip for yourself or for someone else to arrange it for you.

Along the years I’ve always dreamt of visiting other countries and enriching my life with adventures in places so different than mine. After Covid 19 I think what we all need is a chance to ‘escape’ this new reality we’ve created, get a glimpse of the old days and remind ourselves the many places we’ve yet to see. Christmas vacations – for those who have a few days off work – is the perfect excuse for it.

Vienna has been a very well-known destination for Christmas tourists and it had been on my bucket list for a while. A surprise airplane ticket from my partner realized this goal and a few days before Christmas time I managed to visit Vienna and see what people are talking about. I could have visited on Christmas week, but from what people were discussing on social media, Viennese don’t like to work during those holy days and everything is closed, so we didn’t dare to take any chances.

I saw amazing sceneries along the Christmas Markets that are mentioned feverishly during this time, but also palaces and art galleries. I walked the busy lit streets of Vienna with their baroque aesthetic mixed with the holiday spirit and tasted their famous hot chocolate in those red mugs you can take home if you like to. I tasted their specialty, which is schnitzel, and roamed around the center of the city in order to find the most delicious Mozart chocolates. Are you ready to take a mini mental journey through them with me?

The City Center

The very first thing we saw in Vienna, besides their airport, is of course the large city center. A long road with shops of any kind, any taste and any budget are on your right and on your left. Bright yellow lights are coming from above and every single corner is lit up. You can even find Christmas trees to buy for your house at one side, something that really helped add up to the overall holiday mood.

There are plenty of things to see at their center, many shops to buy clothes and accessories, while also unique stores with artistic decorative pieces for you house. Vienna is also known for its modern art love, something that’s evident in multiple shops and cafes.

You can also find some very instagramable cafes there like Cafe Central and Dimel, but be prepared for a very long line outside. If you’re interested in visiting Cafe Central then I suggest you be smarter than me and actually make reservations for it.

It was snowing the day we arrived, so if visiting during winter time then I suggest you wear some warm clothes and a thick knitted scarf.

Christmas Markets

There are multiple Christmas markets scattered around Vienna. From the largest in front of the Town Hall to other various small ones near sights and other subway stops. You can get a warm cup of hot chocolate, with or without the rum version of it, in any market. The cup is not a gift, you actually pay it an extra charge of almost 8 euros, but if you take it back when finished they give you half your money back. Obviously, I kept the mug because let’s face it it’s the experience of it that you’d like to remember.

Let’s talk reality, the ornaments in the market are not exactly cheap. The prices are a bit higher from what you’d expect or maybe it’s exactly the price a large city like Vienna would have, but for me it was a bit pricy. You certainly don’t want to give 20 euros for a Christmas ornament that’s basically a ball with glitter.

There was music and carols all around, which is something you expect to see in a Christmas market and I love it. I was actually singing lowly too. I mean, how can you not?

If visiting Vienna make sure you get a brochure that shows all the available markets along with their spot on the map, you’ll be surprised how many there are!

The Palaces

Belvedere, Schonbrunn, Kinsky and so many other royal properties that you simply cannot miss. Their baroque technique, their majestic architecture and vibrant colors on the inside is exactly the royalty vibe you wish to feel.

I love Belvedere, maybe because it combined a large palace taken advantage of to showcase important pieces of art. That’s right, the palace is being used as an art gallery, it’s where we saw the famous painting The Kiss by Klimt. People were gathered around it in awe of the large painting with history behind it. If you get the chance and the painting is still there then go visit it, it’s worth it.

Kinsky was not exactly what you’d expect for a palace, but it is free. Maybe that’s why it was so famous on Tik Tok. Nowadays, it’s become some sort of apartment building. There are private apartments and doctor offices there.

Schonbrunn is a whole other experience. It’s where Princess Sissy and her Emperor husband Francis lived and it’s filled with history. You book a tour, guided or not, you must wait for your scheduled entrance because the tickets actually tell you when to go in and you must leave your bag at the entrance. Take your wallet with you I’d say, but keep your jacket, it’s chilly in there. Then follow the corridor to the inside entrance where a couple of ladies with set up a portable mini phone with numbers to press depending on the room you’re in. You will hear a recap of what this room is about in your chosen language. Great experience.

The Sisi Museum is also part of the tour, although it’s a pretty small space with replicas or Sissy’s dresses. You will see however the large painting of Sissy that appears on google with every search of her name.

Halstatt

It’s a three-hour long distance from Vienna and it is ridiculously cold, but it’s worth the journey.

Halstatt is a small town located near a river at which you can get to either by taking the train which leaves you at a stop in the middle of nowhere and get the boat taxi from there or you can rent a car and drive. I would suggest taking the train because the views are amazing. Plain white sceneries making you feel like you’re part of a winter time movie. Every single tree is covered in white, like the sceneries you’re used to reading about in books. Or at least the books I’m reading.

Dress as warmly as possible, because the temperature there is often below 0. Also, if visiting during winter like me then be prepared for few cafes and restaurants being open. Apparently, Halstatt’s market and all actually closes for two-week total. So, there is pretty not many things to do. However, the scenery of the town from the side as the sun sets it’s exactly what you’re going there for.

I had a great time visiting Vienna; it’s a very romantic city and you should visit it with your better half. Make sure to walk around so you’ll be able to see all the hidden cafes like Cafe Ludwing that serves great coffee. With a pair of rubber bottom boots and a warm jacket you can easily roam around Vienna. Be prepared a bit by checking the Tik Tok videos about the city, there are some interesting facts and heads up for all of you.

Until next time Vienna!

Thanks for reading!

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