Christmas Markets - Vienna (Wein)

Saturday, 7 December and Sunday, 8 December 2024

We went with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for a Danube cruise with an emphasis on traditional German Christmas Markets (Christkindlmarkts or Weihnachtsmarkts). We started in Vienna and ended in Nuremberg. Of course, there was a lot more to see than just the markets.

The entrance to the Weiner Christkindlmarkt, the largest in Austria. It's at the "Rathausplatz" (City Hall Plaza). The Gothic building in the background is not a cathedral, but the City Hall ("Rathaus").

Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) has an interesting roof. It also has a small "Weichnachtsdorf" or Christmas Village (aka Christmas Market). (There are eight Christmas Markets just in the center of Vienna.)

A gate in the large Hofburg Palace.

A Lippizaner stallion getting a heated massage prior to the morning exercise at the Spanish Riding School.

The arena for the Spanish Riding School.

The arena before the morning exercise. No photos were allowed while the horses were training.

Carriage rides were available in several places. This is the line at Stephansdomplatz.

Schönbrunner Schloss

In the afternoon we traveled a short distance to the outskirts of Vienna to visit the Schönbrunner Palace. (The names mean "beautiful fountain".) The massive palace has large gardens that are closed for the winter, and a large Christmas Market taking up the plaza in front of the palace.

Reflection in an ornament on the large Christmas tree in front of the palace.

The large palace was very similar to the Russian czars' palaces we visited in St. Petersburg. That's not too surprising since Versailles was the model for Baroque palaces. (For comparison, here are my blog posts for the Hermitage, Catherine's palace, and Peterhof.)

Painted ceiling.

Elaborate parquet floor.

The large Weihnachtsmarkt outside the palace. The markets really shine at night. Even though sunset was about 4 PM, we usually had to be back aboard our ship before nightfall.