Festive lights decorating the streets and the trees.
The smell of sweet almonds, chestnuts, and hot punch in the air.
For many people, the most wonderful time of the year has started.
Every year, from mid-November 'till Christmas, the most beautiful squares in Vienna
turn into more than a dozen spectacular Christmas Markets.
We’ll show you what all there is to see there.
And what all is different this year.
Because the pandemic is still going on.
Let's have a look!
With more than 150 stalls, this City Hall Christmas Market behind me
is one of the biggest ones and also my favorite.
But before we explore further, let me tell you:
the real magic happens at night.
For many people, Christmas Markets are an essential part
of the advent season leading up to Christmas.
And each winter, they attract numerous tourists.
In German, they are also called Christkindlmarkt or Weihnachtsmarkt.
At Christmas markets, you can buy your Christmas gifts,
souvenirs and all kinds of seasonal items.
One of the biggest highlights, however, is the food.
Some of the most common snacks are candied or toasted almonds.
Lebkuchen and gingerbread hearts,
mulled wine, called Glühwein.
and hot punch.
Both help you stay warm in the cold winter air
which often dips below freezing temperatures.
It’s very common to meet at one of these open stalls
with your friends or colleagues and enjoy the festive atmosphere with a hot drink.
I took the Kinderpunsch, because all the other ones have alcohol in them.
It’s very tasty and very sweet.
Last year, in many parts of Europe the Christmas Markets were cancelled due to Coronavirus.
This year, the Viennese markets opened for a short while
with a few changes and new rules before another lockdown was declared and they
had to close again.
That is when we visited there.
But hopefully, the lockdown ends as planned on the 13th December.
And they will open up again.
According to those new rules and safety measures, Only vaccinated or recovered people are allowed
to enjoy food and drinks at Christmas Markets.
So if you plan on visiting, bring your vaccination certificate and your ID
as it's very likely that the rules will remain the same when they open up.
If you are planning on going to more than one market,
you can also get a wristband.
Later this year, after Christmas, all this turns into a big ice skating rink.
Vienna holds up to 20 different Christmas Markets.
All those different Christmas Markets have a different atmosphere and ambience.
We won't show you all 20 of them.
But a few of our personal favourites ones.
My favorite, the City Hall Christmas Market,
has a small ferris wheel,
a carousel, the famous Herzerlbaum,
a tree, decorated with many red hearts,
the beautiful backdrop of the lit-up City Hall
and it's located right in the inner city.
Just a short 10 minute walk further, is the Christmas village at Maria-Theresien-Square,
right between the art museum and the natural history museum.
Right in the middle of it, you can see the centre-piece monument to Empress Maria Theresa.
Right in the heart of the very city centre, next to Stephan's dome,
you can find a slightly smaller and more simple Christmas Market.
Most of the arts and crafts sold here are made or finished in Austria.
The surrounding historic shopping streets like Kärntner Strasse and Graben
are decorated with magnificent Christmas lights.
See if you can spot the house with a gigantic ribbon not far from the Opera.
Another treat you can find almost everywhere around Vienna
around Christmas time, and especially near the Christmas Markets are roasted chestnuts.
You can get around 8 to 10 pieces for 2 to 3 Euros.
So they taste quite starchy, and a bit nutty and a bit sweet also.
But it’s a very filling snack.
If you take the U-Bahn, the underground train to Karlsplatz station,
you will arrive at the Karlskirche. It's one of the most outstanding churches in Vienna,
built in the 18th century.
The Christmas Market here is called the Art Advent Market.
It has stringent application process that vendors must go through in order to have a stand.
This ensures that only the highest quality arts and crafts are on offer.
And an added requirement is that the artists themselves must be the seller.
Apart from the marvellous choice of arts and crafts,
this Art Advent offers organic catering in a good choice of vegan food options.
The Belvedere Palace is another place in Vienna where
Baroque meets Christmas.
This market is one of the most romantic ones with that picturesque background of the beautiful palace.
And it's a little smaller and less hectic than others.
I'm getting very cold here.
Even the hot punsch can’t keep me warm anymore.
But I do hope that you enjoyed this video.
Do subscribe to the DW Travel channel for more such videos.
See you next time!