Author: Ann Laemmlen Lewis

Today we spent several hours wandering around Vienna–going from one Christmas Market to the next.  The markets are in the town squares or plazas by all of the “Sehenswurdigkeiten” (sight-worthy places) we hoped to see in Vienna.   It felt like a two-for-one bonus to be here during the Christmas season.

The markets usually open at 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning and go all day, until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m.  The mornings aren’t as crowded and it’s easier to enjoy seeing the things in the shops.

These Christmas Markets are historical and looked forward to:

In 1764 there was mention of a Saint Nicholas and Christmas market at Freyung. As this was also the location of a regular market, conflicts between stand owners of both markets led to the provisional relocation of the Saint Nicholas and Christmas market to Platz am Hof in 1842. In 1843 it became the permanent site for the market: every year on 5 December, 132 “crèche market stands” were put up and remained there until New Year’s day.

Below are photos of the different kinds of booths and crafts and food we saw today.  The air was crisp and cold, but the booths were filled with hot food and drinks and we were surrounded by happy people enjoying themselves and the food offerings–things like fresh pastries and baked goods, candied nuts, flavored popcorn, chocolate-covered fruit, brats of all varieties, crepes, and local dishes.

In Vienna you can hire horse carriages to take you around the city.

Here is the Christkindmarkt, another fun market venue:

The history of the Christmas Star goes back about 160 years.  These beautiful stars hang all over Europe in shops and homes at Christmas time.  They are beautiful.  Some are made of paper, some are made to survive outdoors.  Most are lit and hung in windows, these geometric wonders that remind us of the Christmas Star that shined down on Bethlehem.

I am bringing some of these patterned cut stars home to remind me of our Christmases here.

Sometimes the displays are as interesting as what is being displayed!

Gluhwein, or hot mulled wine is the most popular drink sold in Christmas Markets.

Off to the next market–the Vienna Christkindmarkt by the Rathaus.  It was a little like going to Temple Square with all the trees lit up.  There was also a large ice skating track.

While John went to get a Käsekrainer—a frankfurter-type Wurst stuffed with cheese, onions, parsley, mustard and curry powder–I sat on a bench and watched people. I’d say only one in ten looked German or spoke German. I learned later that there are BUS LOADS of people who come to this market from the Slavic countries–Romania, Hungary, and the other eastern European countries. Dark haired, olive complections. I sat there feeling like I was living through the tower of Babel–I couldn’t understand their languages–so few were German-speakers. It was so interesting.

Snow globes were first invented in Austria.

These spiral-cut potatoes are one of our favorite snacks.

I really liked these hand-painted ornaments from Ukraine.  We bought a few.

Do you ever wonder what happens with all of the treasures that aren’t sold here in these Christmas Markets?  Every booth has to have enough inventory to look FULL every day for several weeks.  I never saw a booth or stall (in these big markets) that looked like it was running out of things to sell.  Where to all the leftovers go for the rest of the year??  And can you imagine packing up and moving out when the market ends?  They usually pack up and take down in a day or two.  And did you ever wonder about all of the electrical outlets demanded by cobble-stoned places like these?  Many of the wires are run underground and they come up through openings like manholes with electrical boxes below the surface.  It’s all so fascinating!

After leaving these markets this evening, we made our way back into the heart of Vienna to the Musikverein for our evening concert, Handel’s Messiah.  A perfect way to end a very fun day!

Where every we go in Europe, I look for Stolpersteine, or stumbling blocks that commemorate the lives of people who once lived in these specific places.  These brass memorials mark the last place that person or family lived before being forced to leave.  Many were going to their deaths.

Here are a few of the Stolpersteine I noticed in Vienna.  Interestingly, each of these documents a group or family.  One below memorializes a group of 23 Jewish men and women who lived or boarded in one house.

My heart goes out to these individuals.  I honor their memory.

As we wandered in Vienna today, we happened upon this Jewish memorial.

This simple gray cement memorial really moved me.  It was still.  Quiet.  Silent.  Just like the voices of 65,000 people.  What we wouldn’t pay to hear each of their stories now.

In the Judenplatz (Jewish plaza) is a Jewish Museum.  I wish we’d had time to return when it was open.

Meanwhile the war in Gaza continues and hostages are still being held.  They are also remembered here.

Why can’t people just be kind???

This morning we followed our daughter, Claire’s advice (she lived here a few years ago) and booked a free walking tour through Guru called “Walk a Free Tour, Vienna: Part 1—Top Highlights” at 10:15am. We walked to the meeting point by the Opera House. Our guide, was really terrific. Knowledgeable, excellent English, funny and friendly.  He’s from Norway but has adopted Vienna. He studied Art History and living in Vienna is the perfect match for his dream life. He’s been here eight years.  To be a tour guide here, you have to have an advanced degree in history.

After the Opera House, we learned about Sacher Cakes, the Albertina, the Hofburg (former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria, originally built in the 13th C), Emperor Franz Josef I and his wife, Elisabeth (Sisi), the Spanish Lipizzaner stallions, the very expensive Kohlmarkt (where we saw the house where Chopin lived in 1830-1831) and Graben, the statue memorializing the plague, and the Stefansdom exterior.

We also got a much better perspective on Hitler in Vienna as an art student and the political environment he absorbed while there that helped lead to his own political persuasions. It was all very interesting.

This is where the Spanish Lipizzaner stallions are housed.  They are really pampered!

These walking tours are a great way to orient yourselves in a new city.  There are different tours you can select.  At the end you leave a tip with the tour guide–usually 10-20 Euros each.

The tour ended in the heart of the city at the Dom.

We went inside to get a look at this magnificence in the day time.

I find it interesting that so many people in Europe still smoke.  Here’s a cigarette vending machine.

After the tour, we popped into a few more of the churches in the area.

This one was a Greek Orthodox chapel.

After this, we returned to places we wanted to see in more detail.

Each church has its own special feeling.  Love and care went into creating these sacred places of worship.

Often in these church Nativities, the Christ Child doesn’t appear until Christmas Eve.

Summer is a good time to visit the gardens.  Christmastime is a good time to visit the churches.  I love the fresh greenery and the smell of pine in these churches as we celebrate Christ’s birth.

Below is the beautiful and ornate Jesuit Church.

After fun in the Christmas Market we walked to the Stephan Dom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), where our evening concert would begin at 8:30. We had about an hour to walk through the small CMS Market by the side of the cathedral. It was a walk up and back, with more interesting things and some food booths.

At 8:00 we got in the line at the Cathedral, as instructed, and stood there for 30 min (it was cold), waiting to go in. There was an evening Mass before and we had to wait for everyone to come out.

Finally inside, we were awestruck by the beauty of the Cathedral. It was huge, lit by candelabras and backlights on the pillars. There were beautiful Christmas trees everywhere (not decorated, just natural). There were so many beautiful, really beautiful stone carvings everywhere, really tastefully done. It was huge, but felt cozy, comfortable and so beautiful.

Then the lights lowered and the music began.  It was beautiful–classical–Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, and some of my favorite German Christmas carols. There was a small group of musicians and a great soprano and a base with a big voice. It was really a wonderful concert. We enjoyed every single selection and the time went by quickly. Afterwards, we walked through the cathedral again as people were leaving, just to enjoy it in the evening light. I love the Advent candles and all the pine greenery and trees. I’ll bet there were 40 trees in the Cathedral.

Christmas Markets in Vienna, Oh MY!!  This beautiful city has as many as 20 markets full of fun and festivity.  We spent the evening wandering through the city, happening upon one market after the next.   The markets fill the plazas and the streets and they’re filled with vendor shops, delicious food and so much eye candy!

Each market has a name or theme.  This Art Advent featured many local artists.  For me, taking photos of all the different things for sale captures the experience so I can revisit these places in the future.  I tried to photograph things that looked interesting to me.  I hope you enjoy this visual feast!

This Art Advent Market had a fun play area for the children with a petting zoo, of sorts, and some Nativity animals.

The Christkind (a woman) welcomes visitors to the market.

She is followed by her entourage of musicians with their drums in every size and variety.

Following the drummers were the scary figures.

This market was in the plaza by several large churches.  We went into Karls Kirche after an evening mass.

It was magnificent, especially with the Christmas trees, the yule wreath  and the illuminated great star up above.

Every church also displays a beautiful Nativity.

Back to the market!  I love seeing handcrafted items.  This market was fun.

For dinner I chose a baked potato with a creamy mushroom sauce and John chose Kasespaetzle.  Mmmm.

These looked delicious!  They were like hot scones with different toppings.

After a wonderful evening in the Christmas Market, we headed across town to our Marriott hotel.  The entire city is festive and beautifully lit.

Mozartkuegel beckoning to John.  COME EAT ME!

A favorite chocolate shop:  Laederach.

John REALLY wanted this gift bag of chocolates.  It was 25 Euro.  He restrained himself.

We passed by the great Cathedral on our way home.  It is spectacular!  Another Christmas Market surrounded the cathedral.

Loved this Nativity made in Seiffen, Germany.  The price was 850 Euro for the smaller size, 1200 Euro for the larger one.  The photo was free.

The Adventure begins!!  In Germany, most offices close down during Christmas time.  We decided to take advantage of this Christmas break and take a little trip to Vienna and Salzburg.   We are excited to travel to the land of beautiful music and Christmas markets.

We traveled by train, leaving early this morning, first catching the U-Bahn from our apartment to the main train station downtown.

Here is the Hauptbahnhof (main train station).  It’s beautiful and it’s like a little city, a Mecca for travelers.

Inside it’s like shopping mall inside, with lots of food vendors and shops.  We got there early enough to find our way around and have ample time to find the right tracks for our departure.  There are zero places to sit in the Bahnhof (unless you are sitting at a food place eating their food).

Germany is festive at Christmas time.  I was thrilled to see a large wood-carved Nativity reminding us of the reason for the festivity.

As you can see below, there are lots of tracks that come into this train station.

Here is the ICE train we took (Inter City Express).  These ICE trains don’t stop at every single town, they are generally much faster.  You can reserve a seat in economy or first class.

It felt much like being in a small airplane, as far as the seating.  The travel was as smooth as glass and I felt right at home watching a traveling companion working with her hands, making socks.  Many people around us are traveling to spend Christmas with their families.

We arrived in Vienna at about 5:00 p.m., rested and excited.