The Christmas season in Vienna begins as early as the first weeks of November and lasts until the end of the calendar year. During this time, the city is adorned with the finest lights and decorations, and shop windows are also decorated with a variety of holiday ornaments. There is no doubt that this is a very colorful and impressive time in the city of Vienna. Despite the cold outside, the general atmosphere is warm and heartfelt.
Because locals cherish this season, decorated and brightly lit streets appear throughout the city. Bright lights line the main avenues, while the side streets also share in the festive decorations. Across the city center, charming wooden markets offer food, drinks, and holiday gift stalls, drawing locals and tourists alike to enjoy seasonal treats and traditional hot wine perfectly suited to this time of year.
If you are worried that you won’t enjoy the holiday atmosphere if you don’t stay directly in the center, don’t worry! In Vienna, you can’t miss the experience of the lights. Still, there are several particularly recommended areas during the Christmas season in Vienna. Of course, the more you are in the heart of things, the higher the hotel prices will be. It is important to remember that the Christmas period is very popular in Vienna, so it is worth considering and compromising on slightly less central areas that will also be less crowded.
In the list below, we have included some of the recommended parts of the city for accommodation, some right in the heart of things and some a little more distant. In addition, each section has a link to the list of recommended places on Booking.com. We have added the necessary filters so that the list is focused on the relevant neighborhood.
Where to Choose a Hotel for Christmas in Vienna?
During the Christmas season (from mid-November to the end of December), several decorated and beautiful Christmas markets operate throughout the city. The markets are spread throughout the city, so you can choose a hotel in several different areas and still stay close to the beautiful Christmas markets. Since the Christmas period is very popular in Vienna, it is best to book your hotel well in advance and not delay your decision.
These are the recommended areas for choosing a hotel near the Christmas markets. When you click the link at the end of each section, it takes you to a Booking.com page with all the necessary filters for the relevant hotels.
1. The Old City – District 1
There is no doubt that the Old City area, Vienna’s first district, is the most decorated, and combined with the ancient streets, churches, and ornate buildings, it looks quite charming. If you take a hotel in the first district, you will be right in the heart of things, surrounded by all the holiday decorations and close to several cute Christmas markets. Click for a list of accommodations in Vienna’s first district.
2. The City Hall (Rathaus)
Another area is the City Hall (Rathaus), where Vienna’s largest and main market is located. This market is impressive in its beauty, and of course, you won’t want to miss a visit during your stay in the city. You can stay in the City Hall area and be a short walk from this wonderful market. The 7th and 8th districts are right behind the City Hall area and are wonderful in themselves. In addition, if you take a hotel in Vienna’s 7th or 6th district, you will be close to the Mariahilfer shopping street and lots of wonderful shops, restaurants, and bars. Click for a list of recommended accommodations in the 8th, 7th, and 6th districts of Vienna.
3. The Second District – Near the Prater
For those who want to be in the second district of Vienna, also known as the Jewish quarter, you can stay in Taborstraße or Praterstraße (these are long boulevards with plenty of hotels and apartments) and walk from there to the decorated city center, or alternatively, stay closer to the Prater park, where a great Christmas market also operates, blending wonderfully with the twinkling lights of the amusement park rides. Click for a list of recommended accommodations in the 2nd district.
4. Schönbrunn Palace
If you want to be away from the hustle and bustle, you can choose to stay in the area of Schönbrunn Palace. In the palace square, there is a beautiful market around a multi-story fir tree with a wide variety of stalls. Although Schönbrunn Palace is not in the city center, as long as you are near a subway station, you can get back to the center quickly. Click for a list of recommended accommodations near Schönbrunn.
Additional Tips for Choosing a Hotel During the Christmas Season
Hotel Heating
As you can imagine, at this time of year, the temperatures are low, and sometimes it even snows, so it is important to arrive dressed appropriately for the cold weather. In the hotels themselves, there will be no problem with heating at all. You don’t need to look for a hotel with air conditioning, as the hotel’s central heating system provides the heating. All hotels have a separate and efficient heating system.
Accommodation Outside the Center
Another important thing to remember is that the Christmas period is very popular in Vienna, and therefore the prices of central hotels will be particularly high, and the hustle and bustle in the city center can be overwhelming. In fact, even if your hotel is a little far from the center, there will be no problem at all getting to the heart of the city quickly if you are close to a subway station. Public transport in Vienna is exceptionally efficient, so if you make sure you are close to a subway station, you will have no problem getting anywhere in the city easily.
Hotel Prices
Unsurprisingly, hotel prices during the Christmas season rise very high. Demand runs particularly high during this period, so you must take it into account. We will mention again that there is no problem at all to take hotels outside the center and get around with public transport. This way you will save a little on the cost of the hotel or apartment and you can experience the quieter Vienna where the locals live.
You can continue reading about Vienna during the Christmas season in the comprehensive article we have prepared. This article provides extensive details on all of Vienna’s Christmas markets and explains what to do during the holidays, when many places are closed. Go to the article on Christmas in Vienna.
