Christmas markets
Sparkling trees and wafts of spicy gingerbread bring festive cheer to Vienna's
Christmas markets during Advent. The City Hall casts a golden glow over
Rathausplatz, framed by log huts selling nativity figurines, candles and candied sweets. Kids love the pony rides and merry-go-rounds. Pick up gifts like handmade chocolate and sheepskins in the cobbled lanes of the Biedermeier quarter,
Spittelberg. Santa stages an appearance each Sunday.
Schönbrunn Palace pleases the Christmas crowds with roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.
Vienna on ice
From January to March, locals glide on the 5,400-square-metre outdoor ice rink in the shadow of the neo-Gothic City Hall at
Vienna Ice Dream. Beginners and children slip their skates on for a free twirl or tumble at the laidback
afternoon sessions. In the evening
DJs pick up the pace with salsa and disco beats. Six curling lanes and open-air snack bars add to the fun.
Ball season
The city where Strauss taught the world to waltz leaps to life during Vienna's lavish
ball season in January and February. Brush up on your footwork, choose a ballgown or tuxedo, and book tickets at the same time as reserving your Vienna hotel to attend one of Vienna's 300 glittering balls. One of the grandest occasions is the
Opera Ball in the gilded Hofburg Palace, where carnation petals rain down during
The Blue Danunbe. Classical music lovers choose the
Philharmonic Ball at the Musikverein.
Grand coffee houses
No winter break in Vienna is complete without spending a lazy afternoon of coffee and cake in an opulent
coffee house. For old-world grandeur, live piano music and rich chocolate
Sachertorte, take a seat in the chandelier-lit
Café Sacher or in the marble splendour of
Café Central.
Escape the cold over espresso, apple strudel and the daily newspapers at intimate
Café Bräunerhof. Wood-panelled
Café Hawelka is another master in Austrian
gemütlichkeit (cosiness) -- don't leave without trying the jam-filled
Buchteln dumplings.
Spa warmers
The Viennese beat the winter cold with spas. Take the thermal waters at the
Oberlaa Spa, where jetted tubs, 32°C pools and herbal saunas relax chilled limbs.
Sacher Spa pampers the body with almost edible chocolate massages and cocoa steam baths. A snippet of Morocco in Vienna,
Aux Gazelles Hammam, lures spa-goers to its steamy chambers for invigorating scrubs, oily massages and aromatic mint tea.
Winter sports
Vienna has its own 400m ski slope and lift at
Hohe Wand-Wiese in the Wienerwald woods on the city's outskirts. Floodlights allow skiers to slalom by night. When the snow settles, cross-country skiers skate along prepared trails on the banks of the
Danube and families grab their sleds to toboggan the
Prater's slopes.
New Year celebrations
Vienna rings in the New Year in true celebratory spirit with
fireworks in front of City Hall, where the mile-long New Year's Eve trail kicks off. The route takes in open-air concerts, DJ stands, and kiosks that fuel the party with drinks and snacks. Vienna's socialites waltz into the New Year at the Hofburg Palace's
Imperial Ball. Book tickets a year ahead to see the Philharmonic perform at the
New Year's Day concert in the Musikverein's shimmering Golden Hall.
