Vienna and Its First Christmas Tree
Five Christmas markets and the square of Vienna's first Christmas tree.
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Vienna has more than a dozen Christmas markets, and this walk links the best ones in the centre. It starts in the Christmas village between the museums on Maria-Theresien-Platz and continues to the city's largest market in front of the City Hall. From there it crosses the old squares of Freyung and Am Hof to Hoher Markt. Fanny von Arnstein lived here, and at Christmas 1814, during the Congress of Vienna, she put up the first known Christmas tree in the city. The walk ends at St Stephen's Cathedral and the Christmas village around it.
The stops
- 1
Maria Theresia Memorial
The empress stands in the middle of the Christmas village between the Art History and Natural History museums.
- 2
Vienna City Hall
The city's largest Christmas market stands in front of the neo-Gothic City Hall, with lit trees in the park.
- 3
Freyung
The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt fills this triangular square in front of the Schottenstift.
- 4
Kirche Am Hof
The Advent market on Am Hof, the largest square in the old town, stands in front of this church.
- 5
Ankeruhr
The art nouveau clock on Hoher Markt. Fanny von Arnstein lived on this square, where Vienna's first known Christmas tree stood in 1814.
- 6
Saint Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna's Gothic cathedral with its patterned roof, surrounded by a Christmas village.
About the trip
- Where
- Vienna
- Getting around
- On foot
- Time
- 2 h 37 min
- Distance
- 3.1 km
- Stops
- 6
- Season
- November–December
- Themes
- History, Food
Practical
- Start
- Maria-Theresien-Platz, by the Volkstheater or Museumsquartier U-Bahn stations.
- Finish
- St Stephen's Cathedral, by Stephansplatz U-Bahn station (U1 and U3).
- Toilets
- At the U-Bahn stations, in the museums on Maria-Theresien-Platz and in cafés.
- Accessibility
- A flat route with cobblestones on Freyung and Am Hof. It is very crowded in front of the City Hall in the evenings and at weekends.