Some Austrian markets pack up on Christmas Eve and others run through to Epiphany, so the dates matter when planning your visit. Krampus and Perchten processions still come through the streets on selected nights in late November and early December, and the Christmas markets in Austria range from more than ten across the capital to a single day on a lakeside square in the Salzkammergut.
Christmas Markets in Austria
Dates
Status: Confirmed
Austrian dates: 6th November 2026 to 6th January 2027 (specific dates vary by market, see below).
Last checked: October 2026
Update: Dates were finalised in July. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.
Our Top Picks
Looking for a specific market? Skip to the full list ↓.
1. Vienna
Vienna is the only city in Austria where the markets are the trip rather than part of it. More than ten of them run across the capital and they are genuinely different from one another: Rathausplatz for the light display and the illuminated heart that floats across the square every half hour after dusk, Art Advent on Karlsplatz for the only fully organic market in the country, where stallholders have to have made what they sell, and Freyung, Am Hof and Spittelberg for the crafts locals actually buy.
Give it at least two full days. Go after dark and go on a weekday, because the popular squares are packed shoulder to shoulder by four on a Saturday. See Rathausplatz for the lights, then do your eating and shopping at one of the smaller markets.
Read the full Vienna Christmas Market guide.
To stay in a central location, book one of my recommended hotels in Vienna. In general, I suggest staying near the Museum Quarter or Rathausplatz.
2. Salzburg
The Christkindlmarkt here dates back to the late 15th century, making it one of the oldest in the German-speaking world, and the season runs later than in most of Austria: Sternadvent extends into the first week of January. Baroque facades ring Residenzplatz and the Hohensalzburg fortress sits lit above them, which is why it turns up in more photographs than any other Austrian market.
Salzburg is small, so it works as an add-on to Vienna or Munich rather than a trip in its own right. The central squares take one evening to walk through. Save daylight for Hellbrunn, where the family market is, or for the fortress courtyard and its tarte flambée, which only opens Friday to Sunday and regularly catches people out.
Read the full Salzburg Christmas Market guide.
My curated list of hotels in Salzburg, can help you find a place to stay.
3. Graz
Graz packs more than a dozen markets into an old town you can walk across in twenty minutes, and the quality sits in the courtyards and side squares rather than on the main one. The Eiskrippe, a life-sized nativity carved from solid ice in the Landhaushof, is what people talk about afterwards, along with the light projections that run across the medieval facades once it gets dark.
Treat it as a walking circuit rather than picking one market. Joanneumsviertel, Mehlplatz and Nikolaiplatz are quieter and better curated than Hauptplatz, and the Schlossbergbahn takes you up to Aufsteirern in the Kasematten. Come on a weekday, and see the ice nativity early in its run before a mild spell blurs the carving.
Read the full Graz Christmas Market guide.
You won’t have to walk too far by choosing one of these central hotels in Graz.
4. Innsbruck
The mountains sit directly behind the stalls in Innsbruck, close enough that locals ski before work, and seven separate markets spread between the Golden Roof, the River Inn and the top of a funicular. The food people remember is Kiachln, fried dough served with sauerkraut or lingonberry jam, from the vendor with the longest queue in the Old Town.
See the Old Town for the setting, then cross the Inn to Wilten or St Nikolaus, which are cheaper and calmer, and where the handmade goods are. Bring euros, because plenty of stalls are cash only and the drink cups carry a deposit. Midweek mornings beat weekend evenings comfortably.
Read the full Innsbruck Christmas Market guide.
Book one of my recommended hotels in Innsbruck.
Listen: Austria Podcast Q&A
Before you book, listen to the latest podcast episode, where I go through the questions people ask most. Which markets are worth the trip, how long to spend at each destination, and what to expect once you get there.
Complete List of Austrian Christmas Markets
If you’re looking for places to visit outside of Austria, read my guide to the Best Christmas Markets in Europe.
- Bad Ischl – Salzkammergut spa town and Franz Joseph’s summer residence, with wood carvings, hand painted glassware and Kasnocken at the stalls.
- Graz – See top picks above.
- Hallstatt – A one day market run by locals on the tiny Marktplatz beneath the Dachstein. Book early to secure a hotel in Hallstatt or arrange a day trip from Salzburg.
- Innsbruck – See top picks above.
- Kitzbühel – Tyrolean ski town market with wooden toys, ceramics, gebrannte Mandeln, a petting zoo and a carousel.
- Klagenfurt – Carinthian market circling a Renaissance square, strong on hand-knitted wool. I stumbled upon it while visiting a friend who lived there and still have the socks. Book a hotel in Klagenfurt.
- Linz – Over 160 stalls across five markets, linked at weekends by a free Weihnachtszug.
- Salzburg – See top picks above.
- St. Wolfgang – Advent on the shore of the Wolfgangsee, with pottery, glassware and carved figurines, and a lake boat between the villages.
- Vienna – See top picks above.
- Villach – Carinthian city near the Italian and Slovenian borders, with the parish church tower wrapped in light and Kärntner Nudeln and Reindling at the food huts.
Sustainability
- Take the train: ÖBB reaches every city in this guide, and the new Koralmbahn now links Graz to Klagenfurt in 41 minutes. The Klimaticket covers unlimited regional or national travel if you are moving between several markets.
- Return the Häferl: every Glühwein and Punsch comes in a deposit mug that gets washed and reused all season. Hand it back unless you actually want the souvenir.
- Buy the protected products: Steirisches Kürbiskernöl holds PGI status, and Gailtaler Almkäse (PDO) and Gailtaler Speck (PGI) come from a single Carinthian valley. All three travel well.
- Buy from the makers: carvers, glass blowers and knitters sell their own work at Neuer Platz in Klagenfurt, the Kunst Advent stalls in Villach and Art Advent on Karlsplatz. Resellers of imported stock sit alongside them and the difference is visible.
- Stay overnight in the small places: Hallstatt’s pressure comes almost entirely from day visitors. A night there supports the businesses and gets you the village before the buses arrive.
- Order what you will finish: portions at Austrian food huts are generous and staff will box up what you cannot eat. Asking is normal here, not an imposition.
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