Xmas & New Years Eve in Vienna

cold

on x-mas 25th and 26th of dec all shops are closed, also some restaurants do not open, bars, clubs all run normally, new years eve is a big street party with lots of music, booze, people, fireworks etc
if you want to book hotels try to do it now, especially new years eve is usually quite full with tourists from Italy
temperature normally is between +8C till -10C , sometimes there is snow, sometimes not

Hi,
have a look at www.wien.info.de - it is in english too.
rgds

Even tho it will be very cold around that time, it's ok, so long as you wrap up warm. Everywhere is really, really well heated too, which provides some relief from the cold. When I was there around the New Year period, the city felt quite magical. It was really festive.

I would definately book now as it's really popular around that time of year with tourists.

Usually on new years eve, there is a fabulous street party along the Stephansplatz, with people drinking ice cold beer, enjoying the local food people doing the Viennese Waltz, singing, and general merryment. But beware, if crowds are not your thing, best to avoid as it was VERY busy.

The summer palace, SchonBrunn, I've been told is best viewed in the summer when the gardens are in bloom, but personally, a visit there in the winter is amazing. It feels very mystical in the cold and fog, with the gardens frosted and iced over.

Most of the shops and business' are open as usual, they shut on new years eve and new years day tho. One of the things I did notice is that due to it being the holiday period, with the exception of the city centre, the streets felt kinda quiet at night. It's not a massive problem tho, and overall, it's a wonderful time to visit the city.

Hi, nice to hear you chose to spend xmas in my hometown Vienna!

As said before, wrap up warmly! You should expect temperatures below freezing.

The big party in the city centre at around Stephansplatz (St. Stephen's Square) and Kaerntnerstrasse are VERY full on, LOADS of people, but heaps of fun, too. At midnight, everyone starts to dance the Viennese Waltz :) The underground will be running all night long, but the U1 station Stephansplatz will be closed. Get off at Karlsplatz, from there it's a 5min walk.

In Austria, we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, the 25th and 26th are stat days which are usually spent with family, therefore it'll be pretty quiet in the city, I'd also expect most shops to be closed.

Also, make sure you visit some of the beautiful christmas markets. The biggest one is in front of the Rathaus (City Hall). Although it's a beautiful setting, it's not the nicest one to visit. Most stalls sell drinks and foods as opposed to traditional handicrafts. Try the one at the above mentioned Summer Palace Schoenbrunn. It has a magical feel to it, in front of the lit up castle.

Make sure you try some Punsch or Gluehwein (hot mulled wine).

On the streets you'll find little stalls (basically a tiny wooden hut with a big oven in it) selling Bratkartoffeln (potatoes) and Maroni (chestnuts). A treat! They'll warm you up, are tasty, and very typical for Vienna!

Let me know if you have any more questions, and enjoy your stay!

I'm considering spending a few days in Vienna for new years so this has been really useful - thanks!

If we visit from Friday, 31st to Tuesday, 4th Jan will we be able to visit the palace, will it be open?

The palace is always open. Just becareful on New Year's Eve as teenagers throw bottles and fireworks at other people on the street.