Decorated and illuminated for Christmas - Schönbrunn

Tuesday, 17 December 2019 16:14
Written by Portal Editor

Those who drive through the city center of Vienna these days will encounter astonishing lines of visitors in the early morning already, which despite cold and light snow fall hike towards Schönbrunn Palace.

World-famous and due to that always surrounded by numerous visitors, Schönbrunn Palace, in its current form built in the 18th century as a summer residence for Empress Maria Theresa, is probably the most important tourist destination in Vienna. Schönbrunn Palace is located in the 13th district of Vienna, Hietzing. Its name goes back to a saying attributed to Emperor Matthias. He is said to have "discovered" and called out an artesian spring while hunting here: "Welch’ schöner Brunn ".

Schönbrunn is the largest castle and one of the most important and most visited cultural assets in Austria, not least because of the many myths and stories about Empress "Sissi". The castle and the 160-hectare park have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1996. A main attraction in the castle park is the oldest still existing zoo in the world, the Schönbrunn Zoo. As already mentioned, the castle and park are among the main tourist attractions in Vienna.

Culture and Christmas market at Schönbrunn Palace

In our list of Christmas markets to be visited, the Schönbrunn Palace culture and Christmas market is one of the first, because it offers a (pre) Christmas experience of a special kind. In the around 80 lovingly decorated huts, which form an externally closed form of a merchant village there is a lot to discover. With free admission, exhibitors from Austria and neighboring countries conjure up advent flair in the magnificently illuminated courtyard in front of the impressive silhouette of Schönbrunn Palace. The exclusive range in the tastefully decorated huts ranges from traditional handicrafts such as wood carving to nostalgic toys to lovely Christmas decorations made of glass, wood, ceramics, paper or tin. The market visitors are also not neglected in culinary terms. Numerous restaurateurs spoil the visitors with warming mulled wine and punch variations as well as classics from Austria from sweet to spicy.

Jazz concerts take place daily at the Schönbrunn Palace New Year's Market and there are all sorts of things to discover for New Year's Eve and the turn of the year. Since 2012 the market has been able to adorn itself with the "Certificate of Excellence" awarded. The market owes this award, in addition to the unique ambience in front of Schönbrunn Palace, to the variety of products and traditional Austrian handicrafts. Success is confirmed by an annual visitor number of more than one million.

Christmas experience for our small market visitors

In order to shorten the wait for the Christ child, there is a lot to discover for the small market guests at the Schönbrunn Palace culture and Christmas market. In the Christmas workshop, sweet marzipan figures can be modeled, or gingerbread can be decorated as the mood takes you. There is also plenty of fun and games at the Christmas market. The hands-on rally invites children to solve tricky puzzles with the shepherds on stilts and play fun games. Those who have completed the tasks may ring the bell with the lamb. The experience - starry house is also worth a visit. There is a lot to discover on the Christmas hidden object. Our small market visitors can also play exciting games such as match-four or giant memory around the clock.