The quest for golden heritage of Vienna ends with the historical origins of famed Christmas celebrations of the country. Small alpine towns accommodate the warmth of Christmas joy amidst all the snow covered grounds. Although such are markets are way smaller in comparison, and they pull in a lesser number of visitors, their ambience leaves everyone humbled to join in with all the celebrations, creating their own ambience of hospitality and charm of the Christmas season.
Each market within Vienna is different as it is defined by a specific neighborhood. There are markets which would be selling in particular snacks and confectionaries, while others would be specialized in hosiery. The cold weather tempts many to go for additional accessories for wear, including gloves, scarves and hats. Certain areas are even cleared for ice skating, easing out commute instead of walking.
Traditionally, the culture is known as ‘dream skating’, as all the festivities leave all skaters in a trance. Entire squares are well lit along with music to let skaters have a ball of a time overnight. As Vienna is on the eastern side of central Europe, it doesn’t touch the freezing extremes during winters. A thin layer of ice sustains in December, making it ideal for enjoying skating outdoors without much hassle.
The largest, as well as the central markets are the ones lining the Vienna City Hall and the Schoenbrunn Palace. Their areas are the ones most heavily decorated, with avenues covered with lights, giant Christmas trees as well as outdoor overhanging chandeliers and arcs over the entrances. Christmas is visible in full spirit at each and every spot among the towns.
Carols and live musical orchestras have their tunes audible across the streets, with makeshift and temporary booths and stalls attracting a flow of clients through most of the time. A total of 25 markets are established in Vienna alone, varying in their duration in the winters. The earliest markets start off from the end of November, while the majority last throughout the days of Christmas in December. Some village markets are even observed to remain active during New Year celebrations.
Numerous village markets sprout around the suburbs and the outskirts as well. There are areas dedicated to arts and crafts, ornaments, souvenirs and decorations. Popular landmarks and statues are even brought under the limelight by being decorated under the Christmas theme being followed by the rest of the city.
Apart from Vienna, Austria will be having other cities and towns readying for Christmas as well. Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz are all important locations to explore for Christmas when in the country. Austria is a small country, and has a massive train network connecting every area. Thus, there wouldn’t be a problem venturing for these options over the entire season of Christmas holidays.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.