Christmas Markets in Europe – 2. Vienna
Dans la capitale autrichienne, la tradition des marchés de Christmas existe depuis des siècles; après avoir été appelés « marchés de décembre » puis « marchés de Thomas », ils gardent leur nom de « Marchés de Noël » depuis le 18e siècle. Les Autrichiens aiment tellement la fête de Noël qu’on la célèbre, entre autres, dans les neufs marchés qui se tiennent dans différents coins de la ville.
The biggest
The main Christmas market is held at the Town Hall Square (Rathausplatz in German). It consists of over 130 stalls selling a wide variety of goods, including Christmas decorations, toys, crafts, and clothing, not to mention traditional seasonal delicacies like mulled wine and gingerbread, candies and roasted chestnuts, and local produce. Numerous attractions for the whole family and entertainment for children take place throughout the festive period.
Some other markets
In the city center, there is the Am Hof Art Market, the Old-Fashioned Christmas Market on Freyung, and the Christmas villages at Belvedere Palace and Maria-Theresien-Platz.
The most original is undoubtedly the Art Market, organized by the Divina Art association, which takes place in front of the Saint-Charles Church. It features handcrafted works from all over Central Europe, and around sixty artisans participate each year. During the month of December, in addition to sales booths and workshops, concerts and poetry readings are offered.
From November 29 to December 24, 2010.
For more details:
The very comprehensive website on the main Christmas market: www.christkindlmarkt.at.
