When the lights come on this year on November 13, thousands will once again flock to the plaza in front of City Hall. Hardly anyone today realizes that Vienna’s most famous Christmas market was actually just a short-term stopgap measure when it first began.
The green light for this specific location was given on November 17, 1975. At that time, a large underground parking garage was being built near the Messepalast—today’s MuseumsQuartier—which is why the Advent market there had to be moved. The city promptly relocated the stalls in front of City Hall until construction was completed. On November 22, the Christkindlmarkt opened on Rathausplatz.
From a Temporary Arrangement to an Institution
Back then, no one believed in a permanent solution. Although a large Christmas tree had been erected on the square every year since 1959, there were no plans for a market of its own. But the combination of the festive City Hall facade and the illuminated trees in the park was so well received by the Viennese right away that the market simply stayed.
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Vienna’s Market Culture in 2026
We can now look back on 51 years of market history at this very spot. This season, the Christmas market is open through December 26 and serves as the flagship of the 15 officially authorized Advent markets scattered throughout the city.
Together, these markets total exactly 814 stalls. So anyone standing in front of City Hall with a cup of punch in the coming weeks is actually toasting a successful municipal stopgap solution.
📍 Location: Rathausplatz, 1010 Vienna
📅 Dates in 2026: November 13 through December
26 🎟️ Admission: Free
☕ Background: Originated as a stopgap measure in 1975 due to the construction of a parking garage
