Visit Austria’s Best Christmas Markets in Vienna
The best Weihnachtsmärkte (Christkindlmärkte) in Wien are at the Rathaus, Maria Theresien Platz, Freyung in the old town center, and at the Baroque Schloss Schönbrunn and Schloss Belvedere.
The best Weihnachtsmärkte (Christkindlmärkte) in Wien are at the Rathaus, Maria Theresien Platz, Freyung in the old town center, and at the Baroque Schloss Schönbrunn and Schloss Belvedere.
Buy the cheapest tickets early and online to see Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting in Milan.
Visit the Museum Tinguely in Basel to see kinetic art sculptural machines in action — many of Swiss artist Jean Tinguely’s métamatics sculptures displayed here are interactive and working.
During winter, pleasure boat cruises and sightseeing excursions on the Rhine River are limited but still possible. The best options are during the Christmas market period or all winter from Rüdesheim, Boppard, and Cologne.
Visit the Yayoi Kusama special retrospective exhibition in the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland — 12 October 2025 to 25 January 2026.
KD Rhine riverboats cruise from Düsseldorf on sightseeing, dinner, and party excursions during the Christmas market period and on New Year’s Eve. More departures are possible from nearby Cologne.
Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) offers many day-trip sightseeing pleasure cruises on the Rhine during the advent and Christmas market period. Special New Year’s Day party boats also sail from Cologne.
Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) has a lovely historic old town that provides the perfect backdrop to the German Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt) closest to Britain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
The best Christmas markets (Marché de Noel or Weihnachtsmarkt) to visit in Switzerland are in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Montreux, Pilatus, St Gallen, and Zurich.
In 2025, the best large Christmas markets in Berlin, Germany, are at Gendarmenmarkt, Rotes Rathaus, Schloss Charlottenburg, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche. Many winter markets are open on Christmas Day.