In the heart of the most authentic Christkindlmarkt

The centuries-old trees are all lit up, the legendary ice-skating rink runs around their trunks, from the highest of which falls a shower of red-lit hearts. The Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz, the town hall square, is certainly the most popular for its fairy-tale setting: Austrian craftsmen display, in typical little houses, wood-carved animals and thousands of hand-painted Christmas balls. A cup of punch or Glühwein, mulled wine in its spicy variants, is a collective ritual of conviviality, as is admiring the artistic illuminated nativity scenes and taking a slow, slow ride on the vintage-style double-decker carousel. The Karlsplatz Christmas Market, set in front of the dome and columns of the baroque St Charles Borromeo Church, is also permeated with an authentic festive atmosphere, thanks to the transformation of the hemicycle into a huge straw manger where children chase each other around in the presence of real animals. In addition, the artistic artefacts on sale are refined in form and materials. The Spittelberg Christmas Market, on the other hand, is just as exciting because of the romantic, Biedermeier architectural setting in which it is housed.