Vienna lays claim to the first Christmas market, held way back in 1296. Technically, it wasn’t a holiday market, just a December fair, but who’s keeping score? The tradition continues today with the annual Vienna Christkindlmarkt in the central Rathausplatz in front of the stately city hall. Kids do especially well here: There’s a two-tiered carousel, a Ferris wheel, a reindeer-themed train and ice skating. Adults, meanwhile, will enjoy browsing the wooden stalls for sustainably made goods like candles and scarves. Fill up on traditional market treats like jam doughnuts and roasted chestnuts, washed down with schnapps or kirschpunsch (cherry punch) while listening to the brass brands play. Check in to the historic Hotel Sacher Vienna, which opened in 1876 across from the opera house and over the years has welcomed numerous dignitaries, presidents and celebrities. During the holidays, the hotel is elegantly decorated with garlands, nutcracker figurines, a towering Christmas tree and twinkling lights, and there are special prix fixe menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. No matter when you go, the lavish, cake-filled breakfast buffet—which includes the hotel’s iconic Sacher-Torte—is a must.
AloJapan.com