Vienna's most famous Christkindlmarkt is held right in front of the City Hall, whose Gothic towers are decorated with thousands of lights. Stalls sell everything from hand-painted glass baubles to wooden nutcrackers, felted wool decorations and carved wooden nativity figures. The market runs every day for about four weeks and attracts millions of visitors.
The food and drink at a Christmas market is part of the magic. Punsch is a warm, fruity drink made from fruit juice and spices — the children's version is alcohol-free and served in a little decorated mug that you can take home. Roasted chestnuts, gingerbread, marzipan figures, sugared nuts and steaming cups of cocoa all fill the cold air with irresistible smells.
Many of the goods at Austrian Christmas markets are handmade by local craftspeople — this is part of what makes them different from ordinary shopping. Glass-blowers, woodcarvers, knitters and potters set up stalls alongside bakers and confectioners. Buying a hand-painted ornament from the maker who created it is part of the experience.
The tradition of outdoor Christmas markets in Austria goes back to the Middle Ages, over 700 years ago. Vienna's Christkindlmarkt has been held since at least 1294. Today the markets have spread well beyond Austria, with cities around the world hosting their own version — but the Austrian originals remain the template that everyone else tries to match.