Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung
Altwiener Christkindlmarkt48°13′ N 16°22′ EViennafrom Nov 14Seasonal
The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung is a traditional craft market in Vienna's old centre, open daily 10:00 to 21:00 from 14 November to 23 December 2026, and it suits visitors who want handmade goods and live folk music at a calmer pace than Rathausplatz. It closes for the season on 23 December.
Photo Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung runs November 14, 2026 to December 23, 2026 · confirmed by the organizer (source)
Advent SundaysGaudete, 13 DecemberChristmas Eve
Dates and hours
- November 14, 2026 to December 23, 2026Confirmedsourcechecked Oct 10, 2026
- November 14, 2025 to December 23, 2025Announcedsourcechecked Oct 10, 2026
Hours · Mon–Sun 10:00–21:00
- Nov 14, 2026 · 21:00 (The opening ceremony starts at 17:00.)
Access and crowds
- Getting around
- The organizer publishes no access details.
The Freyung is a triangular square a block from Am Hof, so the two markets make an easy pair. Craftspeople demonstrate their work at the stalls, usually between 10:00 and 16:00. In 2025 vienna.at counted 57 stalls, 15 of them selling food and drink.
Music is the draw in the late afternoon. Brass bands, horn groups and folk ensembles take turns on the stage, and on 12 December 2026 at 17:00 there's an open folk-song singalong anyone can join.
Worth knowing
- Bring presents to the gift-wrapping service (Packerl-Service) between 13:00 and 16:00 on 21, 22 or 23 December.
- The Freyung garage under the square is the closest place to park if you drive in.
Quick answers about Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung
When is the Freyung Christmas market in 2026?
The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung runs from 14 November to 23 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 21:00. It opens on 14 November with a ceremony at 17:00.
How old is the Freyung Christmas market?
The Alt-Wiener Weihnachtsmarkt began in 1987 on Michaelerplatz and moved to the Freyung in 1989, according to the city's history wiki.
When does Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung open in 2026?
Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung opens on November 14, 2026 and closes on December 23, 2026. Those dates are confirmed by the organizer.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung
Dates guide · 8 min read
When are Vienna's Christmas markets open in 2026?
Rathausplatz opens on 13 November 2026, and the market at Schönbrunn Palace keeps its huts lit until 6 January 2027.
Guide · 23 min read
When do Europe's Christmas markets open and close in 2026?
Vienna and Copenhagen open first, on 6 November 2026, and Cologne's Heumarkt keeps its stalls up until 10 January 2027. Every row below names who published the date.