As the dark months of November descend upon Southampton and the rain lashes against useless umbrellas, a little hope breaks through in the form of fairy lights. Finally, a guiding star, or I should say many little LED stars, allow space for joy in the oppressive gloom of the winter months.
Around this time of year, without fail, Christmas markets arise from their slumber and draw hundreds of people in with their wafting smells of cinnamon and nutmeg. These markets create an outdoor space for community that we lack and miss in the colder months. Southampton’s Christmas market is currently in full swing, with Winchester joining swiftly and Bournemouth not far behind. We are seemingly cocooned by markets which replenish our festive delights and cheer.
Whilst these markets are indeed wonderful and necessary to keep our spirits up, I can’t help but think about where I was last year, in (arguably) the home of Christmas markets, Vienna. Across the city, from mid-November to the beginning of January, massive Christmas markets stood loud and proud. A hub for joy, warmth and laughter, keeping the gruelling winter at bay.
Markets of all sizes littered every neighbourhood in Vienna, making sure the entire city could feel the Christmas cheer. The most prominent ones were the Rathaus market, Zwidemu, Schönbrunn and Spittelberg.
I remember perusing these markets after class with friends in search for some Baumkuchen or one of those ginormous coconut and chocolate pretzels. If I was feeling like a local, I would go for the kaiserschmarnn with a plum compote.
During this time, a friend from home came to visit me and of course I formulated the perfect plan to hit as many Christmas markets as possible. It was a veritable feat and now I will attempt to redo this quest, but with you. Join me on my trip down memory lane to some of the most marvellous Christmas markets Vienna has to offer.
First, I will take you to Schönbrunn, the market furthest out from the city centre. The cold bites at our noses and our cheeks are red from the frozen kisses the wind bestows upon us.
We enter the waddling group of Viennese people and tourists approaching the palace. At the gates a massive star of lights expels shadows to the corners of the grounds, and people scatter to get a good picture of the Willkommen at the top of the star. I insist we take one of you, we have to be good tourists after all.
Once on the palace grounds we see a little ice rink to our right, children clinging on to penguins as they attempt to make laps. In front of us is the Christmas tree, the centre piece of the market and beside it a golden Ferris wheel.
We wander around the grounds, spacious enough to make the masses of crowds not feel claustrophobic. At every stall we are greeted with friendly smiles of vendors. They have all sorts of things on sale, toys, notebooks, cookie cutters, ceramic flowers. You decide you are going to splash some cash on the mulled wine, I buy myself a spiced apple juice. We talk under the lights hanging from the little cabin stalls. Chatter of all kinds fills the air, mingling with Christmas songs.
Having gone so far out for Schönbrunn, we decide to stay more central this time, heading to Zwidemu. On either side of the market are the most beautiful museums you have ever seen. Baroque architecture cradles us, wonders from all over the world lay waiting inside the walls. That isn’t what we are here for though.
Similar scents and sounds from Schönbrunn are here, but it is nice, nonetheless. Despite being smaller than the previous market, this one is still just as grandiose. The statue of Maria Theresa looms over us, as if still ruling over Austria. In this market, they sell mugs in the shape of stockings, so we make the decision to keep the mug despite the 5 euro deposit we paid for alongside the drink. It is worth it. The crowds feel more prominent here, but they aren’t overwhelming.
We resolve to wander further into the seventh district, to a Christmas market that is more popular amongst the locals. Spittelberg market is narrow and winding down the cobbled streets of Vienna in front of us. It is harder to move through the crowds, and after about 10 minutes we decide to abandon looking at all the individual stalls that were selling, more or less, the same things as the other markets.
There are round tables beside the food stalls, and we claim the side of one as the other has been taken by fellow market visitors. Food is necessary so we splurge on it, knowing the prices at these markets border on extortionate. I get käsespätzle and you decide on some knödel, as our chatter dissipates into the cold air around us.
Finally, we reach the most popular market in Vienna, the Rathaus Christmas market. The famous tree of hearts hangs above us. Some believe it is tacky, but I find it sweet. We stare up, waiting to catch the floating heart. A red glow illuminates the sky above as the solo heart travels from the left side of the market to the right, reuniting with its kin.
On the far-left side there is a busy ice rink that is far bigger and a lot more impressive than the one we saw at Schönbrunn. You decide you want to spend time in the market instead of getting potentially pummelled by a fast skater. I agree.
We continue to weave past the stalls in wonder. Here the stalls are a lot bigger than the small cabins we have seen, and the queues are meandering and long. As we are walking a girl seemingly drops something, her partner drops to one knee to get it. He holds up a rose, and we sigh at how sweet—but wait! There’s more! He conjures up a ring! We can’t believe it; we are seeing a proposal! We share the relief of the man when his partner, now fiancée, accepts the ring. An applause from passers-by begins, we join them and decide we need to celebrate their love with a drink.
Having finished our tour, we transport ourselves back to Southampton. But fear not! The Christmas spirit is alive and well here too, and there are many markets for us to explore yet.
