Vienna Christmas Market [by night]

Tuesday, December 21, 2010


This post was supposed to be up much earlier, but the internet at the Moscow airport was awful and I guess it never loaded. Anyway, enjoy!

One of the biggest and most popular markets, Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz, is set in the square in front of the town hall. This was the first market we visited, and it felt like we stepped into a storybook. Around the market is a big park filled with trees which are decked out in huge light ornaments-- one tree is full of hearts, another full of candy canes, another full of angels, and so on. A thick layer of snow on the grass around the trees adds to the magic. A trumpet and a violin played classic Christmas songs in the middle of the hustle. A nativity scene is nestled up against the giant christmas tree in the center. The area is adorned with twinkling lights, garlands, and a giant advent wreath.

The Christmas market is not about the shopping, but more about the atmosphere. One does not come to the Christmas market alone, but with friends or a loved one. Yuriy and I had ourselves a romantic, jolly time.

And in case you missed it, check out the Christmas Market [by day].

- Julia

Weihnachtspunsch!! AKA Christmas punch. If this stuff were cheaper, I could drink it all night.
The heart tree [yes, we took a cheesy lovebird photo in front of it].
[graphics: The Graphics Fairy & Pugly Pixel, font: DaFont]

28 comments :

  1. Your Vienna posts have convinced me and my husband to make our Europe vacation next year a trip to Germany and Austria at Christmastime!

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  2. Stacey- That's awesome! Sounds like your husband is pretty agreeable. :) Honestly, I can't imagine a better place to spend Christmas.

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  3. WOW! your photos are so beautiful! Every where you go seems like a very desirable place to be in!
    What camera are you using?

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  4. It's truly magical my next trip to Austria will for sure be during the winter. I love Germany any time, thats my family's native land and if I ever decide to move out of the States I will for sure be doing a stint in Germany. I love it there and the people are amazing.

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  5. I am now sure I have to add 'Vienna at Christmas Time' to my travel wishlist.

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  6. Ahhhh so pretty! Should of posted the cheesy photo! :) xx

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  7. My husband and I were in Berlin for Christmas last year and didn't even think of taking photos of the Christmas markets! Off subject, where do you get the cool fonts and little picture that starts this post?

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  8. so magical! i love the candy shop! hope i someday get to experience christmas market in europe.

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  9. How picturesque!! I wanted to jump into the photos. It's 80 degrees where I am, so it's nice to look at pictures that just scream Christmas!

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  10. Wow, even more beautiful than the day pictures which I did not think possible! I am absolutely in love with your work from this market! These photos are full of the feelings that the holiday itself should be brimming with - joy, warmth, love, a childlike sense of wonder, and cheer! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Gorgeous! I love the idea of Christmas markets. I love your nighttime photos. I'm still figuring out my DSLR so my nighttime photos are still a bit rough. What settings did you use?

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  12. so divinely enchanting and I love those mugs

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  13. i loooovvvveeee it. every last bit.

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  14. Wow, it looks even more amazing at night! I've always wanted to visit the Christmas Markets in Germany when we lived in the Netherlands. I never got a chance to, but I had heard stories about the decadent treats and spiced wine! That man in the red totally looks like Santa! Love your blog, your photos, and your adventures...very inspiring!

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  15. Little Wheel- Thanks! Nikon D700. Check out our FAQ up top to read more about the equipment we're using.

    Amy- We're trying to look really cool on the internet, remember? :)

    Anonymous- I just posted the links to the graphics/fonts at the bottom of the post. Thanks for reminding me.

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  16. Harlow- For these night shots, bump up your ISO really high. The photos will be more grainy, but you'll have more light. Our settings: ISO 1600, f/2.0, shutter in the shops at 1/1000 and in the dark street at 1/50. And no flash. Good luck learning your new camera!

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  17. Thanks for the advice! I've been using the high ISO but I think I've been choosing the wrong shutter speed.

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  18. Harlow- No problem! The darker it is in your surroundings, the longer you'll need the shutter open to let in more light. Anything lower than 1/50 of a second is hard to hold steady in your hands (meaning blurry shots), so if you want to go down even more, use a tripod or set the camera on something steady.

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  19. Wow!!!! My favorite post yet! These images give me all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings:) Beautiful place!

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  20. beautiful photos!! i was in austria for the holidays a few years ago and it was truly magical!

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  21. Tell me you got to keep those mugs! They are so cute. I love the photo of the table full of nativities/creches. My mother collects them and so, when my husband and I were in Germany and Austria a couple months ago, I tried to pick some up. We could only find a very small selection (a couple stores) and everything was either way expensive or way cheap. You're so lucky! Next time we'll have to go closer to Christmas, I guess.

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  22. They are lovely, aren't they? So much better than drinking Christmas punch out of a paper cup. When getting your drink, you had to pay a deposit for the mugs. When you return the mug, you get your money back. Of course its perfectly fine to keep the mug if you want (thus the deposit). But our suitcases are pretty stuffed and have a lot of traveling left to do so we parted with our mugs.

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  23. These pictures are so beautiful. I have been loving so many of your photos lately. I want 20 ornaments from those stands like now! You inspired me to pass on your beautiful images to others. Keep it up!

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  24. so so lovely! i'm happy you two got a healthy dose of christmas cheer before setting off to asia! emailing you asia travel advice (from mike) asap! xoxo

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  25. I just send this post to my mum and said I wanted to go to Vienna for Christmas next year, needless to say it wasn't hard for your pictures to convince her! Thank you for sharing your trip and introducing us to some magical places we never even thought to visit!

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  26. these pictures are enchanting. a christmas market would be so lovely, your pictures continue to amaze me at how they very much transport you to wherever you are sharing with all of us. thanks and happy christmas!

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  27. Your website came up in my research and I’m taken by what you have composed on this topic. I am presently extending my research and thus cannot contribute further, yet, I have bookmarked your web site and will be returning to keep up with any incoming updates. Just love it and thanks for admitting my remark.

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  28. This is so magical!!! I think it's so much more beautiful all lit up at night!!!

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