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| Prater |
Is Vienna the right destination in this period of the year? Well, if you are not afraid of coldness the answer is yes! But be aware to wear adequately because the temperature can really drop.
Looking Vienna covered by snow creates the right atmosphere for Christmas time.
In this period in almost every square is present a cottage with a Christmas market.
The most famous are the ones between the Rathaus and the Burgtheater (be aware not to visit on Saturday evening because there will be too many people) and at Schonbrunn, in front of the Castle.
(on http://www.schoenbrunn.at/it/home.html there are info on the visits to the Castle and you can download the audio guides. Take U4 and till Hietzing, entering the Garden, take a look at the Palm House, the Gloriette, take the Grand Tour ticket to visit the palace and finally catch back the Metro at Schonbrun stop because it is one of the stations built by Otto Wagner)
Other Christkindlmarkts can be found in Freyung, Saint Karl square , AHK. The merchandise is various and you can find everything you want.
After you have had your fill of Christkindmarkts, you might want to divert your attention; for sure you can do it with a lot of choices in Vienna.
Near the Rathaus, north direction, you can visit the Votiv kirche (closed on monday) and admire the light of the sun filtering from its amazing glasses or walking a little bit more south you can reach the Museum Quartier, the Hofburg where you can assist at Lipizaner rehearsal (http://www.viennaticketonline.com/spa…) or the Holy Mass with the Vienna Boys choir (every Sunday at 9.15 at hofburg Chapel:http://www.wmo.at/mass-with-the-vienn…).
You can also take the ring tram (http://www.wien.info/it/sightseeing/s…) or going back in time and visit the inner stadt (city center) by fiacre (http://www.wien.info/it/sightseeing/f…).
Why don’t have a guided tour inside the the Opera or at the Musikverein where every first of the year it is held the famous concert?
(Musikverein : english guided tours every monday, wednesday, Friday or Saturday at 1 pm at 5€ / Info: Kartenbüro / Tel.: +43 1 505 81 90 560 / Fax. +43 1 505 81 90 94 / n.koller@musikverein.at / Lu-Ve 9:00-20:00, Sa 9:00-13:00 )
You can have a rest at Sacher Hotel to taste the famous chocolate cake or sitting down in one of the many cafè. At Cafè Central you can eat for 10 € sitting down in a very elegant place (http://www.palaisevents.at/cafecentra…)
For dinner you can reach Grinzing (Metro U4 Heiligenstadt + tram 38) and choose one of the many Heuringer or “climbing” the Donau tower and sitting down on the turning restaurant (U6 Neue Donau or U2 Alte Donau and then bus 20b http://www.donauturm.at/de/)
Don’t forget to admire Hunderwasser architecture: the House (tram 1) or the incinerator (U6 or U4 Spittelau) and if you like arts you can also do a stop at Upper Belvedere for admiring the kiss by Gustav Klimt together with other collections by Max Oppenheimer and the sculptures of Xaver Messerschmidt
In front of the palace another Christkindlmarkt is waiting for you!
To go around you can choose the solution that best fits your need: 1, 2, 3 days ticket, the Vienna card or the 8 days ticket. (very economic if you are 2 persons for 4 days, or 4 persons for 2 days).
Useful maps here:
If you want to navigate on Donau:
DDSG Blue Danube Schiffahrt GmbH
Handelskai 265, A-1020 Wien
Tel.: +43(0)1 588 80 – 437
Fax: +43(0)1 588 80 – 440
L’Ankeruhr , the beautiful clock near the old rathaus, is blocked at XII and 15: do not stop there at noon since there will not be any performance. Anyway, it worth a visit.
Useful links:
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