The Vienna Christmas Market. A TOP Destinationfor the End of the Year.

During our mountain hikes we have seen a great many stately fir trees, tall and lush, forming clumps of shady, cool forests. It is a joy to admire the fir forests both in summer and in winter, under a thick blanket of snow.
Fir forests are roof and home to countless creatures, and they produce oxygen for human lungs. This time, we decided to take a trip to the Vienna Christmas Market, where in November and December all kinds of activities and events take place around the Christmas tree and in honour of the holidays that mark the end of the year.

Spending Christmas in Vienna is a magical thing
With its imperial architecture, magnificent museums, authentic classical music and renowned cafés, Vienna is at any time one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe and in the world, but around Christmas its magic takes on even greater proportions.
For many years now, the Vienna market has been winning over tourists from all over the world, who come here to buy all sorts of souvenirs, ornaments to hang on a Christmas tree, and snacks and drinks specific to Christmas. Hundreds of stalls line up in the squares and are besieged by tourists eager to discover the treats, the original decorations and many other special items typical of the winter holidays.
The Vienna Christmas Market comprises several squares, like a fairy-tale land in wintertime. There is an incredible variety of restaurants and venues serving traditional delicacies and spiced drinks (punch, hot chocolate, mulled wine, sweets). How could you not love this whole atmosphere?

When does the Vienna Christmas Market open?
Usually, the squares open their arms to welcome tourists with Christmas items from the middle of November, when many Viennese start decorating an artificial Christmas tree in their homes. The trend of replacing the natural tree with an artificial one is bubbling throughout Europe and indeed all over the world, because more and more people and forest-health associations are campaigning to protect the natural fir trees in the mountain forests.
Even though the natural firs cut for Christmas and dried out eventually decompose, the reality is that humankind is not yet at the stage of enjoying a high percentage of coniferous forests (not only in Romania, but all over the world). It is wiser to protect the natural firs in the mountain forests and not cut their lives short in full maturity just to keep them in our homes for a month.
This is also the reason why more and more artificial Christmas trees are appearing at the Vienna Christmas Market, in various sizes, including very small desk trees made of eco-friendly materials, or special ornaments to attach to the branches.

The Vienna Christmas Market: a festival of lights
Besides the stalls brimming with souvenirs, tree decorations and Christmas delights, Vienna is enchantingly lit by millions of little lights every year. All those colourful, sparkling installations (including grandiose chandeliers, huge globes of lights, candles) turn the streets of Vienna into a glittering sea. When the lights are officially switched on in Vienna at the end of November, around 2.2 million LED bulbs light up the night along some 20 km.
It is all a spectacle that is hard to forget. That is why a great many Romanians and international tourists love to return every year to the Austrian capital to relive all this Christmas emotion. Truly, the Vienna Christmas Market is an iconic destination for all those who love travel, the winter holidays, markets full of goodies and a relaxed, truly festive atmosphere.