Photos

Christmas traffic at the Town Hall (With tram at the Christmas Town Hall)

Starting at the end of November lasting till Christmas Day you can find "Christkindlmärkte" on nearly every corner of most Austrian cities. Small huts provide you with potentiall christmas presents, food and most important hot punch and "Glühwein", sweet and heated mulled wine.
The "Christkindlmarkt" on the square in front of the City Hall is Vienna's classic Christmas Market. Strolling among the elaborately decorated trees in the park, Viennese and visitors from all over the world can enjoy the wonderful Christmas atmosphere.
In 1296 Emporer Albrecht I granted the privilege of organising a 'Dezembermarkt' (December market) to ensure the supply of basic goods to Vienna's population. Eventually renamed 'Christkindlmarkt' (Christmas Market), its popularity grew and the goods on sale shifted from practical items such as cloth and basic cooking ingredients to specialist products and fine pastries. Today, it attracts shoppers from across Europe for a weekend break to soak up the Christmas atmosphere. There are well over 100 stalls with many offering food and drink including candied fruit, candyfloss, roasted chestnuts and the traditional Austrian winter warmer, gluhwein (hot mulled wine). Indoor activities are organised for children in the Assembly Hall including a popular Christmas cookie-baking workshop. An exhibition shows the different ways Christmas is celebrated around the world. Each Sunday during Advent, choirs perform traditional Christmas carols at the town hall. Completing the festive picture are traditional fairground rides.

The Rathaus

The Rathaus is a building in Vienna which serves as the seat both of the mayor and city council of the city of Vienna. The town hall also serve, in personal union, as Governor and Assembly (Landtag) of the State of Vienna, a state with the Austrian federal system.
The Rathaus was designed by Friedrich von Schmidt in the Gothic style, and built between 1872 and 1883. On the top of the tower is the Rathausmann, one of the symbols of Vienna. Facing the Rathaus is a large park, the Rathauspark. The Rathaus also accommodates the historic 'Wiener Rathauskeller' restaurant. The traditional restaurant consists of several baroque halls, offering small traditional Viennese delicacies to grand gala buffets. Recently finished renovations (2000) include the re-opening of the neo-baroque Salon Ziehrer and the redesigned Lanner-Lehar Hall with wall and ceiling murals by German Trompe-l'œil artist Rainer Maria Latzke. (Source: christkindlmarkt.at/History & wikipedia)