♪♪ Christmas Time is Here ♪♪

Since Vienna has no Thanksgiving buffer between Halloween and Christmas, the city has been drowning in holiday spirit since November 13^th, the day the Christkindlmärkte officially opened. Christkindlmärkte are outdoor Christmas markets where you can find anything from cinnamon and clove ornaments to smoked meat. Possibilities are endless. I’ve come to consider myself a bit of a Christkindlmärkte expert, as I have now visited five: Schloss Schönbrunn, Schloss Belvedere, Karlskirche, the Rathaus, and another small one whose name currently escapes me. I love to visit the markets at night when everything is lit up and covered with twinkling lights. So far my main purchases at the Christkindlmärkte have been food, since it’s incredibly difficult to wander through all the stalls looking at ornaments and toys without a nice big mug of punsch or heiße Schokolade to warm your hands. While Glühwein, mulled red wine, is a must at the Christkindlmärkte, the drink stalls are becoming more and more creative with their punsch, which is a warm liquor and juice drink. I tried Apfel-Zimt punsch (apple cinnamon punch) once, and it was so delicious. They also have punches made of coconuts, chestnuts, oranges, mangoes, vanilla…there’s quite a variety. The hot chocolate will always remain my favorite though, with a big dollop of whipped cream on top. The traditional food at the Christkindlmärkte is scrumptious as well, though I’ve mostly only smelled it and eaten bits off my friends’ plates. Some of the foods they have to offer are fresh, warm waffles with your choice of powdered sugar, strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce or chocolate sauce on top; noodles drenched in gruyere cheese; more kinds of pretzels that you could possibly imagine (I had chocolate and nut); baked potatoes with all the trimmings; crepes; and – my favorite – donuts where you choose the filling. It’s pretty hard to go to a Christkindlmärkte without getting something to eat. I would have to say that the markets are probably one of my favorite parts of Vienna. The only problem with all of the markets and the city decked out in lights and decorations is that it makes me think Christmas is right around the corner, when in reality I’ve got a month to go until Christmas Eve. Until then, ♪♪I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…. ♪♪