Six days in Advent: three in Salzburg, with its market on the cathedral square, Hellbrunn and the Silent Night story, then a train to Vienna for the City Hall market, the palace markets and an evening of music. Short cold days, long warm evenings.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A day in the old town of Salzburg, with a view from the fortress in the afternoon and the big market on the cathedral square as the lights come on. Dress warmly.
A basket of rolls, butter, cheese and a soft egg, with a pot of hot tea or coffee. A solid start to a day on your feet in the cold.
Local tip Eat a real breakfast. You will be standing outside for much of the evening.
The baroque cathedral with a pale front and two towers, standing on a square that holds a lasting Advent market in the weeks before Christmas. Look at the dome from the square, then step in.
Go when Morning, before the stalls fill the square.
Local tip Look at the front from the middle of the square, then step inside and look up into the dome. Come back in the evening to see the same square lit and full.
The big fortress on the hill above the old town, one of the largest in Central Europe. Winter is a good time for the view over the snowy roofs. Check ahead for how to go up and for the hours.
Go when Afternoon, so you see the town before the lights come on (about 4:15 PM).
Local tip Winter days are short and cold up on the hill, so wear a warm layer. Check ahead for how to go up and for the hours, which change in winter.
Kasnocken are soft dumplings baked with mountain cheese and topped with crisp fried onions, a lasting dish of the Alpine country. A good, filling lunch after a climb in the cold.
Local tip It comes in a hot pan, so let it cool a little. Add a green salad if you want something fresh.
The Advent market between the cathedral and the Residenz squares, a lasting Salzburg tradition with wooden stalls, ornaments, candles and warm drinks, under the towers. Opening dates change every year, so check ahead.
Go when Evening, once the lights are on.
Local tip Walk the stalls once before you buy. Many drinks come in a mug with a deposit, so ask how it works before you pay, and keep a little cash for the stalls.
Gluehwein is hot red wine with cloves, cinnamon and orange, served in a mug at nearly every stall. Pair it with a grilled sausage in a roll for a simple supper.
Local tip Mugs usually carry a deposit. Ask when you buy, and return the mug to get it back, or keep it as a souvenir if you like.
The narrow old shopping lane, known for its iron shop signs and tall houses packed side by side. In Advent it is lit up in the evening and busy, so walk slowly and look up.
Go when Early evening, when the signs and the windows are lit.
Local tip Look up at the iron shop signs. The lane is narrow and crowded in Advent, so keep a hand on your bag and step into a doorway when you stop.
A day that moves from a bare winter garden to the house where Mozart was born, then to a palace park south of town where an Advent market usually sets up in the evening. Check ahead for dates.
The formal garden of a baroque palace, with clipped hedges, statues and a view of the fortress above the roofs. In winter the paths are bare and quiet, a calm start to the day.
Go when Morning, when the paths are quiet.
Local tip Walk to the end of the garden and turn around for the line of the fortress over the hedges. It is bare in winter and very still.
Stollen is a dense, sweet loaf of dried fruit, nuts and marzipan dusted with sugar, a lasting Advent bread. Take a slice with a thick hot chocolate in a cafe.
Local tip Ask for a thin slice. It is rich, and one is enough for two.
The tall yellow house on Getreidegasse where Mozart was born, now a museum. A short visit shows the rooms of the family. Check ahead for opening times, which change in winter.
Go when Midday, when you want to be indoors.
Local tip It is small and gets crowded in Advent, so go at an off hour. Check ahead for opening times, because they change in winter.
A tall, fluffy baked dessert of egg whites, sugar and a little flour, said to mimic the hills around the city. Often shared by two or three people.
Local tip It is made to order and takes time, so order it early in your meal.
A pleasure palace of the 1600s south of the city, with a park, a pond and playful water works. An Advent market usually sets up in the courtyard in the weeks before Christmas, but dates and hours change, so check ahead.
Go when Afternoon, then stay for the market lights.
Local tip It is a short ride south of the old town. Check ahead for the market dates and for how to get there, and wear boots, because the park paths can be icy.
A grilled sausage in a roll with mustard, then a paper cone of warm roast chestnuts, called Maroni. A simple evening meal at an Advent market.
Local tip Keep a little cash for the stalls. Eat the chestnuts while they are hot, and peel them over the paper.
A morning in the village where the carol Silent Night was first sung, a slow walk back through the old town, then a train to Vienna in the late afternoon. Check ahead for the timetable, and keep your bags close.
A small chapel in the village of Oberndorf, north of Salzburg, built near the spot where the carol Silent Night was first sung at Christmas in 1818. A short train ride away. Check ahead for the timetable and for opening times.
Go when Morning, with a short train ride out and back.
Local tip The chapel is small, so the visit is short. Check ahead for the timetable and for opening times, and read the story of the carol before you go.
The old market square in the middle of Salzburg, small and quiet, with painted houses and a fountain. A calm place to rest between two warm drinks.
Go when Midday, between two warm drinks.
Local tip The square is small and often quiet, a good place to look at the painted fronts and the fountain without a crowd.
Frittatensuppe is a clear beef broth with thin strips of pancake, an Austrian classic that warms you through. A light lunch after a morning on the train.
Local tip Ask for a roll on the side. It is a small starter, so add something if you are hungry.
A convent on the cliff under the fortress, one of the oldest in the German-speaking world. Look at the old gate and the church from outside, then walk down the stairs toward the town. Check ahead if you want to go in.
Go when Afternoon, as the light starts to fade (about 4:15 PM).
Local tip It is a working convent, so be quiet and respect what is closed. Look at the gate and walk down the steps toward the town.
Vanillekipferl are small crescent biscuits of ground nuts, butter and vanilla sugar, an Advent favorite found at most bakeries. Take a few with a hot tea before the train.
Local tip Buy a small box for the train. They break easily, so carry them on top of your bag.
Your first day in Vienna. Settle in, then walk the lit lanes of the old center, and end the day at the biggest Advent market in the city, in front of the City Hall, with a rink beside it. Check ahead for dates.
Langos is a flat disc of fried dough, usually topped with garlic and cheese, a street food that Vienna adopted from its neighbors in the east. A good first meal after the train.
Local tip It is oily and big. Share one and keep a napkin in your pocket.
A broad old square in the old center, where a smaller Advent market with wooden stalls usually sets up in the weeks before Christmas. Quieter than the big ones. Check ahead for dates.
Go when Late afternoon, as the lights start to show.
Local tip It is a smaller market than the one at the City Hall, so it is a calmer place for a first warm drink. Check ahead for dates.
A wide pedestrian street in the old center, long a place for a stroll. In Advent it is usually hung with lights, and the shop windows fill with decorations. Walk it slowly as the dark comes down.
Go when Late afternoon into the evening.
Local tip Look up at the lights over the street and at the decorated windows. In the crowds, keep your bag closed and in front of you.
Lebkuchen is a soft spiced gingerbread, often iced and shaped like a heart. Kinderpunsch is a warm fruit punch without alcohol, served for children and for anyone who wants to stay clear-headed.
Local tip Look for the plain gingerbread with the best texture. The heart-shaped ones with writing are souvenirs.
The tall neo-Gothic town hall, in front of a huge Advent market on its square, with a skating rink usually set up in the park beside it in winter. The most famous of the Vienna markets. Check ahead for dates and for the rink.
Go when Evening, when the stalls are lit.
Local tip It is the busiest market in the city, so go at an early or late hour if you can. Check ahead for the dates and for the skating rink, which usually sets up beside it.
A small quarter of old lanes and low houses behind the museum quarter, where an Advent market with craft stalls usually fills the cobbled streets. Smaller and calmer than the City Hall market. Check ahead for dates.
Go when Evening, after the City Hall.
Local tip The lanes are narrow and the stalls sit close together. Look for handmade crafts, and bring cash for the small stalls.
A Beisl is a traditional Viennese pub that serves old home cooking: soups, goulash and roast pork. A hot meal at a table makes a calm end to a night on the market lanes.
Local tip Many are small, so go early or book ahead. Say the word Beisl to a local and they will point you to a good street.
A day that starts at the palace market in the west of the city, stops for warm food at the Naschmarkt and the market at Karlsplatz, and ends with an evening of classical music in the old center. Check ahead for market dates and concerts.
The yellow summer palace of the Habsburgs, with an Advent market that usually sets up in front of it in the weeks before Christmas. The gardens are bare and calm in winter. Check ahead for market dates.
Go when Morning, then lunch near the palace.
Local tip The market usually sits in the courtyard in front of the palace. Check ahead for dates and for which rooms are open inside, and wear boots in the garden.
Kaiserschmarrn is a torn, caramelized pancake with raisins, dusted with sugar and served with plum compote. Austrians eat it as a sweet main course.
Local tip It is big, so share one. A warm sweet plate suits a cold morning.
A long food market with stalls and small eating places along a street near the center. In winter it is a good place for warm food and a drink. Walk the length once, then choose.
Go when Late morning, before the lunch crowd.
Local tip Walk the whole market once, then choose something warm. Many stalls are open air, so the cold comes with the food. On Saturdays a flea market sets up at one end, so check ahead.
In winter the market stalls and small eating places serve soups, grilled fish and hot dishes from many countries. Choose something warm and eat it standing or at a small table.
Local tip Walk the length once before you choose. Warm up inside a small eating place if the wind is cold.
The square in front of the green-domed Karlskirche, where an Advent market usually sets up in front of the church. Look at the dome and the two columns beside the market stalls. Check ahead for dates.
Go when Afternoon, as the light turns gold on the dome.
Local tip Look at the church from across the pond and then walk through the market in front. Check ahead for market dates.
Vienna fills with classical music in Advent, in churches and concert rooms in the old center. Choose a concert near your hotel and book ahead. Check the date, the hall and the program before you buy.
Go when Evening, after an early supper.
Local tip Choose a concert ahead of time, because the popular ones sell out in Advent. Check the program, the date and the hall before you buy, and wear something warm for the walk home.
Many old center restaurants stay open after the concerts end, with soup, schnitzel or a cheese plate. A calm table and a glass of wine is a fitting end to the evening.
Local tip Book a table ahead if you can. The streets are busy in Advent, and a late table is hard to find.
A last day with a Sunday morning mass with the boys' choir if you are lucky with the calendar, the gardens of the Belvedere, and an evening in the Prater, where the wheel and the park are lit. Check ahead for every part.
The chapel of the old imperial palace, where the Vienna Boys' Choir sings at mass on some Sundays. The choir takes a break in part of the year, so check ahead for the dates and for how to book a seat.
Go when Sunday morning, if the choir is singing.
Local tip The choir does not sing every Sunday, and it takes a break in part of the year, so check ahead for dates and how to book. Treat the mass as a service, not a show.
Two baroque palaces joined by a long garden on a hill. An Advent market has often been held at the upper palace in past years, but check ahead. The paintings inside, including The Kiss, are indoors.
Go when Midday, when you want to be indoors.
Local tip Go to the paintings first, then walk the garden if the weather is dry. Check ahead for whether a market is set up at the palace this year.
A bowl of soup with bread, then a slice of Christmas stollen with tea. A simple lunch for a day that ends with a long evening outdoors.
Local tip Choose a warm room with a window, and take your time before you go back into the cold.
A huge park on an island in the Danube, with long avenues and a funfair at one end. In Advent, a Christmas market and winter lights usually fill part of it. Check ahead for dates and for the lights.
Go when Late afternoon, before the lights come on (about 4:15 PM).
Local tip Check ahead for the winter lights and the Christmas market, and wear a warm layer. Walk the long avenue for a while, then turn back toward the wheel.
The giant Ferris wheel in the Prater, built in the 1890s, with slow turns and a wide view over a lit city. A fitting last evening. Check ahead for the hours in winter.
Go when Evening, after dark.
Local tip The wheel turns slowly and the view of the lit city is the point. Check ahead for the hours in winter, and dress for the cold in the cabin.
Close the trip the way it started: a mug of hot spiced wine at a stall in the park, with a grilled sausage in a roll. A shared warm evening under the lights.
Local tip Keep your hands warm around the mug, and drink slowly. A cold night and wine go to your head faster than you expect.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, June and September to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Salzburg and Vienna. This plan is built for early December, which is less comfortable, so check the forecast before you go. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 6 days in Salzburg and Vienna, planned for early December. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.1 to 20.2 kilometers between its stops, and 43.2 kilometers in all across 6 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
3 days in Cesky KrumlovAbout 100 km awayAn easy add-on
5 days in Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut lakesAbout 100 km away
7 days in ViennaAbout 110 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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