I’m Florian, a dad from Vienna. I live there with my wife and our two kids.
Salzburg is about 2 hours 25 minutes from Vienna by train. The markets in the old town are close together, Hellbrunn Palace is in the south of the city, and from Salzburg buses go out to the lakes of the Salzkammergut.
We have not been to every market on this page. The dates and times are checked on the organisers’ websites and the tourist boards (salzburg.info, salzkammergut.at) on 6 November 2026. Anything not published for 2026 yet is marked as such. Please check before you go.
Getting there
Train: From Wien Hbf: Railjet Xpress, no change, about 2 hours 25 minutes, hourly; Intercity trains take about 2 hours 50 minutes. ÖBB timetable for 10 December 2026.
The market at the cathedral, the Sternadvent and the market at Mirabellplatz are in or next to the old town, none of them more than 850 m from the cathedral. The fortress is above the old town, Hellbrunn Palace about 4 km south. According to the organiser, buses in the city are free on the Advent Saturdays 28 November and 5, 12 and 19 December 2026.
Christmas markets in Salzburg
1 Salzburg Christkindlmarkt at Domplatz and Residenzplatz
The large market between the cathedral and the Residenz. From 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027; Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 20:30, Friday 10:00 to 21:00, Saturday 9:00 to 21:00, Sunday and public holidays 9:00 to 20:30. On 24 December 9:00 to 15:00, on 25 and 26 December and 1 January 11:00 to 18:00. Entry is free. For kids: a reading every Wednesday at 16:00 by the Christmas tree on Residenzplatz (in German), St Nicholas and a children’s Krampus on 6 December at 15:30, and a trail with nine nativity scenes.
- For kids
- Readings, St Nicholas, a nativity trail
- Where
- Domplatz / Residenzplatz, 5020 Salzburg · Map
- Getting there
- Trolleybus 3, 5 or 6 from the main station to Rathaus
- From Vienna
- about 250 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on christkindlmarkt.co.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
2 Hellbrunner Adventzauber at Hellbrunn Palace
In the courtyard of Hellbrunn Palace in the south of the city. From 19 November to 24 December 2026; Tuesday to Friday 13:00 to 20:00, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00 to 20:00, closed on Mondays (except 21 December, 13:00 to 20:00); on 24 December 10:00 to 14:00. Entry €8 until 19:00, including a voucher for a hot drink; free from 19:00, free for children up to 6 and free on 24 December. The children’s area has a Christmas train, a petting zoo, a post office for letters to the Christkind, a fairy-tale treasure hunt and a campfire with stick bread. According to the organiser there are no pony rides any more. A Krampus run on 4 December at 18:00.
- For kids
- A children’s area with a train, a petting zoo, a Christkind post office
- Where
- Fürstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg · Map
- Getting there
- Bus 25 to Schloss Hellbrunn
- From Vienna
- about 250 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on hellbrunneradventzauber.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
3 Christmas market at Mirabellplatz
In front of Mirabell Palace, about 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the main station. From 19 November to 31 December 2026; Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 20:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 21:00. On 24 December 10:00 to 15:00, on 25 and 26 December 11:00 to 18:00, from 27 to 31 December 10:00 to 19:00. On 3 December from 18:00 there is a Krampus run, and St Nicholas hands out sweets to the children. The entry price is not stated.
- For kids
- A Krampus run with St Nicholas on 3 December
- Where
- Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg · Map
- Getting there
- Trolleybus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to Mirabellplatz
- From Vienna
- about 250 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on weihnachtsmarkt-salzburg.at and salzburg.info on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
4 Advent market at Hohensalzburg Fortress
In the courtyard of the fortress above the old town. Only Friday to Sunday from 27 November to 20 December 2026 and on 7 and 8 December, 11:00 to 19:00 each day. The market and the footpath up are free; the funicular and the rooms inside cost extra. For kids: on every market day from 14:00 to 17:00 a supervised workshop (baking biscuits, crafts, a reading and play corner), a children’s tour on 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December from 11:00 to 12:00, and a Krampus parade on 29 November at 15:00.
- For kids
- A kids’ workshop, a children’s tour, a Krampus parade
- Where
- Mönchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg · Map
- From Vienna
- about 250 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on festung-hohensalzburg.at and salzburg.info on 6 November 2026; the funicular price is not stated. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
5 Sternadvent at the Sternbräu
In the courtyards of the Sternbräu between Getreidegasse and Griesgasse in the old town. From 19 November 2026 to 6 January 2027; Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 19:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 20:30, on 24 and 31 December 10:00 to 15:00, from 1 to 6 January 11:00 to 18:00. For 25 to 30 December the organiser gives no times. Entry and a kids’ programme are not mentioned.
- For kids
- No kids’ programme mentioned
- Where
- Griesgasse 23, 5020 Salzburg · Map
- Getting there
- Bus stop Hanuschplatz, a few metres away
- From Vienna
- about 250 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on sternadvent.at and salzburg.info on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
Silent Night: Oberndorf
Oberndorf is a small town on the Salzach, north of Salzburg.
Train: From Salzburg Hbf: Salzburg local railway S1, 26 minutes, every 30 minutes (ÖBB timetable for 5 December 2026; the timetable for 24 December is not online yet).
6 Silent Night Advent market in Oberndorf
In Oberndorf near Salzburg “Silent Night” was sung for the first time in 1818; today the Silent Night Chapel stands there. The Advent market around the chapel is open from 20 November to 24 December 2026: Thursday 14:00 to 19:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 20:00, Sunday 10:00 to 19:00, plus 8 December 10:00 to 19:00, 23 December 14:00 to 19:00 and 24 December 10:00 to 17:00. There are crafts, music and horse-carriage rides. Every year on 24 December there is a commemoration in front of the chapel in the late afternoon; the time for 2026 is not published yet (the sources say 16:45 or 17:00).
- For kids
- Horse-carriage rides
- Where
- Stille-Nacht-Platz, 5110 Oberndorf bei Salzburg · Map
- Getting there
- Salzburg local railway S1 from Salzburg Hbf to Oberndorf, about 26 minutes
- From Vienna
- about 255 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on salzburger-seenland.at and salzburg.info on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
Salzkammergut: Advent on the lakes
Getting there: From Salzburg Hbf: bus 150 (express bus 150X) to St. Gilgen in 42 minutes, to Strobl in 57 minutes and to Bad Ischl in 1 hour 12 minutes. From Wien Hbf by train with one or two changes to Gmunden in about 2 hours 25 minutes, to Bad Ischl in about 3 hours, to Hallstatt in about 3 hours 25 minutes. ÖBB timetable for 5 and 8 December 2026.
The lake district east of Salzburg. The three villages on Lake Wolfgang share one Advent, with boats between them; Gmunden and Traunkirchen are on Lake Traunsee, and Hallstatt has only one market day.
7 Wolfgangsee Advent in St. Wolfgang
Advent in the village of St. Wolfgang on Lake Wolfgang, with a 16 m floating lantern on the lake. From 20 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday 13:00 to 19:30, Thursday and Friday 11:00 to 19:30, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 19:30, plus 7 and 8 December; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Entry is free. Boats run between St. Wolfgang, Strobl and St. Gilgen in Advent (Wednesday to Sunday); on Advent Sundays children up to 14 travel free with an adult. From 22 November the family Sunday has an angel post office for letters.
- For kids
- Free boat for kids up to 14 on Advent Sundays; an angel post office
- Where
- Ortszentrum, 5360 St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut · Map
- Getting there
- Bus 150 to Strobl, then bus 546; boats on the lake
- From Vienna
- about 225 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on wolfgangseer-advent.at and salzkammergut.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
8 Wolfgangsee Advent in St. Gilgen
Advent in St. Gilgen on the north shore of Lake Wolfgang, with nativity scenes around the village. Same days and times as St. Wolfgang (20 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday and on 7 and 8 December); on Wednesdays there is only a small offer on the lake promenade. Entry is free. On family Sundays (from 22 November) children make nativity scenes in the Salettl by the Gasthof zur Post. St. Gilgen is the village you reach fastest from Salzburg.
- For kids
- Nativity crafts on family Sundays
- Where
- Ortszentrum / Mozartplatz, 5340 St. Gilgen · Map
- Getting there
- Bus 150X/150 from Salzburg Hbf to St. Gilgen Busbahnhof
- From Vienna
- about 230 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on wolfgangseer-advent.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
9 Wolfgangsee Advent in Strobl
Advent in Strobl at the eastern end of Lake Wolfgang, with a nativity village. Same days and times as St. Wolfgang (20 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday and on 7 and 8 December). Entry is free. On family Sundays (from 22 November) there is a Christmas-tree maze, sausage and marshmallow grilling, a rabbit and goat enclosure and an angel post office.
- For kids
- A Christmas-tree maze, rabbits and goats, marshmallow grilling
- Where
- Ortszentrum / Dorfplatz, 5350 Strobl · Map
- Getting there
- Bus 150X/150 from Salzburg Hbf to Strobl Busbahnhof
- From Vienna
- about 220 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on wolfgangseer-advent.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
10 Ischler Advent by the Trinkhalle in Bad Ischl
In Bad Ischl, where the emperor spent his summers. In front of the Trinkhalle there is a food village from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027: Wednesday and Thursday 15:00 to 21:00, Friday to Sunday 11:00 to 21:00, closed from 24 to 26 December, free entry. For the artisans’ Christmas market inside the Trinkhalle only the opening day is confirmed for 2026 (20 November, 10:00 to 18:00). In the stables of the Kaiservilla there is an Advent market on 28 November (10:00 to 19:00) and 29 November (10:00 to 16:00), free entry. No kids’ programme is mentioned.
- For kids
- No kids’ programme mentioned
- Where
- Trinkhalle, Auböckplatz 5, 4820 Bad Ischl · Map
- Getting there
- Bus 150X/150 from Salzburg Hbf to Bad Ischl Bahnhof
- From Vienna
- about 210 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on salzkammergut.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
11 Gmunden Advent on Lake Traunsee
Advent in the centre of Gmunden on Lake Traunsee, on Rathausplatz and Rinnholzplatz. On four weekends from 27 November to 20 December 2026: Friday 13:00 to 20:00, Saturday 10:00 to 20:00, Sunday and 8 December 11:00 to 19:00. Entry is free. For kids: a children’s winter land, fairy-tale boat trips on the lake, St Nicholas rides on the Traunsee tram and alpaca walks through town (the single dates are not fixed yet), plus a nativity exhibition. The Traunsee tram and the town buses are free during the market. We did not find a castle Advent at Schloss Ort for 2026.
- For kids
- A kids’ winter land, a fairy-tale boat trip, a St Nicholas tram, alpacas
- Where
- Rathausplatz und Rinnholzplatz, 4810 Gmunden · Map
- Getting there
- Gmunden station; Traunsee tram and town buses 511–513 free
- From Vienna
- about 195 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on oberoesterreich.at and salzkammergut.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
12 Christmas market in Hallstatt
A market on one day only, the public holiday on 8 December 2026, 10:00 to 18:00 on the market square. There is a three-dimensional nativity scene made by the Hallstatt woodcraft school, a magician’s show for children at 14:00 in the Kulturhaus and crafts for children from age 5 from 15:00 to 17:00. Entry is free. Hallstatt station is on the other side of the lake; we have not checked the crossing.
- For kids
- A magician’s show for kids, crafts from age 5
- Where
- Marktplatz, 4830 Hallstatt · Map
- Getting there
- Hallstatt station (across the lake)
- From Vienna
- about 215 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on salzkammergut.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.
13 Christmas market in Traunkirchen
A small market on the Klosterplatz in Traunkirchen on the west shore of Lake Traunsee, on three days: Saturday 5 December 2026 14:00 to 20:00, Sunday 6 and Tuesday 8 December (public holiday) 14:00 to 18:00. Entry is free. For small children there is a picture-book cinema in the parish chapel (Saturday at 16:00, 17:00 and 18:00, Sunday and the holiday at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00; in German).
- For kids
- A picture-book cinema for small children
- Where
- Klosterplatz, 4801 Traunkirchen · Map
- From Vienna
- about 195 km as the crow flies
- Dates, times
- Checked on salzkammergut.at on 6 November 2026. As of November 2026, please check before you go.