12 Things to Do in Vienna in January

You may think that the winter cold means that the Austrian capital loses some of its appeal in January. However, in addition to the usual things to see and do in Vienna, there are a number of activities that are typical of the first month of the year.

During your visit to this historic city in January you can sample Austrian winter cuisine, wander the streets in search of a souvenir, visit the Habsburg Palace, enjoy a waltz night at the Vienna State Opera or go ice skating.

Of course, the main event in Vienna in January is the New Year's Concert. The Golden Hall of the Musikverein hosts a classical music concert that is broadcast on television to more than 90 countries. This concert is performed every year by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the musical programme consists mostly of works by the Strauss dynasty and some of their contemporaries.

Attending this concert is the dream of many, but unfortunately it is far from easy. The high demand has meant that it can only be heard live if you are chosen in a lottery. In my article on tickets for the New Year's Concert you can find all the information you need if you want to try your luck.

Fortunately, if you are travelling to Vienna and want to attend a concert in one of the most traditional musical cities in the world, you will not be short of alternatives. It is very common to combine concerts and dinner at various venues in the city, most of the time in truly spectacular palaces or halls.

Practical information

• Location: Musikvereinsplatz 1.
• Price: If you are chosen in the raffle, be prepared to pay between €40 and €1200.
• When: 1 January, around 11am.

A must-see destination on your trip to Vienna in January is Schoenbrunn Palace. This is the residence occupied every year by the Habsburgs during the summer season.

When you visit Schoenbrunn Palace, you'll be able to walk through its huge snowy forests. It is possible that these spaces are a little neglected due to the weather conditions, but this does not mean that they will go unnoticed by your eyes.

You will also enjoy the characteristic cold of the season, while you observe the snow-covered leaves of the trees, the shadows drawn on the ground, the fountains and the small frozen lakes. You will also be amazed by the breathtaking view from the Gloriette, a building dating back to 1775, which was used over the years as a dining hall and ballroom, among other things.

An ideal plan if you're travelling to Vienna in January is to take a trip to the Wachau, Melk Abbey and the Danube valleys. This way, you can see the spectacular snowy landscapes while exploring the vineyards, castles, valleys and abbeys of the Austrian countryside.

On this tour, which lasts approximately 8-9 hours, you can enjoy one of the most popular excursions from Vienna with a local guide. You will visit the Wachau Valley, the medieval castle ruins of Dürnstein and the Benedictine Abbey of Melk. You will also enjoy a typical Austrian meal in a local restaurant.

And believe it or not, the journey will be very comfortable as you will be travelling in a modern bus.

An ideal way to keep out the cold is to visit the Albertina Museum, which houses one of the most extensive graphic collections in the world, consisting of 65,000 drawings and around one million prints, as well as works by renowned artists such as Katz, Mone, Cézanne, Kandinsky, Miró, Renoir, Magritte, Munch, Chagall and Picasso.

Don't hesitate! Plan your visit to the Albertina Museum and see works of various artistic styles, such as the Batliner collection of modern European art, as well as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings.

January is considered low season in Vienna, so you'll find bargains in the city's shops. If you are a shopaholic, you will want to visit the area around St. Stephen's Cathedral. There, you will find clothes, shoes, accessories, among other items.

You can also head for the historic centre of the Austrian capital. In this area of the city you will find a large number of possible gifts to give to your family and friends. There are also shops selling traditional objects and brand-name products.

Best of all, while on any of these tours, you will be able to appreciate Vienna's wonderful architecture, monuments and characteristic palaces, which combine baroque and modern styles.

January is the perfect time to enjoy the Wiener Eistraum, or Vienna's ice dream. It is a collection of ice rinks (large, small and with elevation), which are connected to each other by a series of paths. The overall area of the park is 9,500 square metres and the main entrance is opposite the town hall.

It doesn't matter if you're not an expert skater, because you can still have a great time on any of the many rinks at the Wiener Eistraum.

You'll enjoy a dreamlike landscape at all times, a lively musical background, and the warmth and glow of the lights. In addition, there is a ticket office for the rental of air-heated skates for your convenience.

Practical information

• Location: Rathausplatz.
• Price: A voucher for four hours of skating for adults costs around €8, while children pay around €6. It is also possible to rent skates.
• Opening hours: between 10am and 10pm.

If you're visiting Vienna in January, it's a good idea to go outside the historic city centre, as you'll find some wonderful natural scenes that will impress you.

One of them is the Danube River, the second largest river on the European continent and whose course coincides with the east of Vienna.

During the winter, the surface of these waters freezes, which generates a thin sheet of ice that you will be impressed to see. You can take advantage of the popular river walks along the banks of the river to get a close-up view of the icy scenery, the boats, swans and ducks that roam freely here.

Among the things to do in Vienna at night is to look down on the city from above, while enjoying a delicious Austrian dish or a hot drink. To do so, all you have to do is go to the Danube Tower, which is considered the tallest building in all of Austria. The building is 252 metres high and has a glass terrace at the top. This area will keep you protected from blizzards and snow, without limiting the panoramic view of the city.

Also, when you climb the Danube Tower you can go to the first level, where you will find a cafeteria. There, you can try some speciality coffees and accompany them with a cake or delicious Austrian pastries. But if what you want is a drink and a more elaborate dish for lunch or dinner, there is a restaurant on the first floor.

A special feature of this tower is that both floors have a rotating system based on a set of axes. In this way, both the café and the restaurant rotate every 26 minutes, allowing you to vary your angle of view over the legendary city of Vienna.

Practical information

• Location: Donauturmplatz 1.
• Opening hours: The tower is open from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm. Please note that the café and restaurant close a couple of hours earlier.

During the time of 1653, the Turks were banished from Vienna and upon their departure they left some sacks with coffee beans. This is how they began to prepare this drink. Subsequently, the first coffee shops were created that adapted the intensity of the coffee to different palates, incorporating sweeteners and milk. In fact, they developed a variety of coffee called Viennese, an espresso with a generous layer of cream.

It is precisely this drink that you will enjoy during your stay in Vienna and you can get it in any coffee shop in the city. However, if you have the opportunity to go to Café Central, the experience will be even more enjoyable. This café was the meeting place of great intellectuals and has a history of just over 160 years.

When you enter this popular café you will be transported back in time, thanks to its ornate architecture, the portraits on the walls, the elegant design of its sofas, tables and lamps. Definitely a cultural experience with a Viennese coffee flavour that you can't miss during your tour.

January in Vienna is quite chilly, so a spa afternoon is an ideal activity for any tourist. Here you can step into a tub with a jet system and enjoy a gentle massage. In addition, the herbal steam from the sauna will envelop your body as it warms it and removes any impurities from your pores.

The vast majority of spas in Vienna have a series of pools with programmable temperatures. In this way, it is possible for each person to adapt the heat of the water according to their needs. And if you have travelled to Vienna with children, you will have no problem taking them with you, as some facilities have special pools and saunas for the little ones.

Just choose one of the most popular spas in the Austrian capital. They offer massage sessions, 32°C showers and delicious hot drinks (tea and coffee).

Vienna is known for its dance culture, as the Austrian composer Johann Strauss used the city of his birth as a showcase, through which he showed the waltz to the world. It is therefore a tradition that hundreds of people flock to the city in January and February to attend the dazzling balls that mark the beginning of the year.

If you are on holiday in Vienna, you cannot miss the Opera Ball, which takes place at the Vienna State Opera. It is a building that combines decades of history and elegant architecture.

Therefore, you will not only enjoy the rhythm of Strauss' Blue Danube and dances under a shower of carnation petals. You will also be dazzled by the ornaments and architectural details of this building, recognised worldwide as the emblem of the Austrian capital.

Practical information

• Location: A Opernring 2.
• Price: about €15 if you just want to attend the rehearsal the day before, without a seat. For the night of the ball, the cost is around €250, although with dinner it's much higher.

If you're visiting the Austrian capital in January, you shouldn't limit your visit to the old town. You can also turn your visit to Vienna into a real sporting adventure by spending a day at the Hohe Wand-Wiese ski resort.

This is a ski resort located on the outskirts of the city, in the Wienerwald forest. The ski slope is 400 metres long, has a ski lift and an amazing lighting system, designed so that you can enjoy the scenery during the night hours.

For example, if you decide to ski along the trails of the resort you can enjoy the banks of the famous Danube River which, during January, has a frozen surface. But if you prefer to go tobogganing with your family and friends, you can ride the slopes of the Prater.

January in Vienna is the month with the least rainfall and the most snow. The average rainfall is around 14 millimetres, while the average snowfall is around 61 millimetres. In addition, the temperature varies from -3°C to 3°C and the sun usually rises later than usual (7:45 am).

For the Viennese, this month is usually one of the coldest of the year, but this does not prevent you from continuing with the many tourist activities in the city.

In fact, all you'll need to do is to equip yourself with the characteristic winter clothing to keep warm as you wander the streets of Vienna in search of cafés, museums, zoos and more.

Vienna in January is less crowded for tourists than the rest of the year. This is due to the low temperatures in the city throughout the month. Despite this, however, the shopping, historical sites and restaurants do not stop.

Otherwise, you will find little crowding in the streets of Vienna, which could be convenient for you to move around at your leisure and, why not, get bargains in the street markets. Be sure to read the post What to see and do in Vienna and plan your trip in detail.