• austriantimes.at
• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at

Today

• Vienna - Johnny\'s Pub Quiz
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Childrens Fun

© Wikipedia

13. 11. 12. - 18:00

• more Travel news
• RSS Feed Travel

13. 11. 12. - 18:00

Magic of advent arrives in Vienna at the weekend

Christmas arrives in Vienna in force this weekend when the official Christmas market opens at the Rathausplatz.

The "Adventzauber" meaning Advent Magic market is the biggest Christmas market in Vienna and this year will include on the "Heavenly Stage" the distribution of presents for the first time by celebrities.

The crib which is normally under the Christmas tree will for a short while be moved to the park itself to make space for this to happen. The celebrities will read Christmas stories and singer Uwe Kröger, etiquette guru Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer, presenter Arabella Kiesbauer, Cathedral manager Toni Faber and actor Erich Schleyer will be under the spotlight.

During the market children will be offered the chance to make a wish for Christmas and 20 of the requests will be dealt with.

And while good old Santa Claus is becoming increasingly a part of the Austrian Christmas the traditional bearer of gifts remains the Christ child. This year he will also be present at the market embodied by schoolgirl Amanda Larissa, 17, who will play the role from Thursday through to Sunday.

The Christmas market itself will have stands selling candles, pottery, lots of decorations and Christmas cakes as well as drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic from a total of 140 different stands. Visitors need to pay a deposit to get a cup and can either take it home or hand it back to get the deposit. This year there will be deposits demanded for bottles and paper plates to stop litter building up.

The heart of the Christmas market remains the Christmas tree of course this year provided by lower Austria which is around 120 years old and 32 m high - and when it is finally switched on will be covered in more than 1,000 lights.

Vienna Times

Admont – where culture and nature meet
The region of Admont, in Styria, once a popular holiday destination for walkers and lovers of the great outdoors, is undergoing something of a revival.

Huge counterfeit money gang nicked
A money printing gang was busted after police carried out a series of raids on illegal printing factories.

Viennese museum displays bits of the moon
Three tests samples of moonstone are now on permanent display from NASA at the Natural History Museum in Vienna.

Elton John - Vienna concert tonight
Elton John is performing at the Stadthalle this evening.

Bathing ban remains on Donauinsel
Swimmers looking to escape the heat wave have been warned to avoid the Donauinsel because of possible infection.

Emergency doctors and security at the Donauinselfest
Security and emergency services will be working around the clock at the 30th Donauinselfest in Vienna this weekend as 200 acts take to the stage.

Better road security for the elderly
A two-day conference on "mobility and road safety in an ageing society" which kicks off tomorrow at the Palais Ferstel (Vienna) will look for measures to improve the security of road users over 60 years of age.

Better road security for the elderly
A two-day conference on "mobility and road safety in an ageing society" which kicks off tomorrow at the Palais Ferstel (Vienna) will look for measures to improve the security of road users over 60 years of age.

Heat causes damage to the West motorway
High temperatures have caused damage to the A1 "Westautobahn" motorway from Lower-Austria to Vienna.

Red Light Process starts again in Vienna
The so-called "Red Light Process" is being continued in the regional court in Vienna today.