The Adventures of Debbie Dimples - Austria - Vienna and Hallstatt

Vienna

I decided to take a 3 day, solo trip to Vienna in Austria for Christmas 2025. Vienna is a wonderful city which is well known for it's Christmas markets, imperial palaces, coffee culture, and its rich history of art and music. Christmas is one of my favourite times to take a trip.

Joe & Joe Vienna Hostel

To make my trip a little more budget-friendly, I stayed at the Joe & Joe Hostel. The Joe & Joe Hostel is conveniently located above the IKEA store, next to Wien Westbahnhof Train Station and Underground Station. I didn't take any photos in or of the hostel, with the exception of one image of the chicken burger and fries meal I had at the restaurant. There are some images available online (via the Joe & Joe Vienna Instagram page), which I have borrowed in this instance. The hostel features a cool rooftop bar which I also missed out on visiting. I would recommend the hostel to solo travellers looking for somewhere cheap in a convenient location.

Borrowed images from online social media

My own image

Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria, and is located in the center of Vienna. The Hofburg served as the imperial winter residence.

Sisi Museum

The Sisi Museum is located within the Inperial Apartments at the Hofburg Palace. The museum transports you into the opulent world of Elisabeth (nicknamed Sisi), the Empress of Austria.

The Spanish Riding School of Vienna

The Spanish Riding School in Austria is the oldest riding academy worldwide and is located at the Hofburg Palace. It is a world-renowned institution dedicated to the art of classical dressage and the celebrated Lipizzaner stallions. I visited the Spanish Riding School of Vienna to view the performance in the stunning baroque arena. Photography and filming is not permitted during the performance, but I managed to take some photos of the stables and borrow some images from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna social media pages.

Borrowed images from online social media

My own images

Schönbrunn Palace

The Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence for the Habsburg rulers, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace showcases some of the most significant baroque architecture in Europe. I took a tour of the interior of the palace during my trip to Vienna. During the festive period, the palace gardens are transformed into a Christmas market.

Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt

The most famous Christmas market in Vienna is the Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt. The Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt is located infront of the Town Hall, and is famous for its floating red heart. I visited the Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt on my first night for some delicious pork, potato and cabbage stew, followed by a must at any Christmas market - hot chocolate.

Altwiener Christkindlmarkt

There are approximately 20 Christmas markets in Vienna, and the city is renowned for being one of the best places to visit for a traditional Christmas market experience. The Christmas markets in Vienna date back to the Middle Ages when, in 1296, Albrecht I granted the citizens of Vienna permission to hold a 'Krippenmarkt' (December market). One of the smaller Christkindlmarkt's is the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt. I took a brief visit to Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the last day of my trip. Christmas is a wonderful time in Austria, although the children don't believe in Santa Claus (as they do in England), they believe in 'Christkind' (Christ Child). The tradition is that Christkind sneaks into homes to deliver presents to children all over the world at Christmas.

St Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral is masterpiece of Gothic architecture, located in the heart of Vienna. As it is the central point within the city, St Stephen's Cathedral is often seen as the symbol of Vienna.

St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church is located in the centre of the Old Town, and is known as one of the most magnificent baroque buildings in Vienna.

Christmas Lights

The city of Vienna is decorated with ornate Christmas lights during the festive period, most notably around the main shopping district or Old Town.

Demel

Demel, is a wonderful historic cafe in Vienna, is renowned for its delicious desserts. I spent a lovely evening in Demel, where I had some tea and an Apfelstrudel (classic Viennese apple strudel).

Cafe Sacher at Hotel Sacher

The Hotel Sacher is a luxury hotel, located in the heart of Vienna. I visited the Cafe Sacher at the Hotel Sacher during my visit to Vienna. The Cafe Sacher is a traditional Viennese coffeehouse, home of the original Sachertorte. The Sachertorte is the emblematic treat of Austria. The delicious cake dates back to the 19th century, and was named after its creator - Franz Sacher. It consists of a chocolate sponge with a chocolate glaze and an apricot filling, served with whipped cream. On my visit to Cafe Sacher, I had a warming beef goulash with bread, followed by some tea, and of course - a Sachertorte.

Hallstatt

I took a group day tour to scenic Hallstatt during my stay in Vienna. Hallstatt is a picturesque, charming village in the heart of the Austrian Alps. It's rumoured that the village of Hallstatt inspired the setting of Frozen's 'Arendelle'. Seeing Hallstatt was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

Goodbye Vienna and Halstatt. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas trip.