VIENNA'S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS MARKETS
/Europeans are the undisputed authority on Holiday Spirit. Beginning in November, dreamy Christmas markets spring up all over the continent, drawing revelers from far and wide. For our first (but hopefully not last) Christmas market experience, we decided on Austria.
We left on Thursday morning and took a quick two hour flight to Vienna. (The Spanish low-cost carrier, Vueling, has direct flights from Barcelona to over 160 European destinations, which has made these weekend trips amazingly straightforward.) We stayed 4 days and 3 nights with the exclusive goal of absorbing as much Christmas spirit as possible; as a bonus, we also got to take in Vienna's oh-so romantic architecture and impressive museums.
The city was nothing short of enchanting. I'm pretty sure we would've loved Vienna at any time of year — it is picturesque and has a zillion cool things to see and do — but when you add the twinkle of Christmas lights and an endless maze of stalls selling quaint holiday wares, and then top it off with a splash of mulled wine...well then it becomes simply dazzling.
