5. Christkindlmaerkte (Christmas Markets)

Cinnamon sticks, star anise, and pine cones are transformed into holiday decor

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The Buzz -- Vienna is an enchanting city to visit during Advent, and much of its charm is due to the Christmas markets held around the city. The most famous is held on the Rathausplatz; it's a picture-postcard scene with festively lit stalls and the Rathauspark trees decorated with lanterns. You can buy presents and souvenirs, chocolate-covered fruits, roasted chestnuts and Glühwein (mulled wine). For those who find this a bit too kitschy, there are alternative markets: the more rustic, homely feeling of the market in Schönbrunn; the market on the grounds of the Belvedere Palace; or, probably the favourite of the locals, the market on the site of the Altes AKH (Old General Hospital).