Discoveries

I read about the beauty & elegance of European Christmas Markets & decided to visit one of the most infamous in the central square of Vienna. The tiny Christmas town created by the Austria capital in its main square is nothing short of walking into a fairy tale. It was a cool winter night with small snowflakes descending from the dark open sky. The aroma of holiday treats, biscuits, cakes and gleaming smiles of people from all over the world has a power in itself to warn any ice cold demeanor. The miniature wooden homes where merchants sold food, drinks & souvenirs made it feel as if you had walked into Santa's village where elves reigned supreme.

The holiday lights are blinding and splash across the sky hanging like a rainbow in the night. You would be forgiven if you believed you were within a Christmas tree. As if this experience and atmosphere in itself was not enough to be classified as a travel treasure an even greater spectacle was only right around the corner. The beauty of the Christmas market is overshadowed only by the structural masterpiece that is Vienna's City Hall, also called the Rathaus.

Mostly locals and what seemed like a few tourists were walking steadily around the gigantic structure vanishing into a corridor. As my partner and I approached we were taken back by the amount of security and the thought of "curiosity killed the cat" came across me. However, holding our heads high and following into the crowd led us into a medieval door and led to a wide glamorous staircase. Following the crowds led us up numerous flights of stairs to what seemed the top of the Rathaus. As we approached the doors we heard a familiar heavenly tune in an unfamiliar language. As we pushed the door open with some trepidation and exhilaration our eyes opened wide and mouths dropped to a room full of people. Young, old, small, big, and everything in between.

We learned from the brochure being handed out that the city hosts a yearly caroling concert free of charge for all the citizens and tourists in the city of Vienna. We found a couple of seats in the crowded room closer to the back and could see this room was large enough to fit 3 tennis courts. We listened as choirs from around the world sang songs from my childhood and even though i couldn't understand the words were still beautiful and powerful for the memories it brought out.

This is a trip for anyone who wants to get that warmth of the Christmas holidays and remember the joy of being a kid again.