When the first reports emerged around October that the Wachau, or more precisely Dürnstein, had come up with a new concept for Advent this year, many people’s interest was piqued. After all, the small village is picturesque like few others. And therefore predestined for a trip before Christmas. Now we have finally had our own Christmas market experience in Dürnstein. Our conclusion: well. But first things first.
Advent in Dürnstein: Initial situation
The theory is really atmospheric. The implementation, on the other hand, left us shaking our heads. Or, as one hopeful visitor put it: “Maybe they’re still practising?” We already knew that the parking situation in Dürnstein is always difficult. In anticipation of the crowds and because we do check social media from time to time, we set off early. We actually managed to get a slot at the (paid) parking lot, from where we took the theoretically free (but in theory expecting a tip) slow train to the Advent in Dürnstein. The ride only takes a few minutes, but in our opinion you could just as easily walk the few hundred meters.
We started where the slow train stopped: at the Wieser Shop Charlotte au Chocolat, at the entrance to the village. The start was quite promising. The cobbled street presents itself with a few Christmas decorations. The stores offer delicacies to try, from chocolate and roasted apricot kernels to schnapps. It’s easy to
Admission to the Dürnstein Advent market
The entrance fee for the three “main attractions” of Advent in Dürnstein is € 8. Cash, please. Not a little for not a lot. At least in our experience at the Dürnstein Christmas market. With the green ribbon you purchase, you get permission to buy punch and mulled wine for € 6,- (cash, please) and to use the castle’s toilet for € 1,- (cash, please) or to buy a bratwurst. If you still need a few Christmas presents, you can choose between garden decorations, hats that are binary (“we have ladies’ models inside”) and herb dip. On the day of our visit, there was also live music of the non-Christmas variety.
Well, to be fair, it has to be said that we missed the fire show. It was probably included in the entrance fee, but when it started, we were trapped in the circular route around the Advent ship. The Advent ship is the real attraction of the Christmas market in Dürnstein. However, more from the outside. The beautifully decorated and rather large ship offers a selection of stands that brings back childhood memories. Namely of the “health fairs” of the late 90s. If you like, you can buy a pendulum, an “energy pyramid”, semi-precious stones, plastic cups with colorful drawings, decorative cushions with disturbing AI images and Hungarian paprika powder.
Kitsch and culinary delights
The most Christmassy things are the beeswax candles, the odd box of cookies and the lambskin insoles. There’s face painting for children – we assume at least that’s included in the entrance fee. The open space on the ship, which is actually perfect for mulled wine and the like, is left unused. Visitors flee outside to cool off, get some fresh air and take a few photos of the illuminated promenade.
Food stalls line the street. Between the waffles and langos, you’ll find our absolute highlight: baked mice – they taste as good as they did when we were children. This is our top recommendation for the Christmas market in Dürnstein. There are also giant pancakes and bowls from the food truck, which still has the Neustifter Kirtag in Vienna written on the menu. Part three of the
Conclusion: Advent in Dürnstein
After three hours, we stroll back to the car, make another stop at the toilet (€ 1 with card) and the parking machine (€ 6) and drive back to Vienna. The excursion cost us € 26,- for the two of us, not including food and drink. The concept of having to pay admission in order to be allowed to consume and buy is somewhat frustrating. Overall, the idea of setting up stalls in the two courtyards, on the ship and on the promenade is a really good one. The setting is very beautiful. However, it seems a little as if everyone who was there was simply taken when selecting the vendors. You shouldn’t expect to find much in the way of Christmas decorations, wooden toys, etc. The best part is the part for which you don’t have to pay admission.
Would we come back with this knowledge? Definitely not this year. But the idea, especially the backdrop, has enormous potential. With a little more lead time in planning and stand acquisition, it could really turn into something. You just can’t take Susi’s “I’ll do it with plastic cups dropshipping stall” anymore, but would also have to come up with a concept in terms of content. If you want to see for yourself, the Wachau Advent is still open next weekend. It’s best to be there by 3 pm at the latest and stay until nightfall.
