Vienna in January ("Jänner")

Vienna is a diverse and colourful place full of life; there are different things to see, places to go and stuff to do in different times of the year. In this set of articles, I will highlight the best seasonal events of each month. January makes the start: It is not the most popular month to travel to Vienna, but still has some things to offer that justify a trip. Besides, many people who come to Austria for skiing come to Vienna for a day-trip - and thereby, see the Austrian capital without the vast crowds of tourists you find in almost any other month.

Weather in Vienna in January

January is the coldest month of the year. In Vienna, winters are generally milder than in the east of Austria. Nevertheless, you will almost certainly encounter some snow and frost, especially on the hills around the city. The average daily maximum temperature is a mere 2 degrees Celsius, the minimum temperature averages at minus 3 degrees. There are only two hours of sunlight on the average January day (alongside with November and December the lowest number), but you can expect eight days of snowfall or rain over the course of the month. Bring warm and windproof clothing, proper shoes, a scarf, hat and gloves. It doesn′t get colder than January - but this is quite enough to make a stay outdoors an unpleasant experience.

Things to See & Do in Vienna: January

Vienna starts the new year with the famous "Neujahrskonzert" of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Performed in the "grand hall" of the Wiener Musikverein, it attracts hundreds of people, generally of the wealthier sort. Dozens of Japanese businessmen mingle with members of the Austrian government and Central European industrialists to listen to music mostly by Strauss and his Romantic contemporaries. The Neujahrskonzert traditionally ends with the Radetzkymarsch. The concert is highly popular in Asia and broadcasted globally; according to the not overly reliable national Austrian Broadcast ORF (my former employer), more than one billion people watch the Neujahrskonzert on TV or listen to it on the radio.

In January, balls are also a very big deal in Vienna. The "Ball der Philharmoniker" is organised by the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra; the "Kaffeesiederball" is organised by an association of traditional Viennese Café. Fraternities, guilds, societies, schools and universities - there is almost no institution of significance in Vienna that won′t hold a ball. The hot-spots as venues are the Rathaus City Hall, the halls of the Hofburg and the many Palais of the first district.

Another fun thing to do in Vienna in January is skating in front of the city hall: The Rathaus Park is transformed into an ice-rink, which is maintained until early March. In the Wiener Konzerthaus, the "Resonanzen" music festival is held.

Things to Do & See in Vienna′s Surroundings: January

As if Vienna wasn′t already bleak enough in January, the surroundings of the capital are even worse: Most key-attractions are closed until Easter (at least) and Lower Austria is anything but famous for its skiing opportunities. I am afraid I can′t think of anything particularly cool you could do in the immediate surroundings of Vienna this month - apart from the usual attractions, be it the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg or the Nitsch Museum Mistelbach or whatever else might appeal to you - but these things are not season-specific.

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Vienna throughout the Year

January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December

Vienna by District

District Overview - 1st (Innere Stadt) - 2nd (Leopoldstadt) - 3rd (Landstraße) - 4th (Wieden) - 5th (Margareten) - 6th (Mariahilf) - 7th (Neubau) - 8th (Josefstadt) - 9th (Alsergrund) - 10th (Favoriten) - 11th (Simmering) - 12th (Meidling) - 13th (Hietzing) - 14th (Penzing) - 15th (F

Vienna in January ("Jänner")

Weather in Vienna in January

Things to See & Do in Vienna: January

Things to Do & See in Vienna′s Surroundings: January

Vienna throughout the Year

Vienna by District

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading