Vienna is overrun

Rush of tourists: closed due to overcrowding

On Thursday, the crowds pushed their way through Vienna's city center. Business is booming, the tills are ringing.(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario)

Overcrowded Christmas markets, closed shopping streets, long queues outside restaurants - mass tourism has Vienna in its grip. As every year, the Christmas season attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, and the number is growing all the time. The Viennese moan, the economy rejoices.

Vienna is Europe's Christmas capital par excellence. No other metropolis shines brighter during the Advent season, and hardly any other major city in the EU has more Christmas markets than here. Vienna is particularly popular at Christmas time with visitors from Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as tourists from the USA and increasingly from China. With an occupancy rate of 85 percent over the whole of December, Vienna's hotels will set a record - with an increase of eight percent compared to the previous year.