We celebrated our third Christmas in Austria this week and attended our sixth Christmas market of the season.

In 2020, we decided to make Christmas morning in Hallstatt a tradition. Since visiting Hallstatt 15+ times over the past two years, we decided to forgo our tradition with the intention of skiing on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. However, the warm temperatures this week melted the snow, preventing us from our holiday adventures. Family photos and an afternoon of working on a puzzle are what we did instead.

We ended week 113 with one last Christmas market–The Stiegl-Klosterhof Christmas market in Linz.

This market claims to be “a little magic in the middle of Linz,” and it was magical, indeed.

At the heart of Linz, where Bischofstraße and Landstraße merge, the gardens of the Stiegl-Klosterhof transform into a “winter forest” with thousands of lights intertwined on trees and big red ornaments dangling from branches.

This courtyard is part of Linz's city history. What was once a part of the monastery in Linz in the 1500s has since become a Stiegl restaurant which undergoes a wintery transformation each holiday season.

There are no wooden chalets selling handmade Christmas toys, but I would rank this market as the prettiest.

The fur-lined benches and fleece blankets draped over chairs to help fight the winter chill made for a romantic and cozy atmosphere.