Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Vienna's Rathaus; photos by Ramona Zacharias

Whether they’re set amidst Vienna’s majestic Rathaus or City Hall, the elegant Schonbrunn Palace or in an ordinary neighborhood, traditional Christmas markets are cause for celebration.

If you find yourself in Vienna this time of year, a visit to Wiener Christkindlmarkt, the city’s main market in front of the Rathaus, is a must. Dating back to the late 13^th century when Emperor Albrecht I gave the shopkeepers of Vienna permission to hold a market for the general public in December, it is the largest and most elaborate in the city.

The adjacent park is decorated with all manner of lights and trinkets. A train runs through the area to take visitors to such attractions as the Nostalgia Merry-Go-Round, while the the main corridor inside the Rathaus serves as a workshop for children to bake cookies or make their own presents.

But while this largest of the markets is certainly worth a look and a few photos, especially if you have children in tow, my favorites are found elsewhere.

The Weihnachtsmarkt am Spittelberg, for instance, is far more traditional in feel and atmosphere. The stalls wind in and out of narrow back streets, their wares much more authentic and far less tourist-driven. This is where you will find local residents at the end of their work day, enjoying mugs of gluhwein, or hot mulled wine, and platters of fried sausage and roasted potatoes.

A flower seller at Schonbrunn Place market

A personal favorite is the Christmas market in front of Schonbrunn Palace. Besides the beautiful setting and extensive gardens open for exploration, I found some unique features, such as a man selling Advent calendars of all shapes and sizes, and a young woman binding fresh flowers into bouquets that could last as stunning centerpieces for up to three years.

While many of the items on sale are handmade and a little on the pricey side, one of the best souvenirs can be found at the gluhwein stand.

For an extra euro or two, you can get your drink in a souvenir mug, specific to the year and location of the market. You can also buy these pretty ceramics without the wine, but where’s the fun in that?

Some Scrooges say the Christmas markets are overdone; and there certainly are those that have traded in their rustic charm for mass tourist appeal. But walking among the stalls, surrounded by pretty lights and local revelers, the smell of pine needles, roasting chestnuts and mulling wine in the frosty air, feels just right for the season.

The waiting room in Vienna; photos by Ramona Zacharias

You may not have to delve into your subconscious to fully appreciate the significance of the Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna, but you will have to use your imagination.

The building at Berggasse 19 housed Freud’s living quarters and office for nearly 50 years before he fled with his family to London in June, 1938, following the Nazi takeover of Austria.

Freud died in London a little more than a year later in September, 1939, at the age of 83.

Several decades later, his daughter, Anna, who was also a pioneering psychoanalyst, donated many of her father’s possessions –– but not his famed psychoanalytic couch –– to establish the Vienna museum.

Although the Vienna site features Sigmund Freud’s waiting room couch, the more famous sofa, as well as the majority of Freud’s collection of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Oriental antiquities, are on display at another, larger Freud Museum in London.

The more sparsely decorated facility in Vienna is still highly atmospheric, however. Climbing the stone steps, seeing the “Prof. Dr. Freud: 3-4” sign on the door –– the numbers referred to the hour he reserved to see his patients every day –– and standing in the waiting room conjures up a sense of the groundbreaking work that transpired within those walls.

The remaining rooms in the apartment contain family photographs and personal effects, including a portion of Sigmund Freud’s antiquities collection and signed copies and first editions of his works.

Another section of the permanent exhibit offers video footage of the Freuds from the 1930s that’s narrated by Anna. The library, with some 35,000 volumes, claims to be the largest collection of works on psychoanalysis in Europe.

For anyone who’s ever sat on “the couch” or has been guilty of a Freudian slip, a visit to Freud’s Vienna home will put everything in perspective –– or give you someone to blame.