It’s that time again: from November 10, the Christmas markets will open their doors throughout Austria. Due to inflation, you will have to dig deeper into your pockets than usual for punch, mulled wine and cookies this year. Are you planning a visit to the Advent market in the coming weeks? Tell us about your plans in this forum!
Hardly any other time of the year makes Austria shine as much as around Christmas! When our towns and villages are covered in dim Christmas lights, we like to walk straight to the various Christmas markets. But thanks to inflation, this is becoming an increasingly expensive pleasure.
Reader reporter Peter Z. sent us the prices at the Christmas market on Stephansplatz in Vienna, where a cup of punch costs no less than 7.50 euros; for comparison: the retail price for a liter of mulled wine is around 2.50 euros. With a price per cup of about 60 cents in your own hands, you can start thinking:
Cookies as a luxury item?
Prices for pastries are also rising. Just like the presents on Christmas Eve, they are part of the Christmas season: vanilla crescents, Linzer eyes, cinnamon stars, nut wedges, chocolate dalders, punch donuts, coconut cookies, rascals and rum balls. Have you gotten a taste yet?
For Christmas lovers for whom baking yourself is not an option, machine-made Christmas cookies are available in supermarkets and cost 25 euros or more per kilo. Bakers even charge around 10-20 euros on top! There are also vegan or gluten-free variants there. Those are pretty impressive prices, especially since Christmas is already a burden on the stock market.
How do you plan to enjoy yourself during Advent? Can and do you want to afford a visit to the Christmas market? Discuss it with us in the comments!
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
