Vienna and Salzburg are close in January. Vienna averages 0–4°C with low-moderate crowds; Salzburg -4–3°C with moderate crowds.
By Daan · Last reviewed October 2026
Vienna and Salzburg
The verdict for January
Ball season and cosy cafés
+Coffeehouses, concerts and the opera at their atmospheric best.
–Cold, grey and dark by late afternoon.
January is Vienna's ball season and a good month for the things the city does best indoors: coffeehouses, museums, concerts and opera. Tourist numbers are modest once the New Year week passes.
Mozart Week and snow
+Mozart Week and a snow-dusted old town.
–Cold and dark early.
January brings Mozart Week at the end of the month and a snow-dusted old town. It is cold, but concerts and cafés make it worthwhile.
Scores and crowd levels are my own judgement; temperatures are monthly averages. Higher scores are better: quieter, cheaper and more pleasant.
Another month