Introduction to Shopping in Vienna
Take
an afternoon stroll around the innere-stadt (inner city) and you’ll soon
realise that, so far as quality European shopping experiences go, Vienna
rates very highly. Narrow cobbled streets, beautiful arcades and hidden
alleyways all combine to give an impressive array of stylish boutiques and
designer shops, with the pedestrianized areas of Kärntner Straße and the
Graben serving as the destination of choice for those in need of serious
retail therapy!
That said, it may come as a surprise to learn that shopping malls are few
and far between in downtown Vienna (simply because of the large number of
well-preserved and historic buildings here. However, the Ringstrassen
Galerien, which mixes old with the new, offers a decent range of stores,
some famous names, and the convenience of a location close to some of
Vienna’s most prestigious hotels.
Mariahilferstraße, which holds the accolade of being Vienna’s longest
shopping street, stretches from the Ring across towards Westbahnhof rail
station. Here, you’ll find almost every type of retailer, along with two
popular department stores (Gerngross and the EuroCenter) and a wide-variety
of restaurants, cafés and fast food outlets.
If markets are your bag, be sure to check out the famous Naschmarkt. As a
wonderfully colourful and busy fruit/vegetable market, it also boasts some
of the best specialist food stalls and eateries in town. Elsewhere, the
oriental inspired Brunnenmarkt is well-worth a look, as is the Alt Wiener
Flohmarkt (flea market) which offers antiques, leather, souvenirs, jewellery
and second-hand clothes.
As far as souvenirs go, you’re spoilt for choice, with everything from fine
porcelain, top quality crystal and cocoa laden treats to (slightly more
downmarket) ‘Mozart’ T-shirts. Of course, aside from tasteful gifts of the
calorific kind, including the famous Sacher torte or Heindl chocolates, be
sure to check out: www.wienproducts.at, a website dedicated to showcasing
merchandise from Vienna’s finest retailers.
In general, shops are open Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm, and Saturday from
midday until 5.30pm. However, as Austria has more national holidays and
religious festivals than most European countries put together, we recommend
you check our public holiday section for details on unexpected half day/full
day closures.
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