Shopping in Vienna is a real pleasure, because the Austrian capital has everything you need for comfortable shopping: good infrastructure, a wide selection of goods for every taste, brands from all over the world. European cities often delight with long and enjoyable shopping. In Vienna, the capital of Austria, you can spend hours tirelessly wandering around shops, looking at shop windows, which are often real works of art. For shopping, huge shopping centers have been built here, there are entire streets where you can buy clothes and gifts for friends and family.
What souvenirs to bring back from Austria?
Shopping in Vienna is good because the choice of gifts and souvenirs is simply huge. The Austrians are renowned for their high quality goods in many areas. First of all, sweets are brought from the Austrian capital, such as: Manner waffles, Mozartkugel candies with the image of Mozart, Zotter biochocolate, delicious Sacher cake (if you can bring it, of course),candied lily petals, which were very much appreciated, by the way, by the Empress Sisi - the ruler most beloved by the Austrians. Shopping in Vienna is famous for its sweets. Austria is also famous for its Swarovski jewelry. The company store of this brand is located in the city center on Kärtnerstrasse (next to the country's main cathedral - Stephansdom).
You should also pay attention to the dishes if you go shopping in the country of Mozart. The most famous Austrian ceramics is from Gmunden (this is a town in Upper Austria). Also good dishes under the brand name "Klimt" (it depicts the famous "Kiss" - the most famous work of the artist Gustav Klimt). If you want something exactly metropolitan, then you can pay attention to Augarten Viennese porcelain. The products of this porcelain factory have been handmade since the 18th century. An interesting acquisition will also be the famous Viennese candlesticks. They are made of bright glass, and each has its own interesting pattern. Even choosing one of these candlesticks, you can spend an hour or more unnoticed.
As for typical souvenirs, you can buy, for example, a snow globe. After all, this invention belongs to the Austrians. Tyrolean hats, figurines depicting Empress Sisi or Mozart, scarves with edelweiss (the plant is a symbol of Austria) - these are also a small minimum of sometimes useless, but charming gifts that you can bring from Austria.
Where to buy gifts in Vienna?
One of the best places forpurchasing souvenirs is the Naschmarkt market. It is located next to the Karlsplatz underground station. The Naschmarkt contains many Austrian brands. These are mainly products, such as chocolate, teas (the most famous brand is Sonnentor), cosmetics (Weleda and others), but you can also buy souvenirs at pretty bargain prices.
There are also inexpensive souvenirs near the Hundertwasser's house (metro station "Schwedenplatz" or "Landstrasse"). There you can buy Klimt brand dishes, various bright colored souvenirs related to the work of the architect Hundertwasser, just inexpensive magnets, scarves, scarves, candlesticks. From the bright colors here just run up the eyes.
Nashmarkt is also known as the city's best market. Farmers from all over the country supply their products here. Some products can only be purchased at the Naschmarkt, as these products are not available in stores. And from the number of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meat and seafood, sweets just run up your eyes.
Nashmarkt sellers will gladly (and with some perseverance) call you to their stall, treat you to something tasty, tell you about their products, advise you to try something else. Naschmarkt is a market in its best sense. It has everything, but at the same time there is no particular crush and noise, despite the fact that the place is extremely touristy. And tired of shopping or the madness of bright colors, you can sit down in one of the many cafes and taste one of the best schnitzels in the city.
By the way, very close to NaschmarktFlohmarkt is also located. This is a flea market that operates in Vienna on Saturdays from six in the morning until one in the afternoon. The easiest way to get to the Flormarkt is via the U4 line - the Kettenbruckengasse station (following the Karlsplatz). The flea market has collected the most interesting little things from all over the country. There is unique jewelry, interesting dishes, old dresses of stunning beauty and much more. By the way, there are a lot of second-hand stores in Vienna, where the most interesting things cost from 50 cents.
Mariahilferstrasse
The main shopping street of Vienna is called Mariahilferstrasse (Mariahilfeshtrasse), and it stretches from the very center - from the Museum Quarter - several kilometers to the southwest and ends near the Schönbrunn Palace. The street is quite wide, with spacious comfortable sidewalks. It is not pedestrian, but there are usually very few cars here. This is a paradise for those who love to shop. Usually it is on Mariahilferstrasse that they go if they want to arrange shopping in Vienna. Reviews of tourists most often about this street. Here are the most famous world brands - from budget to expensive. In addition to chain stores, there are quite large shopping centers, such as: Generali Center and Gerngross, under the roof of which dozens of companies are gathered.
Very convenient is that along Mariahilfer there is a metro line U3. So if you are tired of the endless kaleidoscope of shops, or if shopping in Vienna has come to an end, you can always jump on the subway and go back.
Graben
Vienna's central shopping street - Graben. She isbegins right next to the main cathedral of the Austrian capital - Stephansdom. This is the place where the most expensive brands are concentrated. Even if you don't plan on shopping in Vienna, the Graben is nice to just walk around. The beauty of the interior of each store and each showcase is striking. Even the budget brand H&M is presented here in such a stunningly beautiful building that you just want to wander here and look at every corner. There are still expensive hotels on the Graben, so there are always people in the shops - these are rich tourists who come to Austria en masse, for example from Saudi Arabia or the Emirates, and ordinary Austrians who just come in to stare.
Kartnerstrasse
Another fashionable shopping street in Vienna stretches in the other direction from St. Stephen's Cathedral. Kärnterstraße stretches for several hundred meters and ends at Karlsplatz and the famous Karlskirche church. Here you should pay attention to the house at number 19, which houses the Stefl department store, which has brought together many brands under one roof. On the seven floors of this mall, you can find unique interesting things from different manufacturers. Prices, of course, bite, but it's worth coming here if only to just admire the design of the retail space.
Outlets in Vienna
The largest Austrian shopping center - Designer Outlet Parndorf. This is a whole village of shops of famous and little-known brands. Parndorf can be reached both by bus from the Vienna Opera (Oper), and by train from the Main Station (metro lineU1). If you are going to organize shopping in Vienna, outlets are just the best place to shop. You can spend the whole day in Parndorf and forget about time.
Shopping malls
In recent years, many new large malls have appeared in the capital of Austria. One of the most famous is the Donau Zentrum at the Kargan metro station in the northeast of Vienna. Shopping, the reviews of tourists about which are the most positive in this place, can take a whole day, because the Dunau Centrum consists of three buildings connected by passages. Also, large malls are located at the Handelskai metro station, in the buildings of the famous Vienna Gasometers (Gasometer).
It is worth paying attention to the fact that in Vienna everything is done for lovers of shopping. There are even special metro tickets that are cheaper than a daily pass and are called Einkaufskarte. You can ride on them all day until 20:00.
It should be remembered that shops in Vienna, with rare exceptions (grocery at some metro stations), do not work on Sunday. Absolutely.
Sale time
As in all countries, summer and winter in Austria comes a period of seasonal discounts. In July, prices for winter and spring collections are reduced by up to 70%. The second boom of sales comes in winter - before Christmas and after it. Shopping in Vienna in February is a very pleasant experience. After all, there are not so many people in shopping centers, while discounts on many things are simply amazing. Perhaps the biggest excitement is observed before the Christmas holidays. Then allbuy gifts for their loved ones, friends and relatives, so the stores can be overcrowded.
When going shopping in Vienna in January 2018, pay attention to the malls located far from the center. There are still not dismantled all the sizes and there are interesting little things. In January-February, as a rule, there is nothing interesting and unique left on Graben and Kaertnerstrasse, so sometimes you have to go somewhere in the direction of Baden or Parndorf to grab something worthwhile.
Christmas markets
But the most excitement is observed at the "Weihnachtsmarkt" (Weihnachtsmarkt). This is the German word for Christmas markets. Between mid-November and December 25, these markets open in many places in the Austrian capital. The most famous bazaar is near the Town Hall. Prices in such markets bite. For example, the simplest Christmas ball toy will cost about 6-10 euros, or even more (if handmade). Wooden jewelry just a couple of millimeters in size will cost euros and more. But how beautiful these markets are! You can also buy something really very interesting.
Should I go from other cities and countries to Vienna for shopping?
If you are an inveterate shopper, then it makes sense to go to the capital of Austria even from abroad. Resting in Salzburg or other Austrian resorts, you will not see such a variety of things as in Vienna. Therefore, it is worth coming here for shopping. Well, if you, for example, fly away from Vienna andhave about a day left. Then you can visit a couple of shopping centers. In Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, there are also many global brands, and they are much cheaper (some Austrians even go shopping here, because the prices are very different).
Shopping from Prague to Vienna is smart, unless you need something specific that can't be bought in the Czech Republic. For the road is still quite long (4-5 hours) and expensive (from 20 to 100 euros one way), and Prague stores with world brands are no worse than Vienna ones.
