Shopping in Vienna is a real pleasure, as 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 are often pleased with long and enjoyable shopping. In Vienna, the capital of Austria, you can spend hours tirelessly wandering around the shops, looking at shop windows, which are often real works of art. Huge shopping centers have been built here for shopping, there are entire streets where you can buy clothes and gifts for friends and relatives.
What souvenirs to bring from Austria?
Shopping in Vienna is good because the selection of gifts and souvenirs is simply huge. Austrians are famous for their high quality products in many areas. First of all, sweets are brought from the Austrian capital, such as: Manner wafers, sweets with the image of Mozart Mozartkugel, Zotter bio chocolate, the delicious Sacher cake (if you can bring it, of course), candied lily petals, which the empress appreciated very much, by the way. Sisi is the ruler most beloved by the Austrians. Sweets are famous for shopping in Vienna. Austria is also famous for its jewelry from Swarovski. A brand store of this brand is located in the city center on Kertnerstrasse (next to the main cathedral of the country - Stefansdom).
You should also pay attention to 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 are 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 Vienna porcelain Augarten. The products of this porcelain factory have been handmade by hand since the 18th century. Famous Viennese candlesticks will also be an interesting acquisition. They are made of bright glass, and each has its own interesting pattern. Already even choosing one of these candlesticks, you can spend an hour or more inconspicuous for yourself.
As for typical souvenirs, you can buy, for example, a snow globe. After all, this invention belongs precisely to the Austrians. Tyrolean hats, figurines depicting Empress Sisi or Mozart, scarves with edelweiss (the plant is the symbol of Austria) are also a small minimum of sometimes useless but charming gifts that can be brought from Austria.
Where to buy gifts in Vienna?
One of the best places to purchase souvenirs is the Naschmarkt market. It is located next to the Karlsplatz metro station. Nashmarkt contains many Austrian brands. These are mainly products, such as chocolate, teas (the most famous brand - Sonnentor), cosmetics (Weleda and others), but you can also buy souvenirs at pretty bargain prices.
There are also inexpensive souvenirs near the Hundertwasser house (Schwedenplatz or Landstrasse metro). There you can buy Klimt cookware, various brightly colored souvenirs related to the work of the architect Hundertwasser, just inexpensive magnets, scarves, scarves, candlesticks. From bright colors eyes just run up here.
Naschmarkt is also known as the best market in the city. Farmers from all over the country supply their products here. Some products can only be purchased at Naschmarkt, as these products are not delivered to stores. And from the amount of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meat and seafood, sweets, eyes just run up.
Sellers on Nashmarkt will be happy (and with some persistence) to call you to their stall, treat them with something tasty, tell about their products, advise you to try something else. Naschmarkt is a market in its best sense. There is everything, but 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 in one of the many cafes and try one of the best schnitzels in the city.
By the way, just next to Nashmarkt is also Flohmarkt. This is a flea market that runs in Vienna on Saturdays from six in the morning until one in the afternoon. The easiest way to get to Flomarkt is via the U4 line - Kettenbruckengasse station (next to Karlsplatz). The flea market has collected the most interesting little things from all over the country. There are unique jewelry products, interesting dishes, old dresses of stunning beauty and much more. By the way, in Vienna there are a lot of used goods stores, where the most interesting things cost from 50 cents.
Mariahilferstrasse
Vienna's main shopping street is called Mariahilferstrasse (Mariahilfestrasse), and it stretches from the center itself - from the Museum Quarter - for several kilometers to the south-west 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 like to buy. Usually it is on Mariahilfer Strasse 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 assembled.
Very convenient is that along the Mariahilfer there is a U3 metro line. Therefore, if you are tired of the endless kaleidoscope of shops or if shopping in Vienna has come to an end, you can always jump into the subway and head back.
Graben
Vienna's main shopping street is Graben. It starts right next to the main cathedral of the Austrian capital - Stefansdom. This is the place where the most expensive brands are concentrated. Even if you do not plan on shopping in Vienna, it’s nice to just walk around Graben. The interior of each store and each shop window is striking in its beauty. Even the budget brand H&M is represented here in such a stunningly beautiful building that you just want to wander around and look at every corner. There are still expensive hotels on Graben, so there are always people in the shops - these are rich tourists who come to Austria in large numbers, for example from Saudi Arabia or the Emirates, and ordinary Austrians who come just to take a look.
Kertnerstrasse
Another fashionable shopping street in Vienna stretches the other way from St. Stephen's Cathedral. Kernterstrasse extends several hundred meters and ends at Karlsplatz and the famous Karlskirche church. Here it is worth paying attention to the house at number 19, which houses the Stefl department store, which has gathered many brands under one roof. On the seven floors of this mall you can find unique interesting items from different manufacturers. Prices, of course, bite, but you should go here if only because you just admire the design of the retail space.
Outlets in Vienna
The largest Austrian shopping center is Designer Outlet Parndorf. This is a whole village of shops of well-known and little-known brands. Parndorf can be reached either by bus from the Vienna Opera (Oper) or by train from the Main Station (metro line U1). If you are planning to organize shopping in Vienna, outlets are just the best place to shop. You can spend the whole day at Parndorf and forget about time.
Shopping centers
In recent years, many new large malls have appeared in the Austrian capital. One of the most famous is Donau Zentrum at the Kargan metro station in northeast Vienna. Shopping, the reviews of tourists about which in this place are the most positive, can take a whole day, because the Dunau Centrum consists of three whole buildings connected by crossings. Large malls are also located at the Handelskai metro station, in the buildings of the famous Vienna gasometers (Gasometer).
It is worth paying attention to the fact that everything has been done in Vienna for shopping lovers. There are even special metro tickets that are cheaper than a daily pass and are called Einkaufskarte. On them you can ride all day up to 20 hours.
It should be remembered that shops in Vienna with rare exceptions (grocery at some metro stations) do not work on Sunday. Absolutely.
Sales time
As in all countries, in summer and winter in Austria there comes a period of seasonal discounts. In July, prices for winter and spring collections are reduced to 70%. The second sales boom comes in winter - before Christmas and after. Shopping in Vienna in February is a very pleasant experience. After all, there are not so many people in shopping centers, and the discounts on many things are simply amazing. Perhaps the biggest excitement is observed before the Christmas holidays. Then everyone buys gifts for their loved ones, friends and relatives, so in stores you don’t get crowded.
When shopping in Vienna in January 2018, pay attention to the malls located far from the center. All sizes have not yet been dismantled and interesting things remained. In January-February, Graben and Kaertnerstrasse, as a rule, don’t have anything interesting and unique, so sometimes you have to go somewhere in the direction of Baden or Parndorf to grab something worthwhile.
Christmas markets
But the most hype is observed on "Weinachtsmarkt" (Weihnachtsmarkt). So in German called Christmas markets. Between mid-November and December 25, these markets open in many places in the Austrian capital. The most famous bazaar is at the Town Hall. Prices in these markets bite. For example, the simplest Christmas ball toy will cost about 6-10 euros, or even more (if handmade). Wooden jewelry the size of a couple of millimeters will cost a euro or more. But how beautiful it is in these markets! You can also get something really very interesting.
Should I go from other cities and countries to Vienna for shopping?
If you are a notorious shopper, 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, shopping is worth coming here. Well, if you, for example, fly away from Vienna and have about a day left. Then you can visit a couple of shopping centers. There are also many global brands in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and they are much cheaper (some Austrians even go shopping here, because the prices are very different).
Going shopping from Prague to Vienna will be wise, if only you need something specific that cannot 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 Viennese.