Shopping · Vienna · Austria
Shopping in Vienna
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Vienna shopping runs from luxury labels and historic purveyors to the imperial court on Graben and Kohlmarkt, to the long high street of Mariahilfer Strasse and independent designers in Neubau. Best souvenirs: Manner wafers, Snow globes and Augarten porcelain.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 4
- Top souvenir
- Manner wafers
Where to shop
Graben, Kohlmarkt and Kärntner Strasse
The pedestrian shopping heart of the 1st district, with luxury labels and historic shops.
Mariahilfer Strasse
Vienna's longest shopping street, with department stores and high-street brands.
Neubau
Independent fashion, design and concept stores on Neubaugasse, Lindengasse and Kirchengasse.
Freihausviertel
Galleries, small boutiques and design shops around Schleifmühlgasse near the Naschmarkt.
Markets
Naschmarkt
Food market with a Saturday flea market at its southern end.
Brunnenmarkt
One of the longest street markets in Europe, in the multicultural 16th district, with Turkish and Balkan produce.
Karmelitermarkt
A neighbourhood market in Leopoldstadt with farmers' stalls on Saturdays and cafés around the square.
Christmas markets
Rathausplatz, Spittelberg, Schönbrunn, Karlsplatz and many smaller markets from mid-November.
What to buy
Manner wafers
Pink-wrapped hazelnut wafers made in Vienna since the 19th century, with a flagship shop on Stephansplatz.
Snow globes
The snow globe was invented in Vienna, and a family workshop still makes the originals.
Augarten porcelain
Hand-painted porcelain from the manufactory in the Augarten palace, founded in 1718.
Austrian wine
Grüner Veltliner, Gemischter Satz or sweet wines from Lake Neusiedl.
Sachertorte
Packed in a wooden box, it keeps for a couple of weeks.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Wieden
Naschmarkt
Vienna's best-known market stretches for about 1.5 km along the Wienzeile with stalls of spices, cheeses, olives, pickles and fresh produce, plus restaurants serving everything from schnitzel to falafel and sushi.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
Street · Ringstrasse
Ringstrasse by tram
The grand boulevard built from the 1860s on the line of the old city walls is lined with showpiece buildings: the State Opera, the Hofburg, the museums, the Parliament, the neo-Gothic City Hall, the Burgtheater and the University.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Sachertorte, Apple strudel, Kaiserschmarrn and Wiener Melange. Café Sacher at Hotel Sacher, Demel on Kohlmarkt and most traditional coffee houses. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Innere Stadt | $$$$ | The historic 1st district inside the Ring: cathedral, Hofburg and classic coffee houses |
| Leopoldstadt | $$ | The Prater, Augarten park and a creative café scene across the Danube Canal |
| Wieden | $$$ | Karlskirche, the Naschmarkt and the galleries and bistros of the Freihausviertel |
| Mariahilf | $$ | Vienna's main shopping street and the western side of the Naschmarkt |
| Neubau | $$$ | MuseumsQuartier, Spittelberg's Biedermeier lanes and independent designers |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in EUR. Round up or add about 5–10% in cafés and restaurants for good service, telling the waiter the amount when you pay. Round up taxi fares.
- Greet with 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' when entering shops and restaurants, and say 'Auf Wiedersehen' when leaving.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–March; the busiest months are July–August and December.
- March: Easter markets at Schönbrunn and Freyung (March or April, depending on Easter)
- May: Wiener Festwochen arts festival (usually mid-May to June)
- June: Donauinselfest — huge free open-air music festival on the Danube Island (usually June)
- July: Film Festival on Rathausplatz — free open-air opera and concert films with food stalls (July–August)
- July: ImPulsTanz dance festival (July–August)
- August: Film Festival on Rathausplatz continues (until late August)
Staying near the shops
$$ · Best for shopping, budget and families
Mariahilf
Vienna's main shopping street and the western side of the Naschmarkt
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Vienna?
Manner wafers, Snow globes, Augarten porcelain and Austrian wine.
+Where is the best shopping in Vienna?
Graben, Kohlmarkt and Kärntner Strasse: The pedestrian shopping heart of the 1st district, with luxury labels and historic shops.
+What are the best markets in Vienna?
Naschmarkt, Brunnenmarkt, Karmelitermarkt and Christmas markets.