Vienna shops with imperial style. The luxury flagships of Kohlmarkt lead the eye to the Hofburg, the grand Graben and busy Kärntner Strasse form the old town's shopping spine, and the long Mariahilfer Strasse is the high-street heartland. Add the cosmopolitan Naschmarkt with its Saturday flea market and a clutch of historic gourmet grocers, chocolatiers and craftsmen, and you have everything from Chanel to a collectible box of hand-made pralines. Here is where to browse and buy, with opening hours and tips.
€€€Kohlmarkt
Area
Innere Stadt (1st)
Type
Luxury street
“Vienna's 'Rodeo Drive' running to the Hofburg gate — Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier and the storied Demel patisserie all in one short block.”
€€€Graben
Area
Innere Stadt (1st)
Type
Grand boulevard
“The city's showpiece pedestrian avenue around the Plague Column — a mix of upscale shops, cafés and, unusually for Vienna, some Sunday opening.”
€€Kärntner Strasse
Area
Innere Stadt (1st)
Type
High street
“The main pedestrian shopping artery from Stephansplatz to the Opera — home to Steffl department store and glass house J. & L. Lobmeyr.”
€€Mariahilfer Strasse
Area
Mariahilf (6th/7th)
Type
High street
“Vienna's longest and most popular shopping street ('Mahü') — 1.8 km of high-street brands and department stores, and it opens on Sundays near Westbahnhof? Check hours.”
€Naschmarkt & Saturday Flea Market
Area
Mariahilf (6th)
Type
Market
“Beyond the food stalls, the Saturday flea market at the western end (from ~06:30) is Central Europe's great bargain hunt — haggle and go early.”
€€Julius Meinl am Graben
Area
Innere Stadt (1st)
Type
Gourmet food hall
“Vienna's grande dame of gourmet grocers since 1862 — perfect for coffee, chocolate and Austrian delicacies to take home, with a café-restaurant upstairs.”
€€Altmann & Kühne
Area
Innere Stadt (1st)
Type
Chocolatier
“Tiny hand-made chocolates since 1928, sold in exquisite little boxes designed by the Wiener Werkstätte — the loveliest edible gift in Vienna.”
€€€J. & L. Lobmeyr
Area
Innere Stadt (1st)
Type
Glass & crystal
“A crystal house since 1823 that made the Opera's chandeliers and the Metropolitan Opera's 'Sputnik' lights — visit the free upstairs glass museum.”
Vienna shopping in detail
1.Kohlmarkt
The Kohlmarkt is Vienna's most prestigious and glamorous shopping street, a short but supremely elegant pedestrian run that connects the Graben to the Michaelerplatz and the domed gate of the Hofburg, giving it one of the most beautiful sightlines in the city — a parade of luxury flagships framing the imperial palace at its end. This is where the world's great fashion and jewellery houses cluster: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Cartier, Tiffany and their peers occupy handsome historic buildings, their windows immaculately dressed, making even a stroll without buying a pleasure for lovers of design and people-watching. Interspersed among the international names are Viennese institutions of the highest pedigree, above all Demel, the exquisite former imperial-court confectioner, whose cake shop and café make an irresistible pause, and long-established jewellers and boutiques. The street's refined, moneyed atmosphere and its imperial backdrop have earned it comparisons to Rodeo Drive or Bond Street, and it forms the heart of the so-called 'Golden Quarter' of luxury retail spilling into the surrounding lanes. Naturally the price tags are aimed at the well-heeled, but the Kohlmarkt is worth walking regardless of budget, both for the architecture and the theatre of high-end Vienna and because it links seamlessly to the more accessible Graben and to the Hofburg, Demel and the old town's great sights. Combine a look here with the neighbouring Graben and Kärntner Strasse for the full picture of central Vienna shopping, from window-gazing luxury to more everyday buys, all within a compact and gorgeous few blocks.
Hours
Shops Mon–Fri ~10:00–19:00, Sat until ~18:00; closed Sun
Price
Luxury; window-shopping free
Getting there
U3 to Herrengasse, 2-minute walk; U1/U3 to Stephansplatz, along Graben to Kohlmarkt
Insider tip: Vienna's 'Rodeo Drive' running to the Hofburg gate — Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier and the storied Demel patisserie all in one short block.
2.Graben
The Graben is the showpiece boulevard of Vienna's old town, a broad, handsome pedestrian street running from Stephansplatz that has been the city's most fashionable promenade for centuries and remains its bustling social and shopping heart. Its name means 'ditch', a reminder that it follows the line of the old Roman camp's moat, but today it is anything but humble: lined with elegant façades, grand nineteenth-century buildings, upscale shops, jewellers, cafés and confectioners, and centred on the extraordinary Pestsäule (Plague Column), a swirling gilded Baroque monument erected by Emperor Leopold I in thanks for the end of the 1679 plague, it is a place to shop, stroll, sit and watch the world go by. The retail mix is broad and slightly more accessible than the pure-luxury Kohlmarkt that leads off it — international fashion and lifestyle brands, Austrian names, the famous Julius Meinl gourmet store nearby, jewellers like the historic A.E. Köchert (creators of the 'Sisi stars'), and inviting cafés with pavement tables — so there is something for most budgets and it is as rewarding for window-shopping and atmosphere as for serious buying. Grand and lively from morning until late in the evening, and unusually for shop-shy Vienna offering some Sunday openings among its cafés and larger stores, the Graben is the natural spine of a day in the centre, linking Stephansdom, Kohlmarkt, the Hofburg, Kärntner Strasse and Peterskirche just off it. Walk its length, admire the Plague Column, pause for a coffee, and use it as the elegant hub from which to explore the surrounding lanes and their smaller boutiques.
Hours
Shops Mon–Sat ~10:00–19:00; some cafés/shops open Sun; street always open
Price
Mid-to-high; strolling free
Getting there
U1/U3 directly to Stephansplatz, at the end of the Graben
Insider tip: The city's showpiece pedestrian avenue around the Plague Column — a mix of upscale shops, cafés and, unusually for Vienna, some Sunday opening.
3.Kärntner Strasse
Kärntner Strasse is the main shopping thoroughfare of Vienna's old town, a broad, always-busy pedestrian street that runs the length of the historic centre from Stephansplatz and the cathedral down to the State Opera and Karlsplatz, forming a natural axis of the city that most visitors walk many times. Where the Kohlmarkt is exclusive luxury and the Graben grand and elegant, Kärntner Strasse is the more mainstream, accessible high street, thronged with shoppers and lined with a broad mix of international fashion and lifestyle chains, souvenir shops, cafés and a few notable landmarks that lift it above the ordinary. Chief among these is Steffl, one of Vienna's main department stores, whose upper floors and rooftop terrace offer good city views, and the exquisite J. & L. Lobmeyr, a glassmaker since 1823 whose crystal has lit the State Opera and courts around the world and whose shop and small glass museum are a treat for lovers of craftsmanship. The street also passes the Malteserkirche and links to countless side lanes leading to hidden squares, churches and the Kärntner Durchgang home of the Loos Bar. Being the busiest and most central shopping street, it is lively, easy and convenient rather than the most refined, and it can feel touristy in parts, but it remains the practical heart of shopping in the old town and an unavoidable, enjoyable stroll connecting many of the city's key sights. Use it as your main route through the centre, dip into Steffl and Lobmeyr, and branch off into the quieter surrounding streets for smaller and more characterful shops.
Hours
Shops Mon–Sat ~10:00–19:00/20:00; Steffl open later; mostly closed Sun
Price
Mid-range high street; luxury pockets
Getting there
U1/U3 to Stephansplatz (top end) or U1/U2/U4 to Karlsplatz (Opera end)
Insider tip: The main pedestrian shopping artery from Stephansplatz to the Opera — home to Steffl department store and glass house J. & L. Lobmeyr.
4.Mariahilfer Strasse
Mariahilfer Strasse — 'Mahü' to locals — is Vienna's longest and most popular shopping street, a lively 1.8-kilometre artery running from near the MuseumsQuartier and the Ring out to the Westbahnhof, and it is where ordinary Viennese do much of their everyday shopping. This is the city's high-street heartland, a democratic and energetic contrast to the luxury of the inner-city lanes: it is packed with the big international fashion and lifestyle chains (H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Mango and the like), electronics and homeware stores, several department stores, bookshops, cafés, restaurants and the flagship branches of many popular brands, offering plentiful choice at affordable to mid-range prices. Much of the street has been remodelled into an attractive, largely traffic-calmed shared zone with wide pavements, seating, trees and space to stroll, making it pleasant to wander even when busy, and its length means you can shop for hours. Beyond the shopping, it is a good window onto contemporary, everyday Vienna and gives easy access to the appealing neighbourhoods on either side — the boutique-and-café-filled Neubau and Spittelberg to the north, Mariahilf and the Naschmarkt to the south. Because it is so long, it helps to use the U3 metro, which runs beneath it with several stations, to hop between sections. As with most of Austria, shops generally close on Sundays, so plan weekday or Saturday visits. For high-street and mid-range shopping with the widest choice, a relaxed pedestrian atmosphere and a taste of local life away from the imperial core, Mariahilfer Strasse is the place, and an easy walk or ride from the centre.
Hours
Shops Mon–Sat ~09:30/10:00–19:00/20:00; larger stores later; mostly closed Sun
Price
Affordable to mid-range high street
Getting there
U3 to Neubaugasse or Zieglergasse (midway); U2 to Museumsquartier (Ring end); U3/U6 to Westbahnhof (far end)
Insider tip: Vienna's longest and most popular shopping street ('Mahü') — 1.8 km of high-street brands and department stores, and it opens on Sundays near Westbahnhof? Check hours.
5.Naschmarkt & Saturday Flea Market
For a completely different shopping experience from Vienna's polished streets, the Naschmarkt is the city's largest and liveliest market, a 1.5-kilometre strip of stalls that is as much a shopping destination as an eating one, and a superb place to pick up edible souvenirs and soak up cosmopolitan Viennese life. Along its aisles you can buy beautiful produce, Austrian and Central European delicacies, cheeses and charcuterie, spices, teas, dried fruits and nuts, olives, wines and gourmet treats to take home, from stalls run by traders reflecting the city's diverse communities, with a strong Middle Eastern and Mediterranean presence adding colour and flavour. It is an atmospheric, sensory place to browse, taste and stock up, interspersed with delis and cafés for a break. The market's other, and for bargain-hunters most exciting, dimension appears every Saturday, when its western end near Kettenbrückengasse hosts one of Central Europe's great flea markets: a sprawling, chaotic treasure trove of antiques, vintage clothing, vinyl records, old books, jewellery, furniture, curios and outright junk, spread across scores of stalls and drawing dealers and rummagers from across the city. Haggling is expected, the atmosphere is fun and the potential finds genuine, but the early bird wins, so serious hunters arrive not long after dawn. Free to browse and endlessly photogenic, the Naschmarkt combines food shopping, souvenir hunting, people-watching and, on Saturdays, flea-market bargaining into one of the most enjoyable and authentic shopping experiences in Vienna. Combine it with lunch at one of the market restaurants for a perfect half-day.
Hours
Market Mon–Fri ~06:00–21:00, Sat until ~18:00; flea market Sat ~06:30–14:00; closed Sun
Price
Cheap to mid; haggling expected at the flea market
Getting there
U4 to Kettenbrückengasse (flea-market end) or U1/U2/U4 to Karlsplatz
Insider tip: Beyond the food stalls, the Saturday flea market at the western end (from ~06:30) is Central Europe's great bargain hunt — haggle and go early.
6.Julius Meinl am Graben
Julius Meinl am Graben is Vienna's most famous and prestigious gourmet food store, an institution founded in 1862 whose distinctive logo — a young boy in a fez — is a familiar sight across Austria, and whose flagship on the corner of the Graben and Kohlmarkt is a paradise for food lovers and a superb source of high-quality, distinctly Viennese edible souvenirs. Spread over several floors, it is a beautifully presented emporium of fine food and drink from Austria and around the world: superb coffee (the company built its name as a coffee roaster and it remains central to the business), premium chocolates and pralines, Austrian wines and international vintages, cheeses, charcuterie, patisserie, preserves, teas, spices and gourmet specialities, much of it perfect for gifts and beautifully packaged. The store combines the hushed elegance of a luxury delicatessen with the practicality of a genuine grocer for the well-heeled residents of the inner city, and browsing its counters is a pleasure in itself. Upstairs, a stylish café, bar and restaurant with views over the Graben lets you sit down for excellent coffee, breakfast, lunch or a glass of wine surrounded by the wares, making it a refined stop during a day's sightseeing or shopping. Prices reflect the quality and the address, but for coffee, chocolate, wine and other authentic Austrian gourmet products to bring home — or simply to admire a piece of Viennese food heritage — Julius Meinl is the definitive choice, ideally located in the heart of the shopping district steps from Stephansdom and the Hofburg.
Hours
Mon–Fri ~08:00–19:30, Sat until ~18:00; closed Sun
Price
Premium gourmet groceries; café-restaurant mid-to-high
Getting there
U3 to Herrengasse or U1/U3 to Stephansplatz, on the corner of Graben and Kohlmarkt
Insider tip: Vienna's grande dame of gourmet grocers since 1862 — perfect for coffee, chocolate and Austrian delicacies to take home, with a café-restaurant upstairs.
7.Altmann & Kühne
Altmann & Kühne is one of Vienna's most enchanting small shops, a tiny, exquisite chocolatier on the Graben that has been hand-making miniature confections since 1928 and turning them into some of the most charming and giftable souvenirs in the city. The chocolates themselves are the draw — bite-sized, intricate little pralines and bonbons in a range of flavours, made by hand to closely guarded recipes and beloved by generations of Viennese — but what makes the shop truly special, and elevates it into a design landmark, is the packaging. The chocolates are presented in miniature boxes and containers designed in 1928 by the legendary Wiener Werkstätte, the influential Viennese arts-and-crafts workshop, taking the form of tiny treasure chests, chests of drawers, books, and other delightful shapes covered in colourful patterned paper. These little boxes are collectors' items in their own right and make the chocolates feel like precious jewels, so that giving or receiving one is a genuine delight. The shop itself is small, elegant and old-fashioned, a perfectly preserved slice of early-twentieth-century Vienna in the heart of the shopping district on the Graben. Because the chocolates are handmade in limited quantities and the boxes so distinctive, it is a favourite for special gifts and a lovely, uniquely Viennese thing to bring home, far more characterful than a mass-produced souvenir. For anyone wanting a beautiful, edible memento of Vienna that combines craftsmanship, design heritage and delicious chocolate, Altmann & Kühne is a small but essential stop, moments from Stephansdom and the Graben's grand promenade.
Hours
Mon–Fri ~09:00–18:30, Sat until ~17:00; closed Sun
Price
Boxed chocolates from ~€10
Getting there
U1/U3 to Stephansplatz, on the Graben at number 30
Insider tip: Tiny hand-made chocolates since 1928, sold in exquisite little boxes designed by the Wiener Werkstätte — the loveliest edible gift in Vienna.
8.J. & L. Lobmeyr
J. & L. Lobmeyr is one of Vienna's most distinguished and historic firms, a maker and purveyor of fine glass and crystal since 1823 whose elegant shop on Kärntner Strasse is both a place to buy exquisite glassware and a small, unexpected cultural gem in the heart of the shopping district. Over two centuries Lobmeyr became a supplier to the imperial court and a byword for the highest quality: it created the magnificent crystal chandeliers of the Vienna State Opera and, most famously, designed the iconic starburst 'Sputnik' chandeliers that hang in the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and it has collaborated with leading designers and architects from the Wiener Werkstätte era to the present day. The ground-floor shop sells the full range of its beautiful, hand-crafted output — delicate engraved and painted drinking glasses, decanters, vases, mirrors, lighting and objets — from more affordable individual pieces suitable as a special gift up to grand bespoke chandeliers, all displayed with quiet elegance. The real treat, and something many visitors miss, is the small glass museum on the upper floor, free to enter, which showcases two hundred years of the firm's finest and most historic creations, from imperial commissions to modernist masterpieces, offering a fascinating glimpse into Viennese craftsmanship and design. Even for those not buying, it is well worth stepping inside to admire the artistry and browse the museum. Beautifully located on the main Kärntner Strasse between Stephansdom and the Opera, Lobmeyr offers a refined, characterful and quintessentially Viennese shopping and cultural experience for lovers of design, craftsmanship and elegant living.
Hours
Mon–Fri ~10:00–18:30, Sat until ~17:00; closed Sun
Price
Fine crystal from affordable pieces to grand chandeliers
Getting there
U1/U3 to Stephansplatz, on Kärntner Strasse at number 26
Insider tip: A crystal house since 1823 that made the Opera's chandeliers and the Metropolitan Opera's 'Sputnik' lights — visit the free upstairs glass museum.