Travel Enthusiasts Heaven: and other Vienna, Austria Shopping Tips

Name of Shop: Freytag & Berndt

This shop is on Kohlmarkt, one of the nicest pedestrianised shopping streets in the city. It is just across the street from Demel and the perfect place to go after some hot chocolate and strudel. Berndt and Freytag are famous map-makers and this shop caters exclusively for travellers. You can buy maps, travel guides, beautifully illustrated glossy coffeetable-type books, language courses and maps and speciality guides of all sorts.

What To Buy: Most people already have their travel guides so what I would buy here is one of their lovely photographic books on some part of Austria. There were several on the Wachau area we had driven through on the way to Melk.

What To Pay: A lot or a little. The books aren't any more expensibve than in the other bookshops.

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Theme: Books
Address: Kohlmarkt 9
Directions: Heading towards Graben from Michaelerplatz, across the street from Demel Cafe.
Website: www.freytahberndt.at

Name of Shop: Quartier 21 - Electric Avenue

On one side of the Museum Quarter , opposite the Leopold and Kunst Museum is a very hip and modern shopping area called Quartier 21. Electric Avenue is a series of interconnected shops and cafes one leading on from the other and here you can purchase some seriously attractive artistic souvenirs. The shop I liked best here was Prachner where the books were laid out with easy access in mind and you could sit and browse in comfortable leather armchairs. Art books and calenders predominate but music, literature and architecture are also covered.

What To Buy: A book on Schiele or Klimt maybe would be a good purchase here but expensive and heavy to carry round with you. A perfect souvenir/present would be anything from their calender section.

What To Pay: A reasonable amount for calenders and smaller items but the books were on the pricey side.

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Theme: Art
Address: Quartier 21
Directions: In the Museum Quarter directly opposite the Leopold Museum. Cross the road from the Kunsthistorische museum and go under the arch.
Website: www.vienna.info

Name of Shop: Meinl Am Graben

I had read about Meinl Am Graben on Alusru's Vienna page and was looking forward to eating in the restaurant. Unfortunately the evening we arrived it was closed but we came back the next day to do some shopping downstairs. This is the main shop of Julius Meinl's chain and everytime I passed by it was absolutely thronged with shoppers. Downstairs is a veritable gourmet paradise with all sorts of sweet and savoury delicacies.

What To Buy: If Iwas living in Vienna I imagine this would be a place I would visit regularly for cheese, pate and wine. Unfortunately, with little room to carry anything extra home with me I was restricted to buying chocolate. Their chocolate bars are easy to slip into a suitcase and really top quaity as well (I was obliged to taste, just to ensure that it was suitable for my family's consumption.) They were extremely lucky in fact to get any as I Battled with the temptation to eat the whole lot myself.

What To Pay: Some things are expensive but the chocolate was only a little dearer than in other shops.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Am Graben 19
Directions: At the opposite end of Graben to Stepansplatz.
Website: www.meinl.com

Name of Shop: The big shop that is Vienna

Vienna is like one big shop and you can pick up little souvenirs in a whole host of places. Christmas Markets are great places to shop and Nasch Market is open all year round for exotic foodstuffs. On Saturdays there is a Flea market also at Nasch and there are several smaller antique markets.
Museums, galleries and most of the attractions you will visit during your time here provide huge shopping opportunities and the prices aren't as inflated as sometimes in these establishments.
Even churches in Vienna have shops. At Augustinerkirche for instance, after Sunday mass there was a delightful Advent Market selling candles, decorations and other memorabilia.
If you are a serious shopper then you will have a ball as Vienna is full to the brim with expensive and exclusive shops. All the large pedestrianised streets ( see General Tiips) will give you a huge choice of expected and totally unexpected retail outlets.

What To Buy: If you want the ultimate cheap souvenir then go to the supermarket - any branch of Billa will sell you pretty presentation bags of Mozart chocolates for a couple of euros. The chocs are covered in gold shiny paper with a picture of Mozart and consist of surprisingly good chocolate and marzipan.

What To Pay: As much or as little as you like.

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Theme: Other
Address: All over Vienna
Website: www.vienna.info