What to buy in Austria? — 17+ best souvenirs & best things to buy in Austria

If you love the Medieval beauty, like to see and visit ancient castles located on the cliffs or river banks, don’t miss Austria. Austria is a country with a rich history, beautiful scenery, and one of Europe’s most traditional traditions. The magnanimous history and cultural quintessence of a rich Austria in the past are clearly reflected in the arts, crafts, interiors and distinctive cuisine. From the unique stools, the famous Waltz dance, to the delicious fried beef steak, hot dogs and aromatic apple pie, you’ve probably heard of it. But that’s not all. Austria also has wonderful gifts and souvenirs to bring back. So, what should I buy in Austria, what to buy in Austria? Let’s check out our Austria shopping guide with the top 17+ things to buy in Austria, best souvenirs from Austria, must buy in Austria as well as where to buy in Vienna and best shopping places in Vienna to buy them to clear the answer!

Must buy & best souvenirs from Austria: Swarovski Crystals

Crystal products from Swarovski are considered as a treasure of Austria, extremely famous all over the world, more popular than gold and second only to diamonds. This is a over 126-year-old luxury brand specializing in crystal products such as charming jewelry, elegant watches and sparkling crystal creations… with its factory located in Wattens. The company’s typical product lines are diverse from accessories, jewelry, gifts to interior decoration. Not only that, it also represents the elegance and aristocracy that has a profound influence on international events, especially in awards ceremonies and film festivals.

At its factory in Wattens, Austria, the Swarovski company has been crafting and supplying luxury crystal products since the early 20th century. In addition to exquisite handcrafted products, the company also offers a wide range of souvenirs from small sculptures to home decor, chandeliers, jewelry, and accessories. Products such as necklaces, bracelets, brooches and jewelry sets for women, cufflinks, rings and bracelets for men are very popular souvenirs for tourists. You can buy these items at stores in Vienna Suchas SWAROVSKI Kristallwelten Store Wien (Address: Kärntner Str. 24, 1010 Wien, Austria), SWAROVSKI Vienna Kärntner Store (Address: Kärntner Str. 8, 1010 Wien, Austria) or right in its hometown Wattens.

What to buy in Austria: Coffee

Austria is a famous country when it comes to owning many cafes with delicious flavors. If you have ever tried sipping a cup of coffee in Austria, especially in its capital of Vienna while watching people pass by slowly, you will be attached to that unforgettable taste and that gentle scene. So, you can buy pretty little coffee bags – you can buy and drink, and can also be a gift for everyone. Some of best and popular coffee brands you can refer to are: Franziskaner, Kapuziner, Kaisermelange, Einspänner, Wiener melange, Alt Wien..

Good things to buy in Austria: Traditional Boys Suspenders

If you have small children (toddlers, kids), this very meaningful gift cannot be missed. Traditional boys suspenders are very popular in Austria and are also a favorite gift for many tourists. However, you need to note that this type of suspender is only suitable for boys.

Must buy in Austria: Austrian Pottery & Porcelain

At the Augarten porcelain factory, ceramic lovers from all over the world will find the perfect display for their beloved home or elegant tableware for the perfect dinner party. There is a wide variety of designs to choose from, but most of them are heavily vernacular with decorative patterns, motifs and symbols from Vienna and Austria.

Porcelain is a very special gift in Austria to take home, it is beautiful in design and the quality is also very good. Porcelain items are decorated extremely delicately and meticulously with elegant and polite colors that will be extremely suitable to become gifts for loved ones at home. Artisans in Austria have infused the porcelain wares with souls that make them different from the porcelain of other countries. Although porcelain is quite heavy, you should remember to buy a few items as gifts.

Best souvenirs from Austria: Mozart Balls

What should I buy in Austria, what to buy in Austria? Yes, definitely Austrian chocolate! Whether you like them or not, Mozart Balls (Mozartkugels) are everywhere in Vienna as well as all over Austria. It is a ball-shaped chocolate filled with a colorful core of greenish-brown pistachio, marzipan and nougat and is covered with dark chocolate. Although the outside of the packaging has an image of Mozart, inside is just a traditional chocolate, but it is the special packaging that makes these chocolate candies like a souvenir only available in Austria. If you visit any gift shop in Vienna or other Austrian cities, you will find Mozart chocolates available in a variety of brands in different sizes, designs and prices. It is one of the most convenient gifts often chosen by travelers.

This type of chocolate candy has a history of more than a hundred years old and is the most popular gift that tourists love to buy as gifts when traveling to Vienna, Austria.

What to buy in Austria: Austrian Chocolate

Not as famous as Belgian chocolate but Austrian chocolate is also a worth gift to buy. Among the best places to buy chocolate in Vienna, Bonbons Anzinger (Address: Tegetthoffstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria/Hours: 10AM–6:30PM) is perhaps the most prominent one. All chocolates, truffles and confectionery are handmade. Coming to Anzinger, visitors will enjoy delicious chocolate covered candies that feel like they are floating in the clouds! Stop by to sipping a cup of hot cocoa and browse through the range of products, you can choose for yourself the best handmade chocolate or from any famous brand. The store sells chocolates of brands from all over the world.

In addition, the shop also makes a variety of sweets and candies with its own unique flavors, specialties that until today only Vienna has. Choose from a wide selection of handcrafted chocolates available in individual packages, or custom-packaged in a pretty, eye-catching cardboard box. Here are some Popular Chocolates in Austria for you to choose from: Mirabell, Manner, Ildefonso, Casali, Heidi, Zotter, Ritter Sport, Milka.

 

What should I buy in Austria: Food & Beverage

If you are planning a trip to beautiful country Austria, you should not miss the opportunity to eat well and dress well. Food, drinks, delicious dishes, local specialties are extremely impressive gifts to bring back to relatives and friends. A bottle of wine, Sacher Torte Cake, Mozart Balls Chocolate, Demel’s bakery confectionery, Chocolate, Lebkuchen biscuits (similar to gingerbread cookies), Styrian pumpkin seed oil, Dried pumpkin seeds, smoked meat… these are the specialties of Austria you should consider to buying. Austrian food has the feature of being kept for a long time, so you can rest assured to buy it.

What to buy in Austria: Austrian Beer & Beer Mugs

When you come to Austria, in addition to tasting its savory beers, remember to buy a few bottles of Austrian beer to enjoy with friends and family and reminisce about memorable days in this beautiful country. Visiting Vienna breweries like Siebenstern and Ottakringer, devotees can try and buy beers made with traditional local recipes. Located southwest of the city center, Ottakringer brewery (Address: Ottakringer Pl. 1, 1160 Wien, Austria/Hours: 9AM–6PM; Sunday: Closed) can be reached by public transport such as bus and metro.

This famous brewery claims to produce only ‘original Viennese beer’, a light beer with a distinctive aroma that can soothe any weary soul. Blended from the finest hops, malt and pure spring water in the region, this classic beer produces a quality of excellence that has remained the same over the years.

Besides, if you a fan of beer mugs, you can also get some crafted beer mugs with impressive, exquisite designs and shapes to contribute to your collection.

Best souvenirs from Austria: Sacher Torte

Vienna is a city built on the cafe culture, intellectuals and artists of the last century. It’s easy to experience its cafe culture as a tourist, just step into one of the city’s great cafes and order a specialty coffee cup like Wiener Melange (a speciality coffee drink similar to a Cappuccino but topped with whipped cream rather than milk foam) along with a slice of traditional Viennese cake called Sacher Torte. Try Vienna’s most famous cream cake, the Sacher Torte, is that is made with chocolate cake layers, apricot preserves and a shiny chocolate-glaze finish. Then you can bring back home a Sacher Torte from Café Sacher Wien (Address: Philharmoniker Str. 4, 1010 Wien, Austria/Hours: 8AM–8PM). Cafe Sacher sells Sacher Tortes and wraps in a friendly manner and is perfect for gift giving.

What to buy in Austria: Austrian Wine

This is considered one of the best wine producing countries in the world. Although not as popular in wine culture as Italy or France, when it comes to Austria, you can’t ignore famous wines such as the white wine Gruner Veltliner with pepper flavor and red wine Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent.

A bottle of wine can make it difficult to checked-in luggage, but it’s a gift that’s worth it. So, if you get a chance, bring home a bottle or two and share with your friends or family, especially with who love wine.

Souvenirs at Camille BOYER

The Camile Boyer store at Lindengasse 25, 1070 Wien, Austria offers a wide range of products made by Austrian fashion and accessory designers themselves in a unique store interior space. A pair of sunglasses from Andy Wolf Eyewear brand would make a great souvenir to take home. All eyewear is handcrafted in Styria, Austria. Once worn by stars like Eric Clapton or Hugh Grant, the glasses designed and made in Austria are sold worldwide, even in fashion capitals like Milan and Paris.

What should I buy in Austria: Nice little souvenirs

While traveling to Austria, you can freely choose souvenirs. Austria is famous for a variety of beautiful and high-quality souvenirs and gifts. Choosing a lovely and meaningful item with bold images of Austria such as jewelry, bracelets, keychains, fridge magnets, T-shirts printed with the Austrian flag, cups, beer mugs, etc. is quite easy for visitors.

Cool things to buy in Austria: Traditional Austrian costume

If your loved one is a lover of traditional items from other countries, traditional Austrian costumes will be a meaningful gift you give them. With the name Tracht, the traditional Austrian costume is designed quite simply.

Today, Austrians do not wear this type of costume often, but still wear it at weddings or festivals bearing bold traditional colors. You can easily find these costumes at Austrian souvenir shops.

Some of traditional Austrian costumes include:

• Tracht: Made mainly of wool, leather, and linen.
• Dirndl dress: Usually made of silk, high quality cotton, linen.
• Pinafore dress: When worn on clothing intended to indicate a woman’s marital status.
• Lederhosen: Made of linen, leather, wool.
• Steireranzug: Grey Loden suit with green lapels that attached to the suit along with green stripes on the trouser seams.

What to buy in Austria: Lobmeyr Glassware

Glass has always fascinated the viewer thanks to its transparency and ability to reflect light in a way that only diamonds and crystals can. Glassmaking techniques in Austria have existed for many centuries. The family business, J. & L. Lobmeyr founded in 1823, has been in existence in Vienna for over six generations and creates a distinct mark in their products from love, creative inspiration and artistic individuality for glassware. Notable marks in the brand’s history include creating chandeliers for the Vienna State Opera and co-founding the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.

All unique and limited edition ornaments, crystals, glassware, barware, wine glasses and jewelry can be found easily at Lobmeyr, plus glass drink sets, vases, paperweights and mugs for those who love household items.

There are also many small gifts that visitors can choose to buy such as keychains, fridge magnets, handicrafts, cosmetics, perfume, tea to interesting gifts such as a stand for reading newspapers, porcelain jewelry… to bring the soul of Austria home after your journey.

Austria shopping guide: Where to shop?

Landstraßer Hauptstraße Shopping District

The first place that you should not miss is the shopping district Landstrasser Hauptstrape, where concentrated on the largest shopping streets of Vienna, Austria. This shopping district, which dates back to the 80s, is famous for its shops selling all kinds of goods, products, souvenirs, furniture… Visiting the shopping district Landstrasser Hauptstrape, visitors will be able to choose jewelry, traditional clothes and many Austrian specialties.

Mariahilfer Strasse

Mariahilfer Strasse is a bustling shopping area, with all kinds of goods of the top brands in the world. So, if you are a shopaholic, you cannot ignore this famous shopping avenue. Coming to Mariahilfer Strasse you can choose from leather goods, clothes, office supplies, books, accessories, souvenirs, furniture… Especially, at this famous shopping street you can also choose for yourself many premium types of Austrian coffee.

The largest shopping avenue in Vienna, here you can choose for yourself high-end brands or if your budget is tighter, there are also many popular shops for you to drop by and choose some items you like.

Kramergasse & Alter Platz

Kramergasse and Alter Platz are shopping and pedestrian streets in Austria. Visitors will be free to choose their favorite items, from fashion, electronics to specialties, souvenirs as gifts. In particular, on this street, many street performances are held. Kramergasse also owns old houses with extremely unique architecture for visitors to take souvenir pictures.

Ringstrassen Galerien

Referring to Ringstrassen Galerien, you cannot ignore the prestige of this neighborhood, so it is considered the most favorite shopping destination in Austria. There are a lot of extremely high quality brands here, with more than 60 stalls with a variety of items. The most prominent is the appearance of famous brands in the world such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, etc. Not only are there famous clothing brands, when coming to Ringstrasse Galerien, visitors can also shop for more stylish watches along with extremely rich jewelry and accessories.

Kaerntner Strasse

Kaerntner Strasse is a great suggestion, with the advantage of being located in the center of the city, so it attracts a lot of tourists to visit. Strolling around in this neighborhood, visitors can easily see a lot of shops with a variety of different items. But the most prominent is the department store named Steffl (Address: Kärntner Str. 19, 1010 Wien, Austria) where visitors can easily find for themselves famous brand perfumes, knitwear and fashion items. Besides, there is a famous crystal shop of Swarovski, at this store visitors will have access to items related to crystal accessories and very luxurious jewelry. It is advisable to pay with a visa card when shopping in this neighborhood, if you don’t mind being cumbersome because the amount of cash will be very significant.

Favoritenstraße

Referring to the shopping places in Vienna, Austria, you cannot ignore Favoritenstrape. This shopping mall located in District 10, Vienna, Austria, which is famous for being a shopping paradise. Along the two sides of Favoritenstrape street, there are many stalls selling fashion items, wine shops, cafes, souvenir shops… You can freely bargain and offer the most reasonable price when shopping here. In addition, this road is also famous for its beautiful scenery for tourists to stroll around after shopping.

Donauzentrum Shopping Centre

Address: Wagramer Str. 94, 1220 Wien, Austria
Hours: 9AM–8PM/Friday: 9AM–1PM; Saturday, Sunday: Closed

Donauzentrum is known as a cheap and quality shopping place in Austria, this center has about 175 shops and stores with a wide variety of brands, famous brands such as: Tommy, H&M… selected as their headquarters as well as introducing and selling points. With a affordable price, this shopping place attracts many international and domestic tourists.

SCS Shopping Center

Address: Vösendorfer Südring, 2334 Vösendorf, Austria
Hours: 9AM–7PM/Friday: 9AM–1PM; Saturday, Sunday: Closed

Westfield Shopping City Süd (SCS) shopping center has about 335 stores with a variety of items on sale. Here, visitors can also easily find eateries, restaurants, entertainment services… Exploring the shopping area here, visitors will find items such as clothes, shoes, sandals, bags… from big brands in Europe, along with shops selling souvenirs, as well as Austrian specialties are very suitable as gifts. For female shopping lovers, this is the paradise of perfumes and cosmetics, including organic cosmetics found only here.

Flea Market at Naschmarkt

Address: Linke Wienzeile 48-52, 1060 Wien, Austria
Saturday: 6:30AM–2PM

Open weekly from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Naschmarkt flea market sells everything from electronics to small household items.

Kohlmarkt Shopping Plaza

Address: Kohlmarkt 7/1/4/34 (Wallnerstrasse), 1010 Wien

Kohnmarkt shopping plaza with the majority of high-end stores can help luxury travelers enjoy their shopping passion.

Tips for shopping in Austria

Here are some tips when shopping in Austria that will help you choose quality, affordable and meaningful items:

• You can absolutely bargain the price even when buying at shopping centers, malls and shops with listed prices. Because many stores still agree to offer discounts to customers, especially when buying in bulk.
• For shopping at markets, you should bargain down to ½ or ⅓, compared to the original price.
• Should take a walk around the market to consult the price and buy quality products, good prices.
• For valuable items such as branded clothes, jewelry, watches, electronics… you should choose a reputable places and check before buying.
• Due to most shops in Austria accept card payments, you should not bring too much cash.
• The stores are generally open from Monday to Friday with opening hous: 8AM-6PM and Saturday 12PM-5PM. Major stores and shops in tourist areas are open Monday-Friday from 8AM-9PM and Saturday/Sunday 8AM-6PM.

If you are a food lover, the enchanting handcrafted chocolates, sweet confectionery, and flavorful Austrian beer will give you a choice that could not be better. Whether you’re a fan of exquisite crafts or you just can’t take your eyes off the glittering luxuries, there are just too many places to buy in Austria for you as we mentioned above. Austria not only attracts tourists by the real ancient European experiences but also is a place to discover the quintessence that any visitor always aim for.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Vienna you can refer to

• Vienna City Card
• Vienna PASS
• Vienna City Airport Train Tickets
• Salzburg Day Tour from Vienna
• Hallstatt Day Tour from Salzburg
• Hallstatt Day Tour from Vienna
• Vienna Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours (Open-Top)
• Schönbrunn Palace (Skip-the-Line) and Vienna City Tour

Are you looking for more top things to do in Vienna: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more here. And Austria guide here.