Austria Shopping and nightlife
Shopping in Austria
Austria offers everything from international brands and designer goods to traditional handicrafts and regional food products. Popular purchases include Austrian crystal and glassware, porcelain, ceramics, woodcarvings, traditional clothing such as dirndls and lederhosen, and locally produced wines and spirits. Vienna is the country's main shopping centre, with luxury stores around Kohlmarkt and Graben and mainstream shops along Mariahilfer Straße.
Regional specialities vary considerably. Salzburg is known for Mozart-themed confectionery and traditional crafts, while Tirol and other Alpine regions sell carved wooden goods, woollen clothing and locally made products. Christmas markets, held throughout the country from late November, are particularly good for handicrafts, decorations and seasonal foods.
Shopping hours
Shops generally open Monday to Friday from around 0900 to 1800 or 1900 and on Saturday until late afternoon or early evening. Most shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays, although exceptions include some shops at railway stations, airports and major tourist locations.
Nightlife in Austria
Vienna has Austria's widest choice of nightlife, ranging from traditional wine taverns and historic cafés to cocktail bars, live-music venues and clubs. The areas around the Bermuda Triangle (Bermudadreieck), Gürtel and the Danube Canal have particularly high concentrations of bars and late-night venues. Classical music is also central to evenings in the capital, with concerts and opera throughout much of the year.
Salzburg has a lively selection of bars, pubs and music venues, particularly around the historic centre, although evenings tend to be quieter outside the main tourist season. Graz has a strong student population and a good choice of bars and clubs, while Innsbruck combines city nightlife with après-ski venues during winter.
In the wine-growing areas around Vienna and eastern Austria, traditional wine taverns known as Heurigen serve locally produced wine with simple food, often in informal garden settings. Alpine resorts also develop a lively après-ski scene during the winter season, particularly in major ski areas such as St Anton and Ischgl.
