Shopping

Vienna not only lets you see beautiful things, they can be yours to take home. The most “homosexual” shopping area — in close proximity to the Gay District along Linke Wienzeile is Mariahilfer Strasse with its large department stores and trendy boutiques.

Here you will find H&M stores as well as Peek&Cloppenburg and many other big and small specialty stores, offering anything from fashion to furniture. At the store Tiberius — in a side street (7., Lindengasse 2a) of Mariahilfer Strasse, aficionados will find an impressive assortment of erotic leather and latex clothing and the must-have accessories that go with these outfits.

Similar “gear” can be found at the Spartacus XXL Store (6., Mariahilfer Strasse 49). The selection in this store is very large and diverse but it is part of a big sex store and not necessarily a place to take your mother.

Haute Couture for the rich and famous can be found in the city center on Kohlmarkt, Graben and Kärntner Strasse. Here, the Vienna flagship stores of brands like Armani, Boss, Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada will fulfill your most eclectic desires. At the end of Kärntner Strasse — right next to the Opera — stop by the Ringstrassen Galleries. The exclusive boutiques in this upscale mall let you shop even if the weather is not that inviting.

If you prefer your leather as book covers, don’t miss the gay and lesbian bookstore Löwenherz (9., Wasagasse 14). Most international gay magazines, the latest fiction in German and English, a good selection of gay videos, DVDs and photo art books are available here. Afterwards, succumb to the charm of settling down next door, in the Café Berg, to browse through your purchases over a good cup of coffee.

A unique shopping experience of a different sort can be found on the flea market at Naschmarkt each Saturday morning (right next to the U-Bahn stop Kettenbrückengasse). Kitschy heirlooms and precious treasures have changed owners here. Rummaging through the stuff on display is fun even if — as on any flea market — some of the things offered can only be qualified as junk. Traditionally, such a Saturday morning at Naschmarkt should end at Café Savoy (6., Linke Wienzeile 36).

Trendy Shopping around the Naschmarkt