Vienna Shopping

Paul & Shark is my favourite clothing brand, first of all because I like designs of the cloths and secondly because of the top quality of fabrics used for it production, which I know from the first hand.....

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This market has a focus on arts and crafts. It was located in an excellent location and the backdrop of Karlskirche certainly made an impression. It was busy and very enjoyable. We even experienced a band and traditional Christmas songs being sung by the revellers next to a Christmas punsch bar.

There were many stalls and the experience was a good one; sadly there was no snow.

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Whilst on a business trip, i was told by colleagues about the market, which was a short walk from the hotel. It was an excellent experience and we even had some seasonal Austrian punsch (plus a 2€ deposit for our mugs).

We sadly arrived quite late, and the market was not that busy and closed at 21.00. however we did have enough time for some shopping and a drink of their famous punsch.

The market is in fact two sets of markets - there is the Weihnachtsmarkt (from 19 November to 26 December 2011) and then the Neujahrsmarkt (from 28 December 2011 to 1 January 2012).

Admission is free

What to buy: Their advertising material indicates they have over 75 stall with traditional products, christmas decorations. They have a children's programme.

I was attracted by the motorbike which stands right in front of the shop. Although entirely made of wooden materials only, it is perfect copy of the real bike in all of its details. Nice piece of work and really attractive.

What to buy: Not only Austria but the whole Central Europe is famous for the wooden toys, made with particular attention. This is plastic era now but fact is, small kids love the best toys made of wood which is natural material and warm so kids could feel it very good.

What to buy: The New Sacher Cookbook contains about 70 recipes from the famous restaurant. Among them there are classics of the Viennese tradition as well as original and innovative dishes.
There are also vegetarian recipes.
Among the recipes there are also many anecdotes about the restaurant, its clients and its staff.
The book is conveniently small in size, so it does not take too much space in one's luggage, it is elegantly bound and rich of pictures and can be a nice gift for a friend who loves cooking.

What to pay: The current price is EUR 19.90

Supermarkets close quite early in Austria, especially on Saturdays. Most are closed on Sundays, so we were pleased to find a supermarket in the Westbanhof U-bahn Station which was open until midnight seven days a week. Perfect for stocking up on waters, beer, rolls, chocolate etc.

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Established in 1929 - well I bought coffee from the kiosk, but it seems they have a long history of selling pickled vegetables and vinegar.

The staff were friendly and i do have to say that coffee was prominent at their Rosterei

What to buy: Coffee of course.

Flo Mode is located a stone's throw away from the Naschmarkt in the Freihausviertel in the 4th district. What sets it apart from other shops is that the old-fashioned fashion is way older than the typical retro fashion shops - where polyester abounds, and there are some severely cool yet surprisingly cheap bargains to be had.

Fashions are available from the 1880s to the 1980s and apparently it is a well-known haunt for designers looking for inspiration with retro chic design - Stella McCartney apparently makes regular visits for inspiration.

What to buy: Flo specialises in nostalgic fashion - so is ideal if you like the victorian look, the post-war austerity look or just want to have a non-mainstream look.

What to pay: Prices start from very low, but be prepared to pay substantial outfits for a really classy outfit.