Do you consider yourself a vintage fashionista? Do you also feel the need of conserving the charm of old times by spicing up your outfit with bowler hats and patterned bow ties? Or maybe you’re looking for some super authentic 60′s sunglasses? Then I’m telling you, this is the place to go.

Freistil has always impressed its customers with its widely spread collection of habiliments, old fashioned accessories and souvenirs, both fancy and student budget suitable ones. For those that are excitedly preparing for either going to a classic Viennese ball or want to be top-styled for an elegant opera, visiting this shop offers some real treasures.

Aside from topper hats, flannel vests to colorful umbrellas and oddities such as walking sticks and mustache brushes I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding items you never wished for but need to buy right now.

Of course, in case you’re searching for something special or just need some stylistic advice, there’s always the possibility to ask the nice shop owner who will be happy to provide you with some guidance through the shop and all the background information on the articles there are to share.

But be aware of not losing track of time while exploring!

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Freistil | Shopping | Sunglasses € 30
Judengasse 4 | Danube Canal Area | +4315359477
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 18:00

I just happened to stumble upon this place, not being aware of the possibility to find yet another cool shop in this area. Vienna taught me a lesson again, I should have known better.

If you ever are on the search for a record, a long-forgotten LP, a colorful gramophone or if you’re just in the mood for rummaging around in – as the name says- Old and New music treasures you should definitely pay this place a visit.

I have to admit, when I entered the shop I was quite overwhelmed by the loads of colors, discs and quirky stuff standing and hanging around all over the place. Or to say it with the words of my friend: “I’m not sure whether I should call this place dusty or cool”. There is a lot to explore actually! Besides evergreens, classic music and current hits, you’ll enjoy getting to know some special contains such as Viennese Lieder, Cabaret, Old Austrian student songs and a lot more..

And once you think you’re overseeing the place slowly one of the friendly shop owners may guide you to one of the two fully record-packed rooms that are hidden in the back of the shop…so make sure you’re not loosing track of time while exploring!

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Alt und Neu | Art & culture, Music, Shopping | LP’s from € 4
Windmühlgasse 10 | Inner districts | +4315862133
Mon – Fri 13:00 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 12:00

As the title implicates you’ll find several places within this spot, true to the maxim “Why be satisfied with just running a pub when you can have some many things at one time?”.

Pickwick’s is, above all, a real nice and relaxed Irish pub providing its guests with all kinds of beverages, snacks and music. What I personally love about the spot is that it really gives you a little bit of the feeling of being at home. Creating a great atmosphere, the place is furnished with some cosy armchairs, old fashioned sofas and big shelves filled with loads of books inviting you to stay a little bit longer and delve into English literature masterpieces.

And here’s the kicker: if you feel like exploring the place a little bit further, you should go and see the basement. Down there you’ll be amazed to see that Pickwick’s also houses Vienna’s biggest English video and DVD store, open way longer than all the other stores in town.

And just to make completely sure that guests are kept entertained, there are also weekly happenings such as Quiz Nights, Karaoke and similar..what more could you possibly wish for?

Pickwick’s offers you so many great and interesting things to spend your evenings with, and what’s best about it: every single one of them is worth a visit.

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Pickwick’s | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Beverage € 3.00
Marc Aurel Straße 16 | Danube Canal Area | +4315330182
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

Fruits, vegetables, Kebab, Pizza, clothes, cafés and many Nations: that’s the Meiselmarkt. Maybe you will ask now: so what is special about it? Well, it is the atmosphere! Every market has another charm, so does this one.

Depending on who is selling what, which country’s influence is stronger and so on… Here you have the feeling that it is very well balanced between foreign stalls and Austrian ones. A Turk sells meat next to an Austrian bakery. While a Pakistani sells cheap clothing and shoes close to the cheese section of the Italian. And everybody seem to be friends, even if sometime there is a language barrier, people are warmhearted here and open to other cultures.

Sit down in one of the small eateries and just watch the people! A slice of Pizza at Intermezzo for 1,50€ is usually a good deal.

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Meiselmarkt | Shopping, Snacks
Hütteldorfer Straße, corner Johnstraße | Outer districts
Mon – Fri 06:00 – 19:30, Sat 06:00 – 17:00

Second Hand Shopping and creative Fashion design, that’s Ewa’s Fashion Lounge.

Most people know the basement shop for it’s cool second hand stuff, like 70s jackets and shirts. That Ewa is a great fashion designer is probably less known. But as soon as you start browsing you will discover funny and extraordinary clothing. She basically makes new things out of old ones.

My favorites: her Jackets for women, patchwork style with real cool cuts. And the best thing, she doesn’t sell it at the usual “designer price”! You can get a unique piece for around 30 euros and less, and you can also be sure that you are the only one wearing this, because not a single piece is similar to the other!

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Hotkultur | Shopping
Schadekgasse 3 | Inner districts
Mon – Sat 10:30 – 18:00

A place to chat, for people from different countries. A colourful street market with fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese. A long alley with plenty of stalls with cheap clothes, shoes and fabrics. A stuffed alley with loads of groceries, turkish restaurants, shops, bakeries etc. An alley ending in a big market square, used both by bohemian society and local residents. A market with a shop for the best jam in the world (apart from home-made one) called Staud’s. A market square with cafe’s, restaurants and bars or just benches to sit and relax.

Check it out, I think it’s a very different part from Vienna, which most tourists will not see (who just know the Naschmarkt). And worth to see! Not to forget that fruits and veggies are way cheaper than on any other market in Vienna…

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Brunnenmarkt & Yppenplatz | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants
Yppenplatz | Inner districts
Mon – Sat til 18:00

When I first came along this square, I really was surprised. Somehow I did not expect such a cosy and neat little square in a big city like Vienna.

Servitenplatz resembles the centre of a small Austrian village. So what do you need for such a square? An old church, some benches, huge trees which give shade, a café, a pub, nice stores in the surrounding streets and local people who enjoy it- both old and young. This is what you get here! And that’s why I like this spot.

There is the Servite church from 1677, there is a coffeeshop without a name (where you get homemade ice in summer!), there is a pub besides a hairdresser, and there are these nice simple benches where you can watch couples, the old folk chatting or children playing football.

In winter time it’s quiet here, but in summer it’s pretty much the center of that quarter. I think every time of the year it’s worth a visit. The sad history of the Servitengasse, leading to the square, is quite touching. Decades ago it used to be a street where many Jews were living (half of the population of the ninth district in 1938 were Jews, like Sigmund Freud who lived pretty much around the corner), but with the Nazi regime they had to leave their flats and homes. A little memorial with all symbolic keys shows the names of the displaced persons. Some sad history for a neat little square.

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Servitenplatz | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping | Free
Servitengasse | Inner districts
24 hours daily

In search for fresh vegetables, slow instead of fast food and a colourful market amidst nice old buildings? Then this is the right place to visit! In comparison to the famous Naschmarkt (check the Naschmarkt article), the Karmelitermarkt is much smaller and has a less exotic variety of fruits and vegetables, but here you will find the local people of the second district go shopping.

Especially on a sunny Saturday it’s very lively and after or before getting your bags filled, why not enjoy a coffee or a decent meal. Some of the small market stalls consist of just one or two rooms which function now as a restaurant or café like Marktachterl or like Madiani, a great place for Georgian food.

On a Saturday morning you can find a lot of food and herbs from organic farms of the nearby region on the Karmelitermarket but the earlier you come the better – though the official opening times are till afternoon. In the surrounding streets there are even more food stores or snack bars like Wulfisch or nice small shops like Kabine.

The history of this very old market and the district itself is quite interesting: apart from the Nazi-time the Karmeliterquarter had always been a multi-ethnic place with a huge jewish community. Nowadays you find shops for kosher food beside Turkish or Serbian stores and Georgian restaurants.

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Karmelitermarkt | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Leopoldgasse | Danube Canal Area
Mon – Sat from 06:00

It’s simple, it’s true, it’s crystal clear: if you are a true admirer of good Austrian wine, there is hardly any other such extraordinary shop to buy wine than here! This is no place for posh wine shopping, there are no detached, presumed experts, but an owner who loves to sell great wine from just one region:

The Weinviertel (literally: wine district. a beautiful area north of Vienna, close to the Czech republic)

Prices are as favourable as if you buy the stuff straight from the winemaker at the vineyard!

Some nice, no-frills atmosphere with a funky outdoor area, an unusual indoor area for wine tasting and a great selection of wine from superb wine growers like Prechtl,Ebner-Ebenauer, Seher to name but a few. Not to forget the great liquor-range!

If you need to sober up a little: try some very tasty, simple food in the bar shabu next door round the corner (same owner) – or be tempted to stay a little longer in this urban wine bar. But be aware and smooth: this smoky, cosy bar with interior showing wear and tear, is really a place for regulars of that neighbourhood (like me). So you better not ask for french fries or spanish wine. But you may be surprised about the good beer and wine, some yum yum cheese bred, the nice music and the mixed crowd who tends to stay out late.

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Weinviertel Wienverteiler | Bars, Shopping, Snacks | Bottle of wine € 4.00
Glockengasse 6 | Danube Canal Area | +436505445939
Wed – Fri 15:00 – 20:00

“In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play” (Friedrich Nietzsche)! That’s what comes across the mind when passing by the huge window, giving sight to a magical chocolate kitchen. And this saying does not count for men alone, you will note that women stop at the window too! You see them wondering if they can play as well, if they can take part in producing some of these little dreams, made of chocolate.

Yes, you can take part! Learn how to do chocolate desserts, produce your own fruit chocolate with the help of the confectioner or proudly put your self-made finest pralinés in a box after a workshop of around 4 hours.

Check out the website as these workshops are done regularly but often booked out in advance. Otherwise just have a look and a taste in the shop – and watch the confectioner play magic by producing those eatable goodies we have loved since our childhood days…

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Xocolat Manufactory | Shopping, Snacks | Workshop € 95.00
Servitengasse 5 | Inner districts | +4313100020
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00