What would a holiday be without a souvenir?
In Vienna the selection is huge and the abundance inexhaustible. You can find everything from classic to traditional souvenirs.
Of course, all landmarks in every form as a souvenir are also available in Vienna. These include mugs, plates, glass, postcards, posters, t-shirts, bags, magnets, key rings and much more.
But there are also souvenirs that tell something about Vienna and are typical of the city.
We have put together a few ideas for typical and unusual souvenirs, some with interesting histories.
1.Mozartkugeln
This ball made of chocolate, pistachios, marzipan and nougat was first made in 1890 by the Salzburg confectioner, Paul Fürst. He named it after the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 100 years after his death. The Mozart balls were originally called Mozart Bonbon.
Real Mozartkugeln are completely round, have no flattened side and are wrapped in golden red.
They are manufactured under the Mirabell brand. According to their own information, more than 90 million Mozartkugeln are industrially produced and exported to over 30 countries every year.
Mozartkugeln are cheaper in the supermarket than in the souvenir shops.
2. Sachertorte
Sachertorte was invented in 1832 by the baker's apprentice Franz Sacher, when Prince Metternich's head chef fell ill and the apprentice had to make the special dessert requested by the prince himself. Sachertorte was later perfected by his son Eduard Sacher.
The ingredients are not very spectacular, a dough made of butter, sugar, eggs, chocolate, flour and vanilla is divided in the middle after baking, spread with apricot jam and covered with chocolate icing.
The traditional Café Sacher in the hotel of the same name produces around 300,000 Sachertortes every year, which requires 70 tons of apricot jam per year.
A nice souvenir for all those with a sweet tooth.
3. Candied Violets
It is amazing that Empress Elisabeth ate sweets at all with a traditional waist measurement of 51 centimeters, but Sissi regularly had candidate violets from KuK Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel delivered to the Imperial Palace personally by Mr. Demel.
Even today, the Demel Shop in Kohlmarkt still stocks candied violets, for which natural, hand-picked violet petals are candied with sugar.
A sweet temptation...
4. Viennese Wine
Vienna is the only metropolis in the world that has significant viticulture within the city limits. Viennese wines are grown on the 332 meter high Nussberg and the 484 meter high Kahlenberg in the 19th district of Vienna. There are a total of 700 hectares of vineyards in Vienna.
Because of its special cultural significance, the Viennese Heurigen culture was included in the national UNESCO list of Austria's intangible cultural heritage in 2019.
Wine from the current vintage is called a heuriger. Heurigen wines are light and tasty.
A nice souvenir for all wine lovers and those who want to become one...
5. Manner Wafers
Manner is the surname of the company founder of Josef Manner & Comp. AG - a Viennese confectionery factory. Almost everyone knows the advertising slogan “You just like men” and the sweet waffle slices with hazelnut cream even more so.
A real Manner wafer is 49 × 17 × 17 millimeters in size and therefore bite-sized. Four layers of spread between five layers of waffle, the total weight is 7.5 grams per slice.
In the beginning, the slices were sold loose so that every citizen could at least afford a slice every now and then. Since 1924 the Manner wafers have been offered in the well-known two rows of five, of course in pink foil.
The large Manner shop is in Vienna near the central factory in the 17th district, but you can also find Manner wafers in every supermarket in Vienna.
6. Coffee
In addition to its sweets, Vienna is of course also known for its coffee culture. One of the best-known coffee brands in Vienna is Julius Meinl. The brand dates back to 1862 when the business was established in the 1st District. Originally only green coffee beans were sold here, freshly roasted coffee was only added later.
The main branch in Vienna is Meinl am Graben, which opened in 1950, and is now run as a flagship store.
7. Cheese and Sausage from Naschmarkt
The stalls at Naschmarkt offer their goods Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to fruit, vegetables and meat, spices, cheese and sausages from different countries and regions are also sold. Naschmarkt is the most important market in Vienna.
Those who stayed at home will certainly be happy about a nice piece of original Viennese style cheese or a fine sausage that was bought from Naschmarkt.
8. Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was an important Austrian painter (1862 – 1918) and one of the best-known representatives of Art Nouveau. His most famous painting "The Kiss" was created between 1908 - 1909, which is considered to be Klimt's golden phase.
Numerous reproductions of the painting and other motifs by Gustav Klimt are sold in Vienna. The largest selection can be found in Klimt souvenir shops.
9. Classical Music
Austria has produced many famous composers. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is probably the best known of them, but also Joseph Haydn, Johann Strauss and Franz Schubert came from Austria. Although Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, he lived in Vienna from the age of 22, where he also composed his most famous works.
CD's with the corresponding compositions are a good souvenir for all music-loving guests.
10. Mühlbauer Hats
In 1903 Julianna Mühlbauer founded a small millinery in Seilergasse in the center of Vienna. Today the grandson of the founder, Klaus Mühlbacher, is a fourth generation hat maker. The shop is still family run and all hats are made by hand. Every hat from the Mühlbauer hat manufactory is adorned with a curved silver M, the hat's trademark and quality mark.
A truly typical Austrian souvenir is the Tyrolean hat, made of soft felt and decorated with a brush or feather.
11. Handmade Shoes
If you're looking for exclusive shoes, you've come to the right place at Ludwig Reiter Schuhmanufaktur. The company was founded in 1885 and is now a fourth generation family-run business. In the Viennese manufactory, handmade shoes are made using the traditional Goodyear method. Around 30,000 shoes are manufactured annually.
The manufactory is located in the 22nd district of Vienna, Süßenbrunn. There are shops in the city center on Führichgasse and on Mölkersteig.
12. J & L Lobmeyr
The master glazier Josef Lobmeyr opened his first shop in 1823, and in 1860 the J&L Lobmeyr Company became a court glassware dealer and supplied crystal chandeliers for the Imperial Palace, Schönbrunn Palace and Bavarian royal palaces, among other things.
The parent company on Kärntner Strasse is still family-owned and offers mouth-blown and hand-cut glasses, jugs, vases, chandeliers and lamps for sale.
13. Porcelain
The Viennese Augarten Porcelain Manufactory is named after the garden in which its manufactory buildings are located. It was founded in its current form in 1923. All pieces are still made by hand today. Augarten porcelain is the most expensive Austrian porcelain and is also used for state purposes such as in the Imperial Palace, the Federal Chancellery and the Austrian embassies.
Among other things, vases, dinner and tea services, figures, lamps and much more are sold. The designs come from different epochs and include different motifs. In addition to flower bouquets, hunting and nature motifs, there is a choice of Classicism, Biedermeier, Art Deco and Modernism.
The flagship store of Augarten Porcelain Manufactory is located in the city center at Spiegelgasse 3.
Not a cheap souvenir, but guaranteed handmade.
14. Swabian Jungfrau
If you are looking for exquisite table, bed and bath linen, go to the Swabian Jungfrau in Vienna. It is the oldest linen shop in Europe, founded in 1720 by a linen merchant from Swabia. Since the man had three daughters, the business was given the name Zur Schwäbische Jungfrau.
Custom-made products with your own monograms can also be made on request. The shop has already been awarded the Austrian national coat of arms.
15. T-Shirt: No Kangaroo in Austria
It happens again and again that Austria and Australia are confused by English-speaking guests.
This is why these t-shirts were invented, which clearly clarify and prove the facts.
Pauli and Johann, who recently left a kangaroo farm in Austria, could be brought back to their places...
16. Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe
Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe is a clothes maker in the 1st district of Vienna at Albertina Platz. The company was founded in 1866 and had been supplier to the Imperial and Royal Court and Chamber since 1881. Today, Jungmann & Neffe is one of the few originally preserved shops from the Wilhelminian period. The shop directly opposite Vienna's Albertina Museum is a historical landmark and has no central heating so as not to damage the valuable wood paneling.
Fine fabrics and exclusive accessories are offered.
Not a cheap souvenir, but very original.