Shopping

In Vienna, gays and lesbians can do more than just go out. Their shopping desires can also be fulfilled.

Anyone who has forgotten their vacation reading at home should make a trip to the gay and lesbian bookstore Löwenherz. Here you can browse for hours among thousands of books. In addition to classic and international literature, there are picture books, magazines, and DVDs. Our tip: Take your newly-purchased book and wander through the connecting door to Café Berg, where you can enjoy an excellent coffee. The ChickLit bookstore in the first district offers a fine assortment of feminist and lesbian literature in both German and English.

The team behind Ampelpärchen Rocks have immortalized the samesex couples featured on traffic lights which first appeared in the city to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest: t-shirts, bags, posters, deckchairs and even traffic lights featuring the popular figures are all on sale in their shop.

Anyone looking for toys and accessories for long nights has two options: The CloneZone chain opened a branch near the Naschmarkt at the end of 2015. CloneZone is Europe’s oldest and most important gay superstore and, in addition to fashion and sportswear, offers fetish pieces and sex toys. The Spartacus XXL-Store is on Mariahilfer Straße. This store is part of a big sex shop, so it’s not for people who fear physical contact.

All the big chains can also be found on Mariahilfer Straße - from H&M and Zara to Peek&Cloppenburg. If you’re looking for high-end brands, you should visit the Golden Quarter: The luxury shopping mile in Vienna’s Old City, between Tuchlauben, Bognergasse, and Am Hof, hosts the exclusive flagship stores of Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani, Miu Miu, Dsquared2, Prada, and Yves Saint Laurent. From here it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to Kärntner Straße, with its many shops.

Special treasures can be found every Saturday morning at the trendy flea market at the Naschmarkt (right next to the subway station at Kettenbrückengasse). Kitschy gems and precious individual pieces have already been unearthed here. If nothing else, the rummaging and browsing is lots of fun in itself, even if - as is usually the case at flea markets - all sorts of junk is also for sale. And finally, the traditional Café Savoy is highly recommended.

Shopping tip: Only for men

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