Are you in a dilema about what to bring from Austria, so that you can remember the tour of this rich in impressions country as long as possible? This article will provide a one stop solution to choose special items that convey the atmosphere of the country, the nature of its people.
In this article you will find a small overview of the most interesting souvenirs and gifts that you can bring from a trip. We hope our tips be useful for your shopping in Austria.
Gastronomic gifts
Food is given the main place among gifts, because it is food that can best convey the refined taste of this distinctive state. Some interesting gastromic gift items that one can purchase from Austria are listed below:
Candy Mozart Kugeln
Each Mozart Kugeln sweet is a pistachio marzipan core surrounded by dark and light cream, topped with delicate chocolate. All sweets are manually wrapped in foil with a portrait of Mozart.
The most famous brand in Austria, which is engaged in the production of marzipan-chocolate goodies, is Mirabell. The name of the product is Echte Salzburger Mozart Kugeln. In Vienna you can buy sweets in the Xocolat store on Freyung 2, Palais Ferstel, the price of a gift box is from 10 to 25 €.
However the most delicious Mozart Kugeln are the original ones that are produced in Salzburg, in the branded confectionery Furst. Over tere, these sweets are made by hand, and the design of blue wrappers with the profile of the great composer remains unchanged from the day they were created. The price is quite high (13 € for 10 sweets), but such a gift will always be welcome.
Chocolate “Milka”
It’s no secret that one can bring from Austria another delicious chocolate souvenir that originated there. The original Austrian Milka product differs markedly from those produced in other countries: it has a very delicate taste with a milky flavor and literally melts in your mouth.
Milka brand stores offer a huge assortment of sweets of the same name, and tourists usually prefer chocolate gift sets in metal boxes.
Sacher Cake
Sacher-Torte is the “delicious chocolate legend” and the pride of Vienna.
To bring a real Sacher cake from Vienna as a gift, you will have to visit one of two places:
- The cafe at the Sacher Wien hotel on Philharmonikerstrasse 4. The pastry chef, Franz Sacher, who worked at this hotel 100 years ago, created an original cake recipe and is now kept secret (the hotel owns copyrights). Experts say that the whole secret of goodies lies in chocolate icing, the basis for which is supplied from the German city of Lübeck specifically for Sacher. A slice of signature cake with whipped cream in a hotel cafe costs € 6.90.
- Café Demel at Kohlmarkt 14. Although it would be more correct to say that the Sacher’s Demel cake is sold here. At one time, the son of Franz Sacher, Edward, who perfected his father’s recipe, worked in the Demel confectionery. A piece of this sweet dessert can be tasted here for 5 €.
In Vienna one can buy a variety of variations of the Sacher cake, they are offered in most Viennese coffee houses and pastry shops:
- Heiner KuK Hofzuckerbäcker has many branches throughout Vienna. The price of Sacher-Torte is 4.90 €.
- An extensive network of Oberlaa pastry shops offers Sacher cake at € 4.10 per piece.
- At the Hübler Kaffee Konditorei home confectionery (Lorenz Bayer-Platz 19), prices are the lowest: 3.80 € per piece and from 15 € per whole cake.
“Sacher-Torte” is also available in supermarkets for 5-10 € per 500 g, however, it cannot be compared to famous brethren in taste.
Candied Violet Petals
There is another cult treat that a tourist in Vienna should buy. We are talking about an exquisite sweet delicacy – candied violet petals. They are sold in the cafe “Demel” and directly at the factory, on the street Schmalzhofgasse.
Sugar syrup-soaked petals of violets look like an amethyst stone. And the taste of these candied fruits, having a rich blue color, resembles the taste of refined with a subtle violet aroma.
Candied violets were the favorite delicacy of the Austrian Empress Elizabeth, and confectioners prepared it specially for the imperial court. Now any tourist can buy them and bring them home as an unusual souvenir, and in Vienna such a gift is traditionally presented to beloved girls.
The price of a small box (38 g) exuding a delicate floral aroma, 10,20 €.
Waffles “Manner”
Wafers “Manner” is a famous Austrian national delicacy, which comes in three types: with chocolate, lemon and nut filling. For those who do not know which type to choose, assortment is suitable – packaging with different varieties of waffles. By the way, the Manner branded packaging is quite recognizable: pink foil with a logo depicting St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.
Manner wafers are sold in boxes of different sizes, their price is 3-10 €. As a small, and cheaper souvenir, you can bring individually packed waffles and small ladies’ finger candies of the same brand.
The most famous places of Vienna among tourists where you can buy famous waffles are the Manner brand stores. There are so many of them in Vienna that it is not difficult to buy and bring this edible souvenir:
- Not far from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, on Stephansplatz 7;
- At the Central railway station;
- At the airport (Transit zone Gate C);
- In supermarkets of the Billa retail chain.
This treat is also on sale at the Parndorf Outlet Center, 40 km from Vienna.
Strudel
You can bring strudel from a trip to Austria: a tender dough roll filled with apples and raisins, flavored with cinnamon. This pie is considered one of the gastronomic symbols there, because the Austrians are sure that this is their invention. And the proof is an old manuscript recipe stored in the library of Vienna.
In coffee houses, a piece of strudel on an average costs 6 €.
Viennese coffee
Coffee an iconic drink in Vienna. The most famous coffee brands in Austria are Julius Meinl and Helmut Sachers. They offer customers a wide range of products, so there will always be something to choose from their products and as a gift.
In Vienna, coffee is best taken in a Tchibo specialty store on Mariahilferstr 83 or in the huge Julius Meinl shopping center on Graben 19.
Prices for packages weighing 250 g start from 4.90 €.
By the way, if you buy coffee for yourself, then the packaging may not be the most impressive – the main thing is that the variety is good. But if you decide to bring coffee from Vienna as a gift, then it is better to choose the appropriate packaging – the price is slightly higher, but the view will be “a million”.
Vienna sausages
In Vienna there are a lot of street food stalls (called Würstelstand), which offer a variety of types of sausages. The best are the Bitzingers kiosks on Albertinaplatz and on the Gabor-Steiner-Weg next to the Ferris wheel, as well as the Am Hohen-Markt kiosk, which is located on a traffic island in the very center of Vienna.
In these stalls you can buy:
- Käsekrainer – smoked sausage made from minced pork with pieces of cheese (a total of 10% – 20% of it).
- Currywurst – fried pork and beef sausage with curry sauce.
- Burenwurst – cooked beef and pork sausage with bacon.
- Bratwurst – fried or boiled pork sausage with spices.
- Soy and vegetable sausages for vegetarians.
Sausages can be served as a “hot dog” or in disposable dishes along with ketchup, horseradish, mustard, pickles. You can eat directly at the kiosk or on a bench in the nearest park. You can also take sausages with you and bring them home.
Alcoholic drinks
This section of the article contains a list of things that can be brought from Austria as a gift for those who understand and appreciate strong drinks
Alcoholic drinks can be found in specialized stores and supermarkets in all major Austrian cities. In Vienna, a rich assortment is offered at Mercur at Hoher Markt 12, Vinothek W-Einkehr at Laurenzerberg 1, Billa Corso im Herrnhuterhaus at Neuer Markt17.
Mozart liquor
This exclusive drink is not only a food brand, but also one of the most popular product among foreigners.
Liqueurs are traditionally sold in round bottles, the portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is depicted on the labels. There are three types of drinks on sale, the strength of which ranges from 15% to 17%:
- The classic “Mozart Gold” in a “golden” package has a pronounced chocolate flavor with a vanilla smell.
- The very sweet Mozart White Chocolate, based on white chocolate, also has a vanilla flavor.
- “Mozart Black Chocolate” based on dark chocolate is stronger, has the taste of dark chocolate and the characteristic aroma of freshly brewed coffee with barely perceptible notes of tobacco.
Schnapps
Tyrol has concentrated enterprises engaged in the production of various types of schnapps. The initial raw material for this drink is a variety of berries and fruits, giving it a peculiar taste:
- From apples – “Apfel Schnaps”;
- From pears – “Birnen Schnaps”;
- From cherries – “Kirsch Schnaps”;
- From plums – “Zwetschgen Schnaps”;
- From apricot – “Marillen Schnaps”.
Wine “Eiswein”
“Eiswein” translates as “ice wine.” It is ideal an ideal answer to the question is “What to bring from Austria as a gift to a connoisseur of tasty and sufficient rare alcohol?”
Dessert white ice wine is made from grapes frozen directly on the vine and cut at a temperature of about -7 ℃. Eiswein has a sweet, aromatic flavor.
This drink is produced in only one region of Austria – Donauland.
Traditional souvenirs
Other than food items, souvenirs can also be purchased from Austria. In shops located on the main tourist streets of Vienna, prices are very high. Buying souvenirs, especially if you need a lot of them, is best in large shopping centers such as: Shopping City Süd, Steffl, Donau Zentrum.
Glass ball “Planet Vienna”
A small glass ball with a tiny copy of the famous Vienna landmark inside and filled with special liquid is the Planet Vienna souvenir. If you shake the ball, then a real snow whirlwind will rise, and the snowflakes will circle for a long time and gradually settle to the bottom.
Cow bell
Since 2002, it has been officially forbidden to use bells for cows on the territory of Austria. Now it is only a beautiful souvenir: a metal bell, rectangular and slightly flattened, suspended on a wide multi-colored ribbon.
You can bring such funny souvenirs from Austria for a child, or for decorating the interior of your own home.
These cute trinkets cost about 10 €.
White horse figurine and cuckoo clock
White horse breed Lipizzaner is a kind of symbol of Vienna. In this city, literally at every step, a wide variety of horse souvenirs are sold: soft toys, wooden figures, porcelain figurines. Price – from 10 €.
In the western region of Austria, cuckoo clocks have long been manufactured. The clockwork is inside an elegant wooden box decorated with delicate carvings. Every 30 minutes, a ringing battle is heard and the crowing of a bird sounds.
Tyrolean hat
You can buy an original Tyrolean costume at a flea market or in a store with holiday goods. However these hats will only interest a collector, and an ordinary tourist is unlikely to want to spend money on it, because a complete costume costs more than 300 €.
But it is quite possible to bring a Tyrolean hat from Austria: this product will suit both the role of a souvenir and will fit perfectly into the boho-chic style. Such a felt product costs only 20 €.
It would be symbolic to buy a hat in the capital of Tyrol, the city of Innsbruck.
Elite gifts from Austria
Beautiful, expensive and stylish – that’s how you can briefly describe the handmade porcelain “Augarten”, enamelled jewelry “FreyWille”, crystal and jewelry “Swarovski”. This section of the article enlists expensive and elite gifts that can be purchased from Austria
Porcelain Augarten
A porcelain factory operates in the Augarten Palace in Vienna, whose specialists manually manufacture and paint porcelain products of the highest quality.
Tourists can go on a tour of the manufacturing area, get acquainted with the production technology and see how the famous porcelain is “born”. Once you see how well the product is made it’s hard to deny yourself a purchase! The only problem with such products are the prices are quite high – they start from 150 €. Although, you can bring at least a cup of coffee for yourself from Vienna as a gift!
Jewelry “FreyWille”
A famous Austrian souvenir is FreyWille designer jewelry, covered with high-quality colored enamel, decorated with precious and semiprecious gems. They look bright and original, and gilding and rich colors for decades remain unchanged. In addition, all products are produced in small batches, which means that they can become a truly exclusive gift.
The FreyWille brand produces a wide variety of products. For women – bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, enameled bags and key rings. For men – ties with clips, cufflinks, watches, stationery, notepads.
Designer jewelery is sold in the branches of the FreyWille jewelry house – there are many of them in Vienna and other cities in Austria. A good selection is offered at the Gerngross department store at Mariahilfer Strabe 42-48. They are also in duty free, but the assortment there is not so extensive.
Swarovski Products
For lovers of glamor from Austria, you can bring jewelry decorated with Swarovski crystals.
In the small town of Wattens, 15 km from Innsbruck, there is the only “Swarovski Museum” in the world. A store is open in its premises where you can find a pretty decoration or an original decorative souvenir. You can buy Swarovski crystals and products with them in any shopping center in Vienna or in duty-free (but there the choice will be limited). Minimum prices – 30 €, but there are things for 10 000 €.
Prices on the page are for January 2019.
Important Information
The currency accepted in Austria is the Euro. You can always change your local currency to the Euro in Austria but the exchange rates there are really high so it is better to get the currency converted beforeheand.
Think not only about what to bring from Austria, but also how to do it at minimal cost. Do not forget to save the check in order to return the VAT: upon presentation at customs 13% of the spent amount is returned. The tax-free system is valid for purchases starting from 75 € at points of sale marked with the affiliate program sign.
