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Unmissable for any visitor interested in busy, colourful markets. Everything from fruit and vegetables to a Saturday flea market (see p109).

The Baroque Am Hof square, with its unique architectural surroundings and cobbled streets, is the perfect setting for an antiques market. Vendors offer all kinds of antique goods on Fridays and Saturdays, but the market is best known for its selection of secondhand books – you might be lucky and find a rare or early edition of your favourite title.

This city centre zone has always been an important square for public life. Whereas in medieval times both festivals and executions took place on the Freyung, it is largely markets that are held here today. A little farmers’ market selling mainly organic products takes place daily – don’t miss out on tasty cheeses, crisp brown bread or smoked ham from the stalls. But the square really comes to life just before Christmas, when a bustling festive market sells all sorts of hand-made art objects and vendors offer alcoholic punch. A real Viennese experience (see p80).

A daily market takes place on the square encircled by these four streets. It’s a colourful, multicultural spot where you can buy vegetables, fruit, groceries and Turkish food, observe traditional Austrian butchers selling fresh poultry, red meat and horse meat, and investigate kosher butchers and grocery shops. However the market is most interesting at weekends, when farmers and vendors come from outside Vienna to set up their tables and sell their produce.

Just outside the Land-strasser Hauptstrasse metro station is the small Rochus market. Some 30 permanent stalls offer mainly fruit, vegetables, flowers and fresh meat, but on Saturdays the lively Rochusmarkt increases to almost double the size, when farmers from further afield also come to offer their delectable homegrown crops.

These four round-shaped industrial buildings were constructed in 1899 to store gas. No longer needed for their original purpose, four renowned architects (Coop Himmelblau, Jean Nouvel, Manfred Wehdorn and Wilhelm Holzbauer) converted the massive buildings in 2001 into a shopping centre, an events’ hall, 615 apartments and a students’ hall of residence. Around 70 shops offer everything from fashion to electronic goods – the separate Gasometer buildings are connected by glazed corridors (see p51).

On the three floors of Galleria you’ll find a range of goods, from fashion labels to shoe shops, electronic items to jewellery, as well as pharmacies and supermarkets. Of course, there are also cafés and restaurants to rest your feet after a long day’s shopping.

One of Vienna’s largest department stores, Gerngross’s goods range from designer clothing to middle-of-the-range labels, from fashion accessories to home decor and furniture. There is a sushi restaurant and a café on the top floor, both offering an excellent view over the bustling shopping street down below (see p110).

This major department store is located in the heart of the city. You’ll find mainly designer names such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein on its five floors, but there are also perfumes, cosmetic products and home decor items on sale. The top floor has great views over the rooftops and the Sky Bar offers excellent cocktails.

This elegant shopping centre is Vienna’s most expensive retail area, with designer clothes as well as jewellery and gourmet food. The shops are interspersed with cafés and restaurants.