Mementos from Vienna with charm and Viennese humor

Located in Vienna’s Herrengasse, not far from the Hofburg Palace complex, are three THE VIENNASTORE locations that are worth a visit. If you’re looking for a souvenir of Vienna, one that you’ll take pleasure in for a long time to come and something that distinguishes itself from typical kitsch, you’ll surely discover something here.

Rosa Mose Semmel

Both of the locations in the Herrengasse, at No. 5 and across the street at No. 6, entice visitors with colorful, bold display windows and really spark the desire to rummage around in the store. This is a “kitsch-free zone” (okay, maybe not totally free from kitsch, but isn’t kitsch to some extent a matter of opinion?!?) where terrific stylistic, hip souvenirs are on offer – yet always “authentically Viennese.” It’s simply fun to stroll through the store and smile at the many different ideas, some of them really funny. Even as a Viennese you can stock up on nice presents.

My personal highlights: the “bread roll wallet” made of leather, the Riesenrad (giant Ferris wheel) cookie cutter, and the “Viennese sausage paper plates” made not of paper but of porcelain.

Memory of Vienna

The idea for THE VIENNASTORE

THE VIENNASTORE – the idea occurred to the design-loving publishers and couple Sibylle and Kurt Hamtil, who had already published successful books on Vienna with the Metroverlag publishing company for ten years. “People who like books generally also like beautiful things,” they figured. It made sense to combine their interest in Vienna and design and open up their own store. Metroverlag was located in the legendary first high-rise (Hochhaus) in Vienna, Herrengasse 6. When the erstwhile bookstore Amon in the Hochhaus was up for sale, the couple jumped on the offer and opened the first VIENNASTORE in February 2014.

There is a special focus on their own products – lovely, humorous things that are available only in THE VIENNASTORE locations, created and designed by Sibylle and Kurt Hamtil themselves. In summer, the swimming floaties (“A real Viennese doesn’t sink”) are fast sellers, during Christmastime it’s the original “Weihnachterl” Viennese wine tavern glasses, including the star of Bethlehem.

Porzellanmanufaktur Augarten

Wonderful classics of design can be found, as well as lovely Viennese products and, last but not least, books on Vienna. (Soon I’ll introduce you to one of the current books, titled Why Do You Get a Glass of Water with Your Coffee in Vienna? and 99 Other Questions About Vienna.) The store draws connections between books and everyday products, as well as to modern design or life in the city. In addition to the book on the Viennese porcelain manufacturer Augarten, there is Josef Hoffmann’s “Melon Service” from the front cover photo, or the “Kaisersemmel” (Kaiser roll) and the “Faschingskrapfen” (Carnival donuts).

Viennese chive sauce

In November of last year, a third store in Herrengasse was added. It is located directly near Café Griensteidl and has a somewhat different focus: The VIENNA1900STORE deals primarily with Viennese modernism: Gustav Klimt through Egon Schiele, Adolf Loos, the so-called Kaffeehausliteraten (coffeehouse authors), Gustav Mahler and Sigmund Freud, among others, are all topics here.

All pictures copyright: THE VIENNASTORE