If you’re used to 24h shopping, you might get a surprise in Vienna.
- Supermarket weekday opening hours usually from just before 8am to 8pm
- Other stores generally open up later and close earlier
- Department stores may have selected late openings
- Stores close early on Saturdays and stay closed on Sundays
- Some exceptions, particularly certain stores in stations and designated tourist areas
- Find a light classical concert* in Vienna
- See also:
Store opening hours
(One of Vienna’s main shopping streets: Mariahilfe Straße)
Travel back in time to when branding was something you did to cattle.
When the shopkeeper measured out your purchases on a set of scales.
When Mrs Miggins still owned her pie shop.
And when coffee was just coffee, not an iced caramel macchiato.
Store opening times haven’t changed much since then in Vienna.
I exaggerate, but if you’re used to 24/7 convenience, then you might have to ratchet down your expectations.
In general, shops cannot open before 6am or after 9pm (weekdays) or after 6pm (Saturdays), or total more than 72 hours of operation per week. Shops must also close on Sundays and most public holidays.
Exceptions to those rules do exist. For example, bakers can open from 5.30am and souvenir shops can open on Sundays. But here are typical opening times in Vienna…
Supermarkets
(One of the Rewe-owned brands in Vienna)
Supermarkets open sometime between 7am and 8am (tending toward the later end of the range) and close sometime between 7pm and 8pm on a weekday (ditto), depending on the chain and location.
Saturday they typically close at 6pm, and they do not generally open on Sundays (but see below for exceptions).
Department stores
These open later in the day, even as late as 10am: so consider your early-morning shopping route carefully. Their closing times vary but are typically 6pm or 7pm.
Stores in very busy shopping areas may stay open as late as 9pm during the week. As with the supermarkets, stores close by 6pm on Saturday and stay closed for Sunday.
There is considerable store-by-store variation within the allowed opening hours, so check before shopping.
What to do if you’re desperate
(Try the train stations for extended food store opening hours)
- Tip 1: Small food stores located in train stations, bus stations, airports etc. have a special status, so may stay open on Sundays and operate longer on other days
For example, at the time of writing, the Billa minimarket at the Westbahnhof station opens from 5.30am to 11pm.
An eagle-eyed reader has also spotted some supermarkets near such stations or in popular tourism areas opening on Sundays, too, though they may have a reduced range to meet whatever exceptions to the law allow them to open up. So keep your eyes open.
Outside of normal shopping hours, be prepared to fight your way through the crowds of shoppers who forgot to buy bread earlier.
- Tip 2: Most petrol/gas stations now feature a small store selling food essentials and more
These are often supplied (and branded) by one of the supermarket chains, and open much longer than their high street cousins.
(Bakeries like Felber, Mann, and Ströck tend to open Sundays, too)
- Tip 3: Quite a few bakeries open on Sunday morning
Not sure what the rule is, but it’s rather nice to pick up fresh rolls, croissants and (if we’re throwing caution to the wind) chocolate muffins for a late Sunday breakfast.
Watch for public holidays
Finally, I mention this earlier, but it’s worth repeating: most stores will close for public holidays. And we have more than you might expect in Vienna.
The city provides a list here. The exception to the rule is “Mariä Empfängnis” (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) on December 8th, when retail businesses have the option to stay open. Many (but not all) do.