Local Shopping Street: Shopping, Culinary Delights and Recreation around Taborstraße

02.08.2020

The 2nd district of Vienna lies embedded between the Donau Canal and the Danube River and is relatively close to the center of the city. The Carmelite quarter around Taborstraße and Augarten is part of this diverse, green district. There is a lot to see here and a handful of small second-hand shops.

Taborstraße connects the Schwedenbrücke with the former Nordbahnhof. Although the approximately 2 km long street is used by cars and trams, it still fascinates with its charm. Taborstraße was first mentioned in 1406 as Kremser Straße. Since then, the name of the shopping street was changed various times. Taborstraße wasn’t always as long as it is today. Over the years, the street has been extended.

Men's concept-store on Taborstraße

The shopping and sightseeing tour in the Carmelite quarter in Vienna's 2nd district begins at Schwedenbrücke (accessible by underground lines U1, U4 Schwedenplatz) at the intersection of Taborstraße and Obere Donaustraße. A few steps further, you will find the men's concept-store strictly HERRMANN. Here you can find a wide range of products: from shirts from the label Gerald Pahr to gin called Franz von Durst. You will find a suitable souvenir or gift there for everyone.

The focus of the concept store is on menswear and accessories. © FT/Paloma Pöltinger

If we follow the course of Taborstraße further, we come to a small square in front of a church. This is the Carmelite Church and the Carmelite Square. These sights are named after the Carmelite Order, an order of the Catholic Church. The church was built in 1639 and served the spiritual order as a monastery.

strictly HERRMANN

Taborstraße 5

1020 Wien

strictlyherrmann.com

Pfarrverband St. Leopold

Karmelitergasse 10

1020 Wien

www.st-leopold.at

Second-hand shops around the Carmelite market

There are numerous shopping opportunities along Taborstraße, but if you are looking for a little more individuality, you should stroll through the cozy Carmelite quarter. The best way to do so is to turn into the Kleine Sperlgasse at the Carmelite Square and keep right at the end of this alley. You will find yourself at the Carmelite market, where various tiny restaurants and cafés invite you to stop and take a break. Every Friday and Saturday, there is a farmers' market in the market square, where you can buy regional products such as fruit, vegetables and sausages.

The Carmelite market offers all kinds of delicacies: either for shopping or for consumption in various restaurants. © FT/Paloma Pöltinger

After the Carmelite market, you will find the second-hand shop The Shop Around the Corner on Leopoldsgasse. In this shop, one can find a wide range of well-known fashion brands with a little luck. Here you can also buy first-hand clothes. Not ready to stop shopping? Second Hand Boutique Spatz is a great spot-to-shop to satisfy your vintage fashion needs. Racks of quality, second-hand fashion for women and men are just waiting to be riffled through. There is also the possibility to hand in your own already worn clothes, if you don't need them anymore.

Second-hand shop lovers are sure to find what they are looking for in the Karmeliterviertel. © FT/Paloma Pöltinger

Karmelitermarkt

1020 Wien

https://www.wien.gv.at/karmelitermarkt

The Shop Around the Corner

Leopoldsgasse 27a

1020 Wien

www.shoparoundthecorner.com

Second Hand Boutique Spatz

Große Sperlgasse 21

1020 Wien

www.secondhand-spatz.at

Fright and Fun in the Second District

In the Carmelite quarter, there is not only a market and a church, but also a museum: the Vienna Crime Museum. This is definitely worth a visit for fans of true crime. This museum shows the history of crime in Vienna and the history of the Austrian justice and police system. The museum is located in one of the oldest houses in the district.

In the Vienna Crime Museum you can learn a lot about the history of crime. © FT/Paloma Pöltinger

The tour ends at Augarten, a large, luscious garden, once owned by Austria’s imperial family. From the Vienna Crime Museum, you can quickly reach the park by walking to the northern end of Große Sperlgasse. Augarten was originally the hunting grounds of the Hapsburg family. Emperor Joseph II opened the green area to the public and initiated some innovations such as the construction of the large entrance. Today, you can pursue numerous activities in Augarten: attend a concert by the Vienna Boys' Choir, watch a film in the open-air cinema during the summer months, take part in a guided tour of the Porcelain Museum or simply enjoy the nature.

Large, green meadows, long avenues and porcelain - this is what makes the Augarten in the 2nd district so popular. © FT/Paloma Pöltinger

Vienna’s 2^nd district has a lot to offer with its quaint Carmelite quarter and Augarten. It is worth taking some time to explore it during your stay in Vienna before too many people get to know about this pleasant area.

Vienna Crime Museum

Große Sperlgasse 24

1020 Wien

www.wien.kriminalmuseum.at

Augarten

1020 Wien

www.bundesgaerten.at

Open-air cinema: Kino wie noch nie

Augartenspitz

1020 Wien

kinowienochnie.at

Porcelain Museum