Such as the Goldenes Quartier, the new luxury shopping area in Vienna’s historic center, where the boutiques of some of the most important international brands are located, such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Miu Miu, Chanel and Saint Laurent, just to name a few. But luxury in the Austrian capital is part of a real long-standing tradition: even though the Austro-Hungarian monarchy has not existed since 1918, there are still several companies that proudly display the sign of the imperial court suppliers to underline that their high level of quality has remained unchanged since the time when they sold goods and services to the imperial court.

Imperial suppliers belong to all sectors, from furniture to clothing, from art to cuisine: one of the most famous examples is that of the Sacher Cake, now known all over the world, which has been made in the pastry shop of the Hotel Sacher since 1832 according to a secret recipe jealously guarded since then.

In the past, the royal table was richly set with pieces by J. & L. Lobmeyr, a company that produces precious glassware such as fine glass sets and glittering chandeliers, and which still has a magnificent boutique on Kärntner Straße, where it all began: here you can admire the company’s private glass collection, archive and some exhibition drawings, but also book a private and exclusive dinner in the historic store, with tables set with pieces of Lobmeyr glass and porcelain and silverware from the main European manufacturers. And there is no shortage of jewellery shops: in the workshop of A. E. Köchert, there are still limited editions of the diamond stars that the jeweller made on the occasion of the first wedding anniversary of Elisabeth and Franz Joseph, which the empress loved to wear in her hair.

True Viennese have tailor-made suits made in the men’s fashion boutique Kniže, which has been the main supplier to the Archdukes of the House of Habsburg since the nineteenth century; today the tailor’s shop, which stands along the elegant Graben, produces tailcoats, tuxedos and cuts, men’s suits, blazers and stresemanns.

In the historic Rudolf Scheer & Söhne shoe factory, which has been in business for seven generations, you will have the opportunity to observe the wooden lasts of the shoes of Emperor Franz Joseph and other noble customers, without forgetting to buy your perfect pair of custom-made shoes, for men or women.

Antiques are another real strength of the Viennese luxury sector: there are many shops of this type in the historic city center and in the narrow transversal streets of the Graben, such as Dorotheergasse, Stallburggasse, and Bräunerstraße. Baroque wardrobes, trunks from the Renaissance era, elegant carpets, precious clocks, and then paintings, porcelain and antique jewels are just some of the treasures that you will have the opportunity to find among the shelves and rooms of the most well-stocked antique shops.

You can find classics of Viennese silverware faithfully reproduced at the Wiener Silber Manufactur, including cutlery designed by Josef Hoffmann and Oswald Haerdtl, while at the Dorotheum auction house, founded in 1710, you will discover the Eden of antiques enthusiasts.

In addition to the most historic realities and international haute couture boutiques, many Viennese designers also have their atelier in the historic center of the capital: among others, Michel Mayer, Schella Kann, the accessories expert Robert Horn, the Ludwig Reiter shoe factory and the Mühlbauer hat shop, which counts among its customers personalities of the caliber of Madonna, Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss.