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Each European capital has an area with exclusive stores and all of the top brand names, now Vienna’s Golden Quarter or Goldenes Quartier can rival the best shopping areas in Paris, Milan and London. The Golden Quarter is located in the center of the historic city, in District 1, between Am Hof and Kohlmarkt and covers about 11,500m². The main shopping streets are Bognergasse, Seitzergasse and Tuchlauben but the smaller streets in the quarter also hold stores worth discovering. The luxurious ambience of this historic area gives shoppers an exclusive experience. Many of the stores are in listed historic properties yet there are all the modern conveniences you could ask for.

The area has recently been redeveloped creating 8,500 m² of retail space at Tuchlauben and an additional 3,000 m² at Am Hof. Kohlmarkt has been enlarged to create the luxurious shopping area and pedestrian zones now run all the way to the Am Hof Square along Bognergasse and Seitzergasse. There is also convenient access by bus routes and trams and for those driving there is underground parking along Am Hof, Freyung and Hoher Markt.

Among the top Viennese stores in the Golden Quarter are luxury French brands like Louis Vuitton; noble Italian brands like Brioni and classic British brands like Mulberry. Other top names include Armani, Prada, 7 For All Mankind, Valentino and Roberto Cavalli. If you can’t afford to shop in the elegant haute couture boutiques then you can enjoy window shopping, but there are also stores which will please shopaholics on any budget. Among the flagship stores you can find all of the international names of high fashion. Some of the stores are already open and others will be opening in 2014. On Tuchlauben you can find a Vivienne Westwood outlet store where you can see designs from Westwood’s most exclusive lines.  Among the stores already open are Prada, Louis Vuitton, Etro, Miu Miu, Armani, Brioni and Mulberry. If you’re planning a trip to Vienna with kids you might like to visit the exclusive baby boutique, Bambini. And just in case you run out of money while shopping here there are convenient banks and ATMs!

Of course the luxury shopping experience wouldn’t be complete without cafes and restaurants. Among the local eateries are Julius Meinl coffee shop where you can sample gourmet coffee and tea; Zum Schwarzen Kameel and the trendy restaurant bar Fabios where you could rub shoulders with celebs. When the sun goes down the Golden Quarter is the place to go for exclusive and classy bars.

Businesses lucky enough to be located here are within the historic buildings that have state-of-the-art technology, with an exclusive address and close to everything. The Park Hyatt Vienna, a luxury brand name in itself, is located in the Golden Quarter in an historic building. This is the first Hyatt hotel in Austria. The 143 room hotel will also offer visitors an exclusive restaurant, lobby, cigar lounge and bar. The hotel is due to open at the beginning of 2014.