Austria
Bregenz
Buchhandlung Brunner
Rathausstrasse 2, Bregenz
At 550 square metres, this is the largest bookshop in Vorarlberg.
When I first walked in, I had a genuine wow moment. The shop is beautifully decorated, full of light and space, and so inviting that it is almost difficult to leave.
Books are displayed across three levels, all fully accessible (barrier-free). The selection is not enormous, but the main genres are well represented, including textbooks—more than enough to keep any reader occupied. At the entrance you will also find a carefully curated range of magazines, chosen with readers in mind.
In 2021, this bookshop won the Austrian Bookshop Award. In my view, it could win every year. It is my favourite bookshop in Austria so far and one of the most beautiful I have ever visited.
The staff are wonderfully friendly, and the whole place feels like a true shopping experience.
Book i bought:
E.M. Forster: Room with a View
Ländlebuch
Bahnhofstrasse 10/2, Bregenz
At first glance, the entrance feels almost overwhelming. Card racks line the doorway so densely that you have to squeeze past them just to get inside. Once in, my impression was that there seemed to be more non-book items than books.
The bookshop’s speciality is inexpensive remaindered and slightly damaged copies—books that have never been read and are still complete. It is a wonderful concept, making literature more affordable and accessible to everyone.
Alongside these bargains, the shop also carries the usual current selection, a few regional titles, as well as many games and assorted gift items. Despite the inviting white country-house style shelves, however, the shop itself feels a little short on charm.
The children’s section, tucked away in a dark corner at the back, is not especially welcoming, with harsh neon lighting and an unappealing floor. But the prize for unintentional comedy goes to the entrance shelves: some still bear old labels, which led to the unforgettable pairing “Crime/Thriller – Toddlers.” Clearly, this is a bookshop where even the very young are expected to be tough readers.
All in all, I had mixed feelings about this bookshop. Yet it remains a good place to browse, and its concept of offering affordable books is something I deeply appreciate.
Book i bought:
Hans Platzgumer: Die ungeheure Welt in meinem Kopf
Dornbirn
Rapunzel
Bahnhofstrasse 12, Dornbirn
The first word that came to mind when I stepped inside this shop was cosiness. I felt at home straight away. The staff clearly know their customers well—there was an air of familiarity and warmth in every interaction. Even as a first-time visitor, I was welcomed just as kindly. When I bought a book, they spoke with genuine enthusiasm about its author, Markus Gasser, who had given a reading there only a few days before my visit.
The interior adds to the charm: chandeliers, carpets, and rows of wooden shelves create the feeling of a private home overflowing with books. Much of it, I was told, was built and assembled by the owner together with friends.
In 2023, this bookshop was honoured with the Austrian Bookshop Prize—a recognition it richly deserves.
Book i bought:
Markus Gasser: Jil
Hall in Tirol
Riepenhausen
Langer Graben 1, Hall in Tirol
I had always wanted to visit Hall in Tirol, the twin town of my beloved Winterthur. The little town on the River Inn is truly worth the trip—the historic centre is wonderfully picturesque. The same can be said for the Riepenhausen bookshop, whose charming building stands at the foot of a steep alley.
The shop extends across two floors that complement each other beautifully. Non-fiction titles are found downstairs, while fiction and children’s books await upstairs. Outside, a pretty shop sign greets visitors; inside, the warm interior invites you to linger.
The selection, however, is rather average. The shop is small, of course, but I would have wished for a little more boldness in the product range. Even so, browsing here was a very pleasant experience, and Riepenhausen remains a delightful part of Hall’s town centre.
Book i bought:
Michael Köhlmeier: Die Verdorbenen
Innsbruck
Buchhandlung Daffodils
Leopoldstrasse 36, Innsbruck
This lovely little bookshop opened its doors in 2022. It may be small, but it is full of charm. More than a shop, it feels like stepping into someone’s beautifully decorated flat—feminine, inviting, and thought out down to the very last detail.
At the front, there is a delightful children’s corner, lovingly designed. I especially adored the dotted wing chair paired with the whimsical wall painting—it creates such a cosy, playful atmosphere. At the back, you’ll find the fiction section, neatly arranged and just as thoughtfully presented.
The selection may be limited, but the care and beauty of the design make this bookshop truly special. It’s a place where you immediately feel welcome and inspired to linger.
Book i bought:
Jonathan Lee: Joy
Haymon Buchhandlung
Sparkassenplatz 4, Innsbruck
Haymon is the bookshop of the literary publishing house of the same name. It takes its name from the legendary giant Haymon, a figure from 16th-century folklore around Innsbruck. According to legend, Haymon defeated the quarrelsome giant Thyrsus in battle, but instead of celebrating his victory, he chose a life of humility, founding the Wilten monastery in Innsbruck and living out his days as a monk.
The shop itself has a dark yet elegant ambience. I especially liked the reflective ceiling, which mirrors the shelves and makes the space feel much larger. At the back, there is a cosy coffee bar with seating—a perfect spot to linger with a book.
I was immediately drawn to the English shelf right by the entrance, and I also enjoyed browsing the mix of new releases and antiquarian titles.
If anything, the atmosphere was a little too quiet; some soft background music might make the space even more inviting. Perhaps the silence is intentional, a nod to Haymon’s monastic retreat. Either way, this bookshop is a charming alternative to the larger stores nearby.
Book i bought:
Jasper Fforde: The Constant Rabbit
Liber wiederin Buchhandlung
Erlerstrasse 6, Innsbruck
I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this bookshop at first. For a moment, I wondered if I had wandered into a minimalist design showroom rather than a place for books.
On the right, a vast table stretches out, covered with new releases and fiction, framed by bright yellow shelves. The interior is strikingly bright, flooded with natural light that makes the space feel almost gallery-like. To the left of the entrance stands the most curious feature: a long white shelf punctured with neat holes. It looks less like a bookcase and more like it should be storing office folders. Follow this odd structure, though, and you’ll discover a charming children’s corner and even a small terrace.
The selection itself didn’t particularly impress me, but the ambience was refreshing, modern, and certainly different. Combined with the friendly atmosphere, it made for a pleasant and memorable visit.
Book i bought:
Clemens Berger: Haus des flüssigen Goldes
Tyrolia
Maria-Theresien-Strasse 15, Innsbruck
Tyrolia is both a publishing house and the owner of a chain of bookshops. Its flagship store, the largest in western Austria, is located in the car-free stretch of Innsbruck’s beautiful Maria-Theresien-Strasse.
The shop spans three floors, crowned by a book café at the top. The selection is extensive, both in depth and variety. I particularly enjoyed the view from the first floor, where the esoteric section is located: from there you can look out over the lively shopping street and admire the elegant buildings surrounding it.
In the middle of the shop you’ll find a staircase and a lift, which would be perfectly adequate. Why someone decided to add a noisy, rather unattractive escalator is a mystery. Naturally, I complained about it—then promptly used it myself, enjoying every lazy step as if I had never seen stairs before.
Book i bought:
Alain Claude Sulzer: Fast wie ein Bruder
Wagner’sche Buchhandlung
Museumstrasse 4, Innsbruck
Innsbruck’s oldest bookshop has a long and storied past. Once part of the Wagnersche Verlag publishing house, it is now owned by Medici Buchhandels GmbH, and for generations it has welcomed readers from its home on the lively Museumsstrasse.
The entrance area features greeting cards, stationery, and a display of current recommendations and bestsellers. A staircase leads to the upper floor, where Café Momo attracts a steady flow of visitors and also serves lunch. From its terrace, daylight streams down into the ground floor, brightening the otherwise windowless rear of the shop. This back section offers a wide selection of fiction and cookbooks, with plenty of seating for browsing.
While the bookshop is spacious and well stocked, it has a somewhat modern, chain-store atmosphere rather than the charm of a traditional independent shop.
Book i bought:
Jan Beck: Dorn
Mistelbach
Libro
Hafnerstrasse 3, Mistelbach
I happened to pass through Mistelbach on Swiss National Day 2024, after an amusing train and bus journey from Vienna to Herrnbaumgarten, followed by an equally entertaining visit to the Nonseum. This quirky museum is dedicated to whimsical inventions such as a portable hole and perfectly cut table tennis balls—and is worth the trip for both its exhibits and the friendliness of Herrnbaumgarten’s residents.
Not wanting to retrace my steps back to Vienna, I continued via Mistelbach. My stay there turned out longer than expected: during the school holidays, bus and train timetables are poorly coordinated, and I found myself waiting in the heat—over 35°C—for the next train. Since the bus only arrived shortly before 6 p.m., I missed the chance to visit the local bookshop I had originally planned to see.
Instead, I headed into the town centre and ended up at a branch of Libro. These shops can be found all over Austria and serve as important local suppliers for non-food items—books included. On this occasion, the cold lemonade took priority, though I also picked up the book topping their bestseller list. The store itself was functional rather than inviting, but I appreciated being able to find both refreshment and reading material.
Libro’s purpose is not atmosphere or design, but practical supply. And in that sense, even in the heat of a summer holiday afternoon, it delivered exactly what was needed.
Book i bought:
Sebastian Fitzek: Der erste letzte Tag
Salzburg
Bücher Stierle
Kaigasse 1, Salzburg
Founded in 1988 by Heinz Stierle, a member of a long-established Salzburg bookselling family, the small Stierle bookshop enjoys a charming location in a narrow alley beside Mozartplatz, just steps from Salzburg Cathedral.
The shop has earned a reputation for expertise and personal advice, making it a trusted destination for readers. Its selection focuses on fiction, non-fiction, and children’s and young adult literature. A delightful touch: spotting an Arto Paasilinna novel prominently displayed at the entrance.
Inside, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, with graceful vaulted ceilings and books arranged not only on shelves but also on rustic pallets. While the shop’s character is unmistakable, it could perhaps do more to draw in the many tourists who pass by. Nestled among busy restaurants, it risks being overlooked, though those who step inside will find it well worth the detour.
Book i bought:
Aarto Paasilinna: Vorstandssitzung im Paradies (The Law Requires Casualities)
Buchhandlung Höllrigl
Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse 10, Salzburg
Austria’s oldest bookshop stands proudly in the heart of Salzburg’s bustling shopping mile—and is in fact the second oldest in the entire German-speaking world. A visit here is well worth your time. The selection is excellent, ranging from fiction and non-fiction to a wide variety of titles about Salzburg and its surroundings. Students, too, will find much to appreciate, with a strong offering of textbooks.
What makes this bookshop truly unforgettable, however, is its interior. Graceful vaulted ceilings and a magnificent wooden staircase leading to the upper floor create an atmosphere as inspiring as the books themselves.
It is little wonder that this historic and beautiful shop is highlighted on Salzburg’s official information page.
Book i bought:
Sarah Easter Collins: So ist das nie passiert (Things don't break on their own)
Motzko
Elisabethstrasse 1, Salzburg
The Motzko bookshop stretches across two buildings on the route from the train station to the city centre. Unfortunately, the fiction section, the part I care most about, was relegated to the less attractive of the two.
The selection was decent enough, though hardly remarkable. The shop itself is a good size, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. For a family business that has been around for more than a century, a little more warmth and friendliness would not go amiss. Curiously, the “About Us” section of their website is entirely blank, which feels oddly fitting.
The thriller I ended up buying wasn’t a staff recommendation—because there were none.
The book now comes with a rather unfortunate memory. With no luggage lockers available and the prospect of hauling a suitcase through a shopping tour, I considered catching an earlier train.
Luckily, I managed to find a locker at the last minute, which meant I could stay in Salzburg after all.
For the train journey I had bought a rice pudding and tucked it into my bag. The corner of the book punctured the lid, and before long both my bag—and my brand-new purchase—were generously coated in rice pudding.
Book i bought:
Sarah Pearse: The Retreat
Rupertus Buchhandlung
Dreifaltigkeitsgasse 12, Salzburg
The Rupertus bookshop, surprisingly spacious, is located near the market square, right next to the Holy Trinity Church. Its rooms stretch across several sections, giving the premises plenty of potential to become something truly special. Instead, the interior feels rather dated—dominated by yellow tones, brown accents, and a floor that could have been borrowed from a kitchen.
Rupertus also operates its own publishing house, with a focus on regional topics, and naturally these titles take pride of place on the shop’s shelves.
Book i bought:
Emma Hamberg: Bonjour Agneta
Wien / Vienna
Anna Jeller Buchhandlung
Margaretenstrasse 35, Vienna
The bookshop makes an inviting first impression, with display cases lining the outside of the building, each filled with books from a variety of genres. The exterior already hints at the beauty within: high ceilings, ornate stucco work, and shelves that stretch impressively upwards.
It’s a pleasure to browse here, especially along the long table positioned right at the entrance. Unfortunately, the experience was marred somewhat by an unpleasant smell—no doubt intensified by the heavy summer heat.
On a brighter note, the shop also extends its presence online. Anna Jeller hosts a podcast of book recommendations, and her curated Anna Jeller Edition titles are available here as well.
Book i bought:
Sidik Fofana: Stories from Tenants Downstairs
Buchhandlung Walther König im MQ
Museumsplatz 1, Vienna
Since 2008, this bookshop has occupied a splendid home in Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier—exactly the sort of setting one imagines for a Viennese bookshop. The interior is as beautiful as the building itself, with books stylishly presented and a focus on art, architecture, and design. Yet the selection goes beyond those subjects, and classics can also be found here—like the one I chose.
The shop also serves as the publishing house’s base, producing artist books and exhibition catalogues for major museums and institutions. The atmosphere is welcoming, and it’s easy to imagine that working in such surroundings must be a genuine pleasure.
This is the only Walter König branch in Austria, though others can be found in leading museums across Europe, including in Berlin, Amsterdam, Munich, Milan, and London..
Book i bought:
Ingeborg Bachmann: Malina
Freytag & Berndt (closed)
Reisebuchhandlung, Wallnerstrasse 3, Vienna
This bookshop is nestled in the heart of Vienna, in a prime spot close to Kohlmarkt and surrounded by high-end boutiques. It is a specialist travel bookshop, with a strong focus on maps. Alongside its extensive cartography section, there is also a modest selection of fiction, mostly works related to Vienna, as well as books on aviation, shipping, and a wide range of travel and outdoor pursuits.
Given the prestigious location, a bookshop alone would hardly be sustainable, which is why it also houses a publishing arm. The publishing house is Austria’s market leader in cartography, producing everything from traditional maps to digital editions.
While the building itself is architecturally impressive, the shop’s interior décor is rather plain. The shelves of maps resemble those of a kiosk, leaving untapped potential for a more creative design. A stronger travel-inspired theme, for instance, could transform the space into something truly distinctive.
During my visit, I noticed that the map section in particular seemed to attract mainly older men.
Despite its loyal customer base and prime location, the store closed on December 24, 2025, bringing an end to more than 250 years of history. Rising personnel and rental costs, along with declining sales in the book trade, ultimately made continued operation unsustainable.
Book i bought:
Eva Ibbotson: Madensky Square
Hartliebs Bücher
Währinger Strasse 122, Vienna
The bookshop on Währinger Strasse opened in 2024, and its story has even been immortalised in a novel: Petra Hartlieb’s Meine wundervolle Buchhandlung (My Wonderful Bookshop). It has also become well known within the literary scene, attracting prominent figures such as the writer Daniel Glattauer.
This branch offers a beautifully curated selection of books, with shelves that rise all the way to the ceiling—reachable only by ladder. A second location can be found at Porzellangasse 36.
Staff recommendations are displayed outside the shop, while inside there is a dedicated shelf of favourite titles. What I particularly appreciate is that these recommendations include not only new releases but also older works that have stood the test of time.
One drawback, however, is the lack of warmth in customer service. This seems to be a broader trait often associated with Vienna, especially when compared with cities like Bregenz or Innsbruck. Perhaps it is more than just a cliché that people in the capital can come across as a little distant. The sheer number of tourists, many of whom do not always behave respectfully, may well play a role in this impression.
Book i bought:
Gerard Donovan: Julius Winsome
Mord und Musik
Lindengasse 22, Vienna
Mord und Musik (Murder & Music) is a themed bookshop that combines crime, thrillers, science fiction, a touch of fantasy, and an eclectic range of music. The musical selection spans gothic, industrial, and other styles that complement the shop’s dark, suspenseful atmosphere.
Despite the rather gloomy theme, the staff are exceptionally friendly, something I don’t take for granted in Vienna. The bookseller I observed came across as both well-read and knowledgeable, engaging with a customer (or perhaps an acquaintance) in a way that clearly reflected his expertise.
With such a strong concept, the interior design could be pushed even further to make the space more immersive and eye-catching. Even so, the shop has a distinctive charm, and its website demonstrates an extra layer of creativity. For instance, the navigation tabs appear as fingerprints, with sections titled things like “What happened so far”—a clever nod to the crime theme.
Book i bought:
Elizabeth Hand: Available Dark
Orlando
Liechtensteinstrasse 17, Vienna
What do you recommend to a customer who asks for a book free of war and disease? In this case, the bookseller suggested a story about a man with dementia—and, notably, offered nothing else.
It is therefore not surprising to read on the shop’s website: At ORLANDO, books come first. The promise is also made that here, readers will find exactly what they are looking for. Yet, in my experience, that level of attentive curation was missing. A bookshop can truly distinguish itself through the quality and sensitivity of its staff, but in this regard, ORLANDO falls short.
The shop itself is pleasant enough, though it lacks a distinctive character that would make it memorable. My overall impression was of an average bookstore, one I am unlikely to recall a few years from now. Adding to this, the shop becomes uncomfortably hot in summer, a common but unfortunate issue in many bookstores.
Book i bought:
Petra Pellini: Der Bademeister ohne Himmel (the lifeguard without heaven)
phil
Gumpendorferstrasse 10-12, Vienna
Phil is without doubt a wonderful meeting place, seamlessly blending a cosy café with a carefully curated bookshop. One particularly thoughtful touch is the request for guests to keep laptops out of the main room, which helps preserve the relaxed and sociable atmosphere.
The café serves breakfast, light snacks, and a wide range of hot and cold drinks. I also appreciated that it is tucked away from the main tourist crowds, making it feel more like a local gem. With its mix of retro furniture, the space manages to feel alternative, cosy, and at the same time effortlessly trendy. Altogether, the atmosphere is very inviting.
The book selection is not extensive, but the titles are beautifully displayed, each given its own space and attention. Unfortunately, the raised section at the back was closed during my visit due to filming, so I wasn’t able to explore it.
The bookseller, however, left a particularly positive impression: extremely helpful and committed to recommending more unusual titles rather than just the latest releases.
Book i bought:
Jarka Kubsova: Bergland
Shakespeare & Company
Sterngasse 2,, Vienna
In Vienna’s 1st district, you’ll find a branch of the well-known bookshop chain Shakespeare & Company, which has been here since 1982. From a design perspective, the shop resembles a second-hand bookstore, a look that, in its own way, adds to the charm. Its dark wooden interior and shelves packed to the high ceilings feel perfectly suited to the historic setting of Vienna’s oldest quarter.
The atmosphere, however, is let down by the staff, who struck me as extremely passive. The impression I got was: “the tourists will come anyway, so why make an effort?”
The selection is entirely in English and leans heavily towards the classics, which suits the shop’s concept well. I especially liked the way some authors’ works were displayed in stacks, giving them a more tactile presence.
On the downside, the narrow layout means that when several customers are browsing, it becomes difficult to reach the side shelves. And a word of caution: I would avoid visiting in the summer months—the shop gets uncomfortably, almost unbearably, hot.
Book i bought:
Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse