English Bookstores of Vienna - Ranked
- thefearlessfrock
- Jan 16
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 28
Vienna. I have a bone to pick with you. But also, I'm in love. What the heck man, but really? Well, you tell me, city of bakeries - less so bookstores. (Still, don't fret, there are plenty of options to buy English books in Vienna, they just do it differently over there.)
Speaking of bookstore ranking - and why Vienna is a bit different - you can check out my previous two instalments of this series about...
...Munich here:
...and Budapest here:
But before books, let's mention Vienna's main strength (in my humble opinion):
Bakeries and Whimsical Stores
(aka where to sin)
Let's start with the love part. Well, no, I cannot tell you about that.;) I can tell you something surprising, though. You thought Germans had a never-ceasing love affair with bakeries? You haven't been to Vienna... where random corner bakeries are called 15 süße Minuten (15 Sweet Minutes) and are not kidding. Do not you even dream of being on a diet while there, but also, where to fall into sin, if not in Vienna? And all the time you'll be spending trailing off to find the bookstores, it is okay.
Similarly, Viennese gift shops aren't joking either, you are very likely to find tiny stationery, candle and sweets brands in every little alley. Vienna is apparently proud of its tiny magical stores and has a good reason to feel so. Down with the typical souvenir shops! Be original, like Vienna. Have endless confectionaries with sumptuous cakes, have coffee houses and eat Topfenstrudel, as Vienna does.
However, something to mind:
There were things - culture shock ones - that got me slightly off-guard while there:
Vienna Da Sassy Viscountess
(aka culture shocks to keep in mind)
Vienna is a bit moody when it comes to reasonable opening times (something no one had told me before visiting). This means most shops that are actually fascinating (small, independent ones) aren't only closed for the weekend but might be randomly closed on Mondays too, or might be randomly open for four hours in the morning. 'cause why not? What puzzles me the most is that this (the weekend part for sure) will certainly disagree with the schedules of many tourists - especially those dropping by for a long weekend - and I only imagine with busy working Viennese people too...
Vienna, I'm still expecting an explanation on this, thank you in advance.
And then, we also have The Bookstore Question:
Where can you go in Vienna if you want to find books in English?
(aka you would think it's an easy question but not that much...)
So, the thing about Vienna's English bookstores is that there is only one (okay, two) - very strictly speaking. This is surprising, given that Vienna - if Google can be trusted, and we, of course, blindly trust Google - has around 2 million citizens, so I think it's safe to say, one might expect more from the city of high culture. But then, Vienna is mainly a very visual arts place. Still, I can hardly accept that as an excuse.
So, what Vienna does is that it has a lot of big chains that have quite big English book sections. Impressive though they are, they are not quite like bookstores dedicated to English books - or even just foreign literature. Vienna is not going to be the city where you can find little secondhand English bookstores, or if it is, it does manage to keep all that info and all those places in secret. (Even after four days of book shopping and visiting 13+ bookstores. And no, no bakery can me fuel to do more. Sugary love makes me stupid and sluggish.)
And still, I do have a bookstore list for you, so you will not be left without information on where to go. This ranking will be very subjective, so take my thoughts with a pinch of salt.
Let's see our list, then. First things first:
Honorary Mentions
(aka stores I LOVED but that are either atmosphere-specific or have too small of an English section for me to recommend them with confidence)
1.) Kanopi:
A vintage store with clearly carefully picked English books (taste 10/10!), funny postcards, clothes, a tiny café and a surprisingly busy life. People apparently love this little pocket space.
(If I were to list places based on atmosphere, this one would surely be in my top 3, maybe on top-top. That's how much I loved it!)
best for: underground vibes, fated-findings, unique objects, Gen Z
You can find Kanopi here:
or here:
2.) ChickLit:
A feminist entertainment bookstore, very body-positive postcards, gifts - mainly in German. They do have a few English books, but the collection is rather scarce. It's still a lovely space though.
best for: feminist gifts
You can find ChickLit here:
3.) Heartliebs Bücher:
If you let your heart wander downhill - mid-day, just on the quest for a place you can bounce back from to return to that very one you feel anchored in (we all have those places, don't we) - you might want to stop by Heartliebs Bücher. They have a few English books displayed on the street, luring you in, but also a cute and interestingly curated (albeit not very vast) selection of English books too.
best for: lovers of cosy, and kind places
You can find them here:
And now, let's see our list:
English Bookstores of Vienna
Ranked from Worst to Best
Herder (Die Buchhandlung Herder)
The Very Underwhelming One (When it Comes to English Books)
To be fair, from what I managed to gather, their German books do look very interesting and nicely curated - it's a shame that they have a very weak English selection - and then an odd YA haven upstairs that almost looks like an altair. This reader over here is not a YA fan and rather has beef with the genre for it likes promoting toxic relationships as desirable. Hence ranking them as the last one. Sorry...
But if you are a passionate reader of YA, their cozy chairs and YA corner might be just for you.
...so best for: YA You can find Herder here:
Morawa
The One Very Into Graphic Novels (& Else)
I added & Else, because, to be fair, Morawa does have a lot of classics too. But their focus is undoubtedly on graphic novels, at which I think they excel - or have an impressive collection of. I don't really know graphic novels, but I know it's an upcoming genre and fully believe in the artistic quality in many of them - pictured books, too, can be so very stunning - so hope to check out a few in the future.
But also, they have books by Kazuo Ishiguro too - well done, Morawa, well done.
best for: graphic novels and comics
you can find them here:
Frick
The Politically Very Tuned One
Frick has an opinion. Frick cares. Frick feels narrow and tall, elongated (oddly akin to those cramped British houses with corridors running into the depth), with a socially sensitive English section where books are about politics, culture, society and issues living in the shadows and on the margins of things. Yes, classics too but they seem to stay out of the spotlight.
best for: finding socially and politically tuned books
You can find them here:
Thalia
The One Everyone Knows
Thalia has everything, monstrous floors, plenty of stores (as the biggest book chain in Austria), occasionally whole floors of stationery (Mariahilfer Straße) and somewhat cosier locations, in case grandiosity suffocates you.
There is one person in Kuppitsch-Thalia (owned by Thalia?) who must have been like 'yes, let's highlight Toni Morrison' (the first Black woman ever to win a Nobel Prize in Literature) and that one person deserves a raise for displaying a lot of her works.
We even love to see Toni Morrison coctail books.
Let's admit it: Thalia doesn't need my help here. So...
best for: fun
you can find them here:
Hafi
The Unapologetically Original One
Hafi is - very strictly speaking - the second official English bookstore of Vienna, even though they do have German books as well. They are independent, have their own style, and although they are small, their selection of feminist, design, and LMBT+ books create a very specific flavour I LOVED. Others, too, seemed to love them as they became rather crowded at the weekend. Something truly a joy to see when it comes to independent bookstores. They are absolutely worth a visit!
Mind! They do have a cafe but it's mainly for take-away, as they have only a few benches to sit. Not a place to go to when you are planning to work.
best for: independent vibes, feminist and LMBT+ literature, A24 movie screenplays (oddly specific, true nonetheless), true style
You can find them here:
or here:
Buchhandlung Walther König
The Artistically Unbeatable One
Living in the posh Museum Quarter, Walther König has that charm - and it is the only reason why Hafi cannot take the cake when it comes to arts and design. Walther König is mainly a German bookstore, but they do have a wide and fascinating selection of books in English (mainly arts books, but not solely). Extra points for being dog-friendly! It's impossible not to love them.
But also:
And also:
best for: books on art and design (and also: gifts)
you can find them here:
Shakespeare and Company
The Unbeatable One
Let's just admit it, it's not like anything or anyone could beat them. (Well, in theory, maybe, but in Vienna, for sure not). They are a very old bookstore - stylishly located in the oldest part of the city too. They are everything you could wish for (minus a café): a very wide selection of books, in different genres, but very deeply rooted in quality literature. They are whimsical, cozy, warm - but very crowded at weekends.
They obviously understand the importance of being up-to-date - Han Kang is this year's Nobel Prize winner.
And last but not least - mind that in their labyrinthine spaces, whimsical and sloped corridors, you might miss the fact that they have a back room for secondhand books and children's literature.
Something huge ended for me in Shakespeare and Company. A book that had been haunting me found me, only because that one back room was pointed out for me. The room I almost missed, the book I almost missed. That book, The Lost Soul by Olga Tokarczuk is partly the reason - the idea of it was a season - I started this blog for. It was a heartbreak-love story.
My very first post was written about it. You can check it out here:
And then, as I wrote, the book found me in Shakespeare and Company - and ended up on the top list of my 2024 reads. Find the list here:
With this big closure, Shakespeare and Company has also stated a lot for me. Whirlwind feelings, overwhelming ones. But it's no surprise, of course. All feels whirlwind and overwhelmingly sweet in Shakespeare and Company...
That is why it is...
best for: vibes, wide selection of books, love, old-town tunes and everything
find them here:
Someone started out this exhausting post on a lot of caffeine and crushed around the end - could you tell? Someone was confused but still got enchanted by Vienna. Too sweet not to consume it. Too sweet not to return. (Nußschnecke! Best when shared!)
Anyway. See you soon!
Mind your light!
Hugs from me.:)
Comments