Well, I was so taken by Austria and Germany (particularly the traditional fashion) that I've jumped on an opportunity to make a return trip. Soon. Like in two days. I'll be spending half my time in Vienna and then heading to Munich.
I went to Vienna this summer on my Europe trip with my mom, for about 12 hours. Obviously it struck a chord! I got to do a quick walking tour, visit Schönbrunn Palace, and go to a Mozart concert. It just gave me a taste, and I'm going back to see things that are more personal to my interests. And this will be my first time in Munich.
One of my primary purposes is to do fashion and fabric research, and I want to see all the dirndls I possibly can. Obviously I will be visiting the boutiques of some of my favorite designers like Lena Hoschek, Julia Trentini, and Noh Nee. I'll visit some traditional houses like Gössl, and stare inside the dirndls to better understand the boning and construction.
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| Lena Hosheck store in Vienna |
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| Gown at the Sisi Museum |
I'd really love some recommendations beyond all this, readers. Fabric stores, vintage shops, interesting designer boutiques, shoe stores, restaurants, museums, sights, etc! Please share your favorite inspiring places in Vienna and Munich.
Wow! Sounds like a great trip. I so look forward to reading a future post and seeing pics. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteNoh Nee's website left me with my mouth hanging open. What a beautiful use of ethnic fabrics! Can't wait to hear about your visit there.
ReplyDeleteYou MUST read the Vienna section of the Hare With the Amber Eyes! It made me desperate to go to Vienna. You can skip the bit in Paris beforehand if you are pressed for time!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see the traditional Dirndl, you have to go to Tostmann Trachten https://www.tostmann.at/ in Vienna.
ReplyDeleteTake a stroll to Demel http://www.demel.at/index_flash.htm and take a coffee at Cafe Prückel http://www.prueckel.at/ .
And you should see the MAK http://mak.at/sammlung/mak-sammlung/sammlung_textilien_und_teppiche and the Kusthistorisches Museum http://www.khm.at/
Important notice concerning Wien Museum's Fashion Collection: There's no permanent fashion exhibition in the museum, only special exhibitions sometimes (a hat exhibition is planned for June 2016). They have a few highlights from the Fashion Collection in the general permanent exhibition (two 19th Century gowns, as far as I can remember from my last visit), but the Fashion Collection is normally almost completely in storage and not open to the public. Wien Museum is always worth visiting, however :-) By the way: Some objects of Wien Museum's Fashion Collection are listed in www.europeanafashion.eu (Choose "Browse", then "Provider - Wien Museum")
ReplyDeleteI can't give you any tips for Munich, but I have some for Vienna:
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely visit Komolka (Mariahilferstraße 58), THE fabric store in Vienna. Habari (Theobaldgasse 16) has a great selection of african wax prints in the basement, Lena Hoschek got hers from them. Goldstück (Neustiftgasse 31) sells 50ies inspired fashion, handmade in Vienna - they are very nice, though some things look a bit too similar to Lena Hoschek's designs.... As said in the comment before, Tostmann (Schottengasse 3a) is a great source for Dirndls, as well as Hanna Trachten (Spiegelgasse 23), a family business from Salzburg.
I hope these tips help, but just explore! Vienna isn't so big, one can find a lot of great shops by just wandering through the city. I hope you'll have a great time!
Vienna was one of my FAVORITE cities, even though it was chilly and rainy the whole time. Something about that city just spoke to me, I would absolutely love to go back. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of this place, but I had the most AMAZING desserts while I was there (so good that we went back twice). I think it's somewhere within a 2-3 block radius of the Hofburg Palace. The inside of it looked like it was straight out of the early 1900s - plush dark-red booths, ornate mirrors on the walls, etc. It was wonderful. I wish I'd been into sewing when I went, so unfortunately I can't give you any recommendations on that, but please post some pictures of the goodies you bring back!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both cities immensely when I visited in 2001. That was before I'd taken up the sewing machine so I am not sure what to offer in the way of suggestion. Yes, listen to some Mozart. Visit his home, if you'd like. And enjoy all the tasty treats! Have a GREAT trip!
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to go to Vienna last summer and was shopping for a dirndl. You should check out Tostmann because it is stunning, but it was a little too expensive for me. I had a lot of luck at Witzky (Stephansplatz 7). They had a wider range of prices and the dirndls themselves ranged from very traditional to retro to modern. I think it would be right up your alley. I also recommend trying some local thrift stores. I had a lot of luck at the Humana Thrift Store (Wiedner Hauptstraße 23-25). They have a whole section of dirndl/trachten for super good prices. I didn't find anything for myself there, but I found some great stuff for my kids.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I had a delicious dinner in Munich at the Haxnbauer. The Hofbrauhaus was too crowded so we found this restaurant and it did not disappoint! It is walking distance from the Hofbrauhaus. Would go back to Munich again just for this restaurant!
ReplyDeleteHere's a link.
http://www.kuffler.de/en/haxnbauer.php
Enjoy your trip!
If you havr the chance to visit Schönbrunn again, don't miss the Wagenburg (http://www.kaiserliche-wagenburg.at/en/) where you can also see some dresses of Empress Sisi. And it is not as crowded as the castle
ReplyDeleteMany of the museums in Munich cost only a euro on Sundays, particularly the Pinakotheken. I *love* the Pinakothek der Moderne and the Brandhorst Museum next to it for the Cy Twombly exhibits. The Neue Pinakothek has some nice stuff near the end of the round, and the Alte Pinakothek is essentially all Jesus, all the time, with an occasional side of Mary. Don't know if it's your thing, but there's a new Paul Klee exhibition at Lenbach Haus (sadly, no entry discounts, but the museum is worth every penny if you're into the Blue Rider group (Kandinsky, Klee, et al.)
ReplyDeleteThere are several Trachten shops in and around Marienplatz, with a few on Thal. Karstadt between Stacchus and Hauptbahnhof has some Dirndl fabric, but not an overwhelming selection. There's also a non-overwhelming section of other fabrics. Prepare yourself--fabric prices in Germany are impossibly high. At the back of Ludwig Beck at Marienplatz there's a little yarn/notions shop. There's a Trachten shop across from it, but it's quite traditional. I'm told that good quality and reasonably priced Dirndls are best found lower in Bavaria, towards the Alps. Munich has beautiful stuff, but at Munich prices.
It's quite chilly in Munich at the moment so bring a warm coat, or at least layers. It's been between 5-12C for the last couple of weeks.
There are plenty of good and free walking tours out of the tourist office in Marienplatz.
Hope you have a great trip. Munich is amazing!
I have been told, in Thal, behind Marienplatz in Munich is a big second hand store for Trachten (traditional Alpine Cloth).I have spent time in Bad Ischl near Salzburg and was overwhelmed seeing the Dirndl Shops and Fabric Stores. High Prices, but oh so beautiful. For me, beeing Bavarian, Salzburg is the Capital of Dirndl. Octoberfest-Dirndls are just costume. Good luck!
DeleteThere is a shop near Sebastiansplatz where they make traditional dirndls and sell the fabric, that might be worth a look. I'll ask my colleagues where else they might recommend; it could be worth heading out towards the mountains for part of a day.
DeleteDemel is a definite must if you want that famous Sachertorte! I love Vienna, it if full of so much charm <3 Take tons of pictures for us :D
ReplyDeleteHmm, you want to learn about the Dirndl? then contact Renate from http://mondbresal.blogspot.de
ReplyDeleteShe not only has two Dirndl pdf patterns, but her father was a professional Drindl maker, too. She lives not too far from Munich so who knows maybe she's interested in meeting you...
Dear Gertie,
ReplyDeleteHere's a bit of info about Munich: There is a shop called ORAG near Jakobsplatz. It's got a great choice of lace, ribbons, buttons and all the little things sewing in stock, and it's refreshingly old-fashioned. My favourite fabric shop is Jael Couture in Heideckstraße, that's a bit outside the city centre, though, near the Goethe Institut. It's small, but she has a beautiful assortment of wool and silk fabrics. You are passing a huge dirndl shop on the way: Daller Trachten at Stiglmaierplatz. My tip for a cup of coffee: go to Café Glockenspiel, right opposite the city hall at Marienplatz. It's on the fifth floor, and the view is just amazing. The food isn't bad either! Have a good time!
Stephanie
PS: Oh, I nearly forgot: There's a Gaultier exhibition at the Kunsthalle right now that might be worth a visit.
Gertie, if you get to Bamberg (such an amazing town for beer and cuteness) check out Kaufhaus Schrill. their video will give you an idea of their rock-n-roll dirndl attitude. https://youtu.be/GXrtBv-vXZQ
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog for at least a year already, but was always too shy to write any comments. Although your fascination for dirndls couldn't have happened at any better time, me putting my first together at the time, so you almost got me there. Now there is no holding back though, haha.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for your travels. I LOVE both cities and have been planning my next trip to Vienna for a while now (luckily I'm living in Munich, so can enjoy it everyday ;)) All visits to Vienna have been only short ones, so I have still lots to discover myself. What I found extremly fascinating was the Hundertwasser house, you should totally check it, if you haven't yet. During my last visit, a year or so ago, I also came across a young designer called Karl Michael, he had a shop near the Museumviertel (unfortunately can't remember the name of the street anymore) Not sure, if his mostly unisex clothing would be your thing, but maybe look it up and decide for your self.
As for Munich though, I don't quite know where to start :D At the moment there are two fashion related exhibitions that i think could be worth visiting. The first at Stadtmuseum on Josephsplatzt about womens fashion in the 30's, the other one at Hypokunsthalle on Theatinerstraße of the life's works of Jean Paul Gaultier.
Dirndl shops you'll find at almost every corner in the city centre, with dirndls for every wallet. It has to be said though, the cheap ones, they, well.. look cheap.. I think for a decent dirndl you should pay around 100€, obviously the designer ones with more luxury materials can cost you thousands of euros. There are two little designer shops in Glockenbachviertel (will have to double check the names now, one is on Jahnstraße, the otherone on Westermühlstraße), on Tal and Rosental you'll find shops with a vast variety of both materials and prices.
Other than that I would advice to leave the touristy tracks and look around the more residential areas, Munich has so much more to offer than just the Hofbräuhaus and the Glockenspiel of the town house. Around Gärtnerplatz and Glockenbach there are lots and lots of nice little cafeterias and shops, the last years Schwabthalerhöhe has developed a lot to a nice suburb.
So, my intention of trying to be brief didn't really work out that well, haha. And just getting started here. Oh well.. If you're interested for any more tips for Munich or someone to show you around you can email me: kauppila.mari@googlemail.com.
Anyway, I hope you have great time on your journey. Looking forward to your posts about it!
-M
Sorry, Stadtsmuseum is of course on _Jakobs_platz, not Josephsplatz..
ReplyDelete-M
Hope you have a wonderful time - such beautiful places
ReplyDeleteAs several people before I would strongly recommend Tostmann Trachten in Vienna if you are really interested in Dirndl. They might be expensive but they do have the real, traditional thing and Gexi Tostmann is one of the people preserving old traditions so it might be worth it to call in advance and see if she is in or can make some time.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to have nice cake I would not recommend Demel. It is indeed one of the most traditional Cafes in Vienna but it is extremely touristy and people are not very friendly and will rush you through. Cafe Landtmann, right across the city hall, is also very traditional, has EXTREMELY nice cakes and people are much more friendly. Also it is not far from Tostmann Trachten.
I know it was not on your agenda but I would also strongly recommend you take a stopover in Salzburg. It is directly on the way between Vienna and Munich and is probably one of the most beautiful cities you will find in central Europe. They also have a Heimatwerk where you can check out a lot of old, traditional patterns that are reproductions of hand-drawn patterns used for many generations. This is information you will not find online or anywhere else and you might treasure very much. So even 1h in Salzburg would be really worth it.
Have a wonderful trip! A friend just sent me this link to an art exhibit in Vienna of Gustav Klimt's paintings brought to life. I think the exhibit is over, but it's still pretty cool. Warning - NSFW in a very arty way.
ReplyDeleteIt would help if I included the link (*blush*)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.faithistorment.com/2015/10/gustav-klimt-paintings-come-to-life-in.html?m=1
Take a bike tour of Munich! When I went there was a great company called Mike's Bikes, if they are still there I recommend them.
ReplyDeleteMunich is pretty flat and the bike tour is a great way to see a lot of the beautiful architecture and also get a pretty good lay of the land for when you want to find other places on your own afterwards.
This is a great fabric shop in munich: http://www.artsinfabrics.com/, not far from Odeonsplatz. In Schwabing there is the beautiful original 1950s Cafe Jasmin http://www.cafe-jasmin.com. Have a wonderful trip!
ReplyDeleteThe Sisi museum is fantastic! also if you are looking for the best schnitzel and potato salad you can get them at Hotel am Stephansplatz right across the walk from St. Stephen's Cathedral.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably been recommended already but the Albertina Art Museum has some astounding collections, it's worth seeing who they have out on display during your visit x
ReplyDeleteI hope you're having a great trip. So jealous of visiting Lena Hoschek - her clothes are amazing!
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI am delighted to share some highlights of my hometown ;-)
Albertina is wonderful, the Museum at the Schloß Belverdere has also a brilliant art collection.
Museumquartier is the adress for more contemporary art.
To get the flair of the city I would recommend just to walk through the inner city in all the narrow streets around Kärtnerstaße and Am Graben/St. Stephens Church. There a a lot of beauttiful Cafes like Cafe Central in Herrengasse, Cafe Diglas in Wollzeile, Cafe Greinsteidl at Michaelerplatz.
In the area around Judengasse there are a lot of cute shops for clothes and shoes.
To get even more Sissi flair, it would be worth to go to Hermesvilla ( http://www.wienmuseum.at/en/locations/hermesvilla.html ), where she spent a lot of time when she was in Vienna.
I hope you have a brilliant time in Vienna!
All the bets from Vienna - Lis
I forgot..... for http://dirndlherz.at/ - great place for modern interpretation of the traditional dirndl!
ReplyDeleteThey have a shop in Vienna at Lerchenfelderstraße that is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Though it's in many tourist guidebooks, I can still highly recommend the restaurant Zu den 3 Buchteln in Vienna.
ReplyDeleteFor a hand-made trachten shops in Munich, you can go right near Orag Haus on Sendlinger Tor (Oberangerstrasse), but I'd give them a call beforehand. Most of these places aren't super keen on you just dropping in and asking for an interview. The Bavarians like to know if they're expecting company. There are dozens of trachten shops in that area (Original Steindl are all over the place). I wish I still lived there (we just moved back to the U.S. in September!) -- otherwise I'd offer to impart all my dirndl knowledge in person. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteI'm really loving following this voyage of fashion discovery. It's fascinating! Looking forward to the next installment.
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