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Let yourself be inspired and discover Vienna’s green heart with our Green Vienna Guide. We’re taking you to the city’s best sustainable hotspots, from trendsetting eco-restaurants to eco-conscious hotels.
By Catherina Marie Lugmayr
Named the world’s most livable city for three years running, Vienna casts its spell with charming coffeehouses and storied architecture — but the city has also positioned itself as a pioneer of sustainability, setting an impressive benchmark for conscious urban living. Let our Vienna guide show you how to experience this greener, more sustainable side of the city.
Your Sustainable Vienna Guide
Vienna isn’t just famous for its grand architecture and beloved coffeehouses — it’s also a city built on sustainability and quality of life. If you want to experience Vienna with a lighter footprint, this is exactly the guide you need. We’ll point you toward the best sustainable restaurants, green shops and eco-conscious hotels.
In our Green Vienna Guide, we’re revealing some of the best sustainable spots at the heart of the city, to make your stay memorable and environmentally friendly in equal measure. Explore Vienna’s green highlights and start your own sustainable discovery today.
Getting Around Sustainably
Vienna offers plenty of sustainable ways to get around. Thanks to its abundance of green spaces and parks, the city is superb for exploring on foot or by bike. WienMobil bikes offer a solid bike-share option with flexible, round-the-clock availability. Wiener Linien, the city’s public transport network, also offers countless ways to explore, from classic buses and trams to flexible WienMobil sharing services.
Vienna also offers a wide range of ticket options to suit every visitor. Beyond standard tickets, visitors can pick up the Vienna City Card, which unlocks extra discounts at many attractions, restaurants and museums. Tickets are available both online and at any information point across the city.
Another modern, trendy way to explore is a Segway tour. An electric scooter makes it easy to take in the Old Town, the Prater or the Danube Island at a relaxed pace, whether solo, with friends and family, or with a guide — providers are easy to find all over the city. In short, Vienna offers a transport option for every taste and every kind of weather.
Boutiquehotel Stadthalle: Sustainable and Centrally Located
For your stay in Vienna, Boutiquehotel Stadthalle is an excellent choice, with a distinctive concept and a prime location that earns it a natural spot in our Green Vienna Guide. Sitting right next to Vienna’s Westbahnhof station, it puts the city center and the famous Mariahilfer Straße within easy reach. Guests arriving by train or bicycle even receive an additional booking discount.
The boutique hotel broke new ground as the first city hotel to achieve a net-zero energy balance, generating as much energy over the year as it consumes, thanks to a groundwater heat pump, a photovoltaic system and solar panels. The hotel is also actively engaged in eco-friendly strategies and practices across its operations.
But it’s not only the sustainability credentials that make this hotel stand out — the atmosphere is genuinely striking. A courtyard garden and a lavender-covered roof offer cozy retreats from the bustle of the city, and bees living on that lavender roof supply the hotel with its own honey. An organic breakfast, with vegan options, rounds out the offering, and guests can borrow bicycles from the hotel’s own bike garage. Boutiquehotel Stadthalle is the ideal pick for eco-conscious travelers who want a wide range of amenities alongside a strong commitment to sustainability.
Disaster Clothing: A Diverse Take on Sustainable Fashion
Right next to Boutiquehotel Stadthalle stretches Vienna’s lively 7th district. Here, on Kirchengasse, you’ll find Disaster Clothing — a top address for sustainable, sought-after designer fashion. The focus is on contemporary styles and long-term partnerships, with an offering that includes exclusive small runs and one-off pieces found nowhere else. The collections stand out for their creative designs and fresh takes on classic fashion from both international and Austrian designers, alongside original pieces from the store’s own “DC Line.”
Sustainability is a founding philosophy at Disaster Clothing, one built on long-term thinking and action. The company champions fashion made under fair, ecological conditions, produced mainly in Europe. All garments are Fairtrade-certified and actively oppose child and forced labor, with materials sourced from certified organic farming. The company also actively upcycles, turning ocean plastic, used PET bottles and old army blankets and tents into jackets and bags — doubling down on sustainability while cutting down on waste. With such a wide-ranging offering, Disaster Clothing makes sure there’s something to suit every style.
Grüne Erde Store Vienna: Sustainable Variety
Not far away, on Mariahilfer Straße, you’ll find the Grüne Erde store — a true paradise for lovers of sustainable products. Originally founded in the Almtal valley in Upper Austria, the company has built its identity around demonstrating what ecological practice looks like in action, pairing top-tier quality with social fairness and responsibility. Grüne Erde now has numerous stores across Austria and Germany, and the Vienna location offers just as broad a selection. The company has also picked up numerous prestigious awards and seals of approval for its outstanding quality.
The store is built around natural materials, strict ecological standards and handcrafted production, all in service of a holistic approach to sustainability. From stylish furniture to stylish clothing to wonderful natural cosmetics, every product category reflects the same commitment to environmental care. Grüne Erde champions the common-good economy and is actively engaged in climate protection, while also using plastic-free packaging and fossil-free energy — combining modern environmental strategy with a strong dedication to quality and sustainability.
TIAN Bistro am Spittelberg: A Culinary Break
After a good shopping trip, TIAN Bistro am Spittelberg is an excellent spot to recharge over something delicious. The name TIAN means “heaven” in Chinese, and it perfectly captures the spirit of the place. The concept itself is original: with the Sharing Chef’s Garden, vegetarian and vegan dishes are set down at the center of the table, because good food is even better when it’s shared.
At TIAN Bistro, fairly produced ingredients are the whole point. To guarantee organically grown produce, the bistro builds its menu around the seasons, sourcing most of its ingredients from small, local organic farms that prioritize sustainability and quality. Particularly notable is the use of rare, almost-forgotten varieties of vegetables, fruit and grains, which lend the dishes their distinctive flavor. Whether over a wonderful breakfast or dinner, a break here turns into a culinary experience worth sharing.
You can also order from the online shop from the comfort of home — everything from jarred dishes to cookbooks to restaurant vouchers, alongside cooking classes. TIAN has held a Michelin star and four toques from Gault Millau since 2014, making it a destination well worth the detour.
Saint Charles Apotheke
In Vienna’s chic Mariahilf district, tucked between the lanes of Spittelberg and the famous Mariahilfer Straße, a rich selection of refined shops awaits. Not far off, on Gumpendorfer Straße, you’ll find the elegant Saint Charles Apotheke, which brings together traditional European medicine and modern methods. Directly across the street sits its companion natural cosmetics shop and spa, Cosmothecary. The store impresses with a stylish design featuring Venetian stone flooring, solid wood cubes and historic apothecary cabinets — a look that earned it the BigSEE Interior Design Award.
The range spans roughly 400 products, with a focus on natural cosmetics, aromatherapy and holistic wellbeing. The company prioritizes sustainability, working primarily with natural organic ingredients free of additives, and supports small producers and growers in Austria and neighboring countries. Saint Charles is B Corp-certified and uses environmentally friendly packaging made of elegant, sustainable brown or violet glass instead of plastic. Products can also be sampled in advance at tasting stations, making for a shopping experience that’s as considered as the products themselves.
Alles Seife: Handmade Natural Cosmetics
Vienna’s Naschmarkt is one of the city’s true highlights and shouldn’t be missed on any visit. With around 110 stalls, it offers everything from gourmet specialties to cosmetics. Stall 54, run by Alles Seife, deserves special mention: it’s where you’ll find handmade natural soaps, quality bath tablets and bathroom accessories. Alles Seife places particular importance on regionality, producing everything in a small workshop in the south of Vienna, which keeps transport distances short and supports the local economy — a regional approach that shows in the quality and sustainability of the soaps themselves.
Every detail of production gets careful attention, from selecting raw materials through to packaging, all done entirely by hand. Every product is cruelty-free and free of synthetic ingredients, and the vegan soaps deliberately skip palm oil, relying instead on natural oils, herbs, flowers and spices to keep things eco-friendly and sustainable. Seasonal recommendations are also on offer, tailored to what your skin needs at different times of year.
Haarmonie Naturfrisör: Green Luxury for Your Hair
Not far from the Naschmarkt, on Margaretenstraße, sits the Haarmonie Naturfrisör salon, recognized as Europe’s first all-natural hair salon. The salon is built around a single principle: getting back to nature and stepping away from chemical products. Everything used here is cruelty-free and made from healthy, natural ingredients sourced in Austria. A second location on Lange Gasse follows the same eco-conscious concept.
The Bio Hair Spa salons pair exquisite hair care with a strong commitment to environmental protection. Expect a first-rate selection of products and materials, chosen with care from responsible suppliers. Every salon works exclusively with the pure, natural haircare line from HERBANIMA, and the dedicated team brings deep expertise and genuine care to every client, treating each one individually. Here, you’ll find luxurious, cruelty-free hair treatments that leave you with a clear conscience as well as great hair — a stylish, natural way to close out a trip to Vienna.
