The temptation in any Alpine town is to buy a cowbell, a snow globe, or a wooden plaque with an inspirational quote in Gothic script. Resist this. The Austrian Alps are home to a tradition of craftsmanship that predates tourism by centuries, and the best things to bring home are the ones that were never designed for tourists at all.

Tyrolean loden and the art of dressing for weather

Loden cloth has been made in the Tyrol since the Middle Ages, and it remains one of the finest natural fabrics for cold, wet climates. At Loden Plankl in Innsbruck, the selection ranges from traditional hunting jackets to more contemporary cuts that work as well in the city as they do on a mountain pass. The fabric is dense, water-resistant, and improves with age.

In Kitzbuhel, Rosi’s Schneiderstube offers bespoke tailoring using Tyrolean fabrics, including loden, for those who prefer something fitted rather than found on a rack. The prices reflect the work involved, which is to say they are honest.

If there is a single garment worth investing in during an Alpine trip, it is a well-made loden coat. Decades from now, it will still look right.

Boutiques worth a detour

Kitzbuhel’s town centre functions as a small but genuine luxury shopping destination. Along the Vorderstadt and Hinterstadt, you will find branches of international brands alongside independent stores that have been family-run for generations. Feucht Optik sells handmade eyewear with the kind of precision you would expect from a country that also makes excellent clocks.

In Lech, the shopping is quieter and more curated. Strolz, originally a ski boot maker, has expanded into a lifestyle boutique that stocks everything from cashmere to ceramics with a consistently good eye. The Pfefferkorn delicatessen is small but perfectly edited: Alpine cheeses, local spirits, and preserves that will make your luggage smell wonderful.

For those who find themselves in Salzburg before or after the mountains, the Getreidesgasse offers a different register entirely. Between the obvious tourist stops, there are shops like Kirchtag, which has been selling traditional Austrian clothing since 1851, and the Stiftsbuckerei St. Peter, a bakery attached to a monastery that has operated since the year 803.

Food and wine worth the extra bag

Austrian wine has spent the last two decades quietly becoming some of the most interesting in Europe. A bottle of Gruner Veltliner from the Wachau or a Blaufrunkisch from Burgenland is the kind of gift that demonstrates both taste and a willingness to look beyond the obvious. In Innsbruck, Weinhaus Happ carries an excellent selection with staff who will guide you toward something specific and memorable.

For edible souvenirs that transcend the category, Handl Tyrol speck is the benchmark. Made in the Stubai Valley using methods that have not changed substantially in over a century, it is available at their shops in Innsbruck and at selected delicatessens throughout the Tyrol. Zotter chocolate, produced in Styria, is available in most good food shops in the Alps and offers single-origin bars and filled varieties that are genuinely extraordinary.

Local honey from Alpine meadows, mountain herb salts, and pumpkin seed oil from southern Austria round out a luggage collection that will make customs officials envious and dinner guests grateful.

Design and homeware

Austrian design tends toward the functional and the beautiful, which is a combination that ages well. In Innsbruck, the Tiroler Glashutte sells hand-blown glassware made using techniques passed down through generations. The pieces are simple, elegant, and useful, three qualities that rarely coexist in objects designed primarily to be sold.

For ceramics, Gmundner Keramik has been producing hand-painted pottery in the Salzkammergut since 1492. Their signature green-flamed pattern is recognisable across Austria, but the simpler, solid-colour pieces are the ones that tend to find a permanent place in a kitchen.

At Metzler, in the Bregenzerwald, the focus is on woodwork and furniture crafted by local artisans who treat their material with the seriousness it deserves. A cutting board or serving platter from here is the kind of object you use daily and notice every time.

The principle

The best shopping in the Alps follows a simple rule: buy things made by people who would make them even if no one were buying. Objects born of skill and necessity rather than market research. The Alps have been producing such things for centuries, and the tradition shows no sign of exhausting itself.

For more on the quieter side of the Austrian Alps and the pleasures of slowing down in the mountains, there is further reading on this site.