A glorious afternoon at Naschmarkt-Vienna's most famous fruit,flowers and vegetable market

A riot of colour- these blooms could really make anyone's day!

It was a glorious October afternoon and we had spent the morning at Schonnbrun palace soaking in all the rich Austrian tradition and architecture. Next on our list was heading towards Naschmarkt to get a taste of all the buzz and action that we had heard so much about. 

Naschmarkt, Vienna which is located between Kettenbrückengasse and Karlsplatz is Vienna's most popular premier open-air fruit and vegetable market that should be on everyone's itinerary. Just over 1.5 kms long, Naschmarkt is truly an ethnic melting pot full of vibrant life and exotic scents. With endless rows of stalls selling fruit, vegetables, seafood, spices, homemade pasta, pickles of all kinds, cheeses and breads, this superb market can satisfy the most demanding culinary requirements. Interspersed are small bistros, as diverse and multi-cultural as the stalls and the market itself and if you know what you are looking for- you can have an absolutely delightful as well as memorable morning or  afternoon as the case might be. 

Naschmarkt is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 6.30pm and Saturday from 6am to 5pm. Mornings are the best time to absorb the market's sights and flavours. One of the highlights of this time of year( October) is that you can also find a glass of Sturm - semi-fermented grape juice/wine from this year's vintage.

With Halloween approaching you can see pumpkins in all shapes and sizes

And some more

Candies and sweets from all over the world.

Nowadays, you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world, exotic herbs, cheese, baked goods such as bread, kaiser rolls, and torte, meats, and seafood. There are also a lot of small restaurants which offer sushi, kebabs,fish, seafood, traditional Viennese food such as Kaiserschmarrn  or Palatschinken ( rolled up crepes) as well as other stalls which offer clothes and accessories. 

The crowd builds up as the day progresses

It was very interesting to learn a bit about its history.The Naschmarkt has existed since the 16th century when mainly milk bottles were sold ("Asch", for milk bottles led to the name "Aschenmarkt").  From 1793 onwards, all fruits and vegetables brought to Vienna with carts had to be sold here, while goods arriving on the Danube were sold elsewhere. 

'Must haves for all'- real as well as decorative tea pots  

Typical Austrian fare- Sausages and cheese of all types

Exotic spices that add a dash of flavour to any cuisine

Cheap and very fresh- these fruits taste fabulous!

More candy- this time from the Middle East

Cookies, sweets and bakes- the variety is huge

And if you thought this market sells only fruit, veges and flowers- think again. We found a wide range of scarves, sweaters and caps there as well.

We walked around for a long time - till the delightful aromas around us became irresistible. It was then that we found this lovely open air bistro and settled down for our lunch, accompanied by a delightful glass of chilled Rose

 However, since we had no idea that the portions would be so generous, we had to ask for a takeaway..

Lunch at an Open Air bistro

Satiated and very, very  happy, we made our way out of the Naschmarkt and headed towards our next adventure.

Goes without saying, it will be detailed in my next blog post....