Naschmarkt / Wieden

Wombats City Hostel Vienna Naschmarkt

★★★★★

wombat's has a reputation as one of the best hostel brands in Europe, and its Vienna Naschmarkt property shows why: it combines hostel prices with a location and building that many hotels would envy. It occupies an early twentieth-century Art Nouveau building on the Wienzeile, right by the Naschmarkt, Vienna's most famous food market, and the U4 station at Kettenbrueckengasse is a few metres from the door, which puts Karlsplatz, the State Opera and the old town a stop or two away and Schonbrunn a straight ride west. On foot, you are a few minutes from the Naschmarkt's stalls and restaurants, the Secession building with Klimt's Beethoven Frieze, the Otto Wagner apartment houses with their gilded and majolica facades, and the Saturday flea market, and the MuseumsQuartier is a pleasant walk away. The rooms are spread over five floors with a lift, and every room has its own bathroom, a big step up from traditional hostels. Shared rooms suit solo travellers and friends, and private rooms are available for couples or small groups who want hostel prices without sharing with strangers. The social life revolves around the WomBAR, the in-house bar where travellers meet in the evening, and the open guest kitchen, where you can cook your own meals with ingredients from the market next door. Breakfast is offered in a classic or vegan version, with good coffee, regional organic milk and Viennese spring water, and there is secure luggage storage for early arrivals and late departures. Age policies vary by season, so check the conditions when booking if you are travelling with younger teenagers.

Who it suits: backpackers, students and solo travellers who want a sociable atmosphere in a central, characterful neighbourhood; couples and friends on a budget who book a private room; and food lovers, who will appreciate having the Naschmarkt as their pantry. Families with young children are better served by a family-room hotel, and anyone wanting total quiet should choose a hotel rather than a social hostel.

Living in it: shop at the Naschmarkt and cook in the guest kitchen for one of the cheapest good dinners in Vienna, or eat at the market's restaurants. On Saturdays, walk through the flea market at the far end of the Naschmarkt in the morning. Use the U4 for Karlsplatz and Schonbrunn and walk to the Secession and the MuseumsQuartier. The WomBAR is the easiest way to meet other travellers, and the staff are good sources of tips on the city's nightlife.

Value: wombat's is one of the best-value stays in central Vienna, especially for solo travellers, with ensuite rooms that make it feel more like a budget hotel than a hostel. Vienna's accommodation tax rose to 5 percent of the room price from 1 July 2026 and is set to rise to 8 percent from 1 July 2027, so check whether it is included in your rate. The trade-off is the noise and bustle of a social hostel, so bring earplugs if you are sharing a room.