In Austria's capital, a good cigar is part of the lifestyle. Just take it from Sigmund Freud, the forefather of psychoanalysis, who bought his cigars in Vienna's oldest tobacco shop.
The former Habsburg monarchy
In the middle of vibrant Vienna, on the luxury mile of the Kohlmarkt, lies the traditional shop of the Mohilla family, which dates back to 1692. As the former purveyor to the court of the Habsburg monarchy, it’s a living example of how smoking culture has flourished in Vienna for centuries. Today, its walk-in humidor is one of the largest in Austria and boasts numerous limited editions from the best tobacco regions.
Due to missing or delayed deliveries, Cuban cigars are subject to considerable restrictions, which affects this Habanos Specialist shop in one of the most expensive districts of Vienna. But at the age of just 21, Maria Mohilla took over the historic shop, which she runs in the third generation.
‘Even as a child, I went out here and my parents took me to jazz cellars for tastings. Tobacco is my elixir of life,’ says Maria, who smokes cigars as passionately as she smokes pipes.
The first pictures of women smoking cigars in Vienna can be seen from the barricades of the revolution of 1848. After the First World War, war widows were given the privilege of running the tobacco business of the Habsburg monarchy in order to secure the existence of their families.
‘With my tobacco accessories, I have adapted to the ambience of our district with the best luxury brands in the world,’ says Maria. ‘This also includes a lighter from S.T. Dupont with what feels like 100 small diamonds in the shop window.’ She only touches specimens valued around €15,000 EUR with gloves.
Pleasure, lust, and a legendary ashtray
Right at the entrance a historic fire dispenser called the Eternal Flame commemorates Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), who always lit a cigar here when he bought the weekly supply for his insatiable smoking needs. Until old age, the 'idiot doctor' (as the Viennese called him) remained true to this pleasure-hungry obsession.
As far as his preferences for tobacco were concerned, Freud always stayed close to home, smoking the Virginia cigars made in Austria. His passionate and hearty tasting notes provided posterity. His vivid illumination of the dark soul of the ‘long browns’ was reminiscent of the quote from Der Trafikant (2018): ‘A bad cigar tastes like horse manure; a good cigar tastes like tobacco. But a very good one, it tastes like the world.’
Virginia cigars, which have been produced in Austria since 1844, were also very popular with Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830–1916), which is why they were nicknamed 'The Imperials'. The tobacco dried over wood fires of this long-filler is characterised by strong smoky notes. The Villiger company continues to offer Virginia cigars as 'Original Krumme' to this day.
Maria Mohilla proudly speaks of her profession as a tobacconist. ‘We sell pleasure and lust,’ she says, alluding to Robert Seethaler’s successful novel The Tobacconist, which deals with the encounter of a young cigar seller and Sigmund Freud in the tense time before 1938, when the Jewish doctor had to flee from the National Socialists.
If you want to see his legendary ashtray, you should visit Freud's former Viennese domicile at Berggasse 19, where he lived and worked for 47 years. Today, in the Sigmund Freud Museum, with a little imagination, you can still smell all the clouds of smoke that were an indispensable part of Freud's everyday life.
Schanigärten: the spot for cigar smokers
Since 2019, there have been rigid laws in Austria to protect non-smokers in the catering industry. So, the only outdoor areas to enjoy cigars in are the Schanigärten, as the terraces are called here.
Stroll to the small specialist shop Cigarren & Tabak am Hof for pure nostalgia in Viennese Art Nouveau. In antique-looking humidor cabinets, rare remnants of Cohiba cigars and a top selection of fine Davidoff premium long-fillers surprise you. High up from the wall, a portrait of Amadeus Mozart (who lived in the immediate vicinity for many years) greets you.
If you want to smoke your favourite cigar in true Viennese style, we recommend the green oasis of the Prater. Enjoy strolling or sitting in the beer garden shaded by old trees in the Schweizerhaus, which is considered El Dorado for cigar smokers from spring to autumn. In 1926, this popular restaurant took up residence in the Prater – an oasis in the world's largest inner-city park, where people traditionally eat Stelze (fried pork knuckle) and enjoy a good cigar with a cold beer.
To enjoy your cigar on an idyllic outdoor terrace on the Danube, head to OXBO Vienna Waterfront. Chef Konrad Zellner, a native of Bavaria who previously cooked at Munich's top restaurant Lenbach, serves golden trout fillet with Viennese flower sprouts and potato and tomato Gröstl. On the wine list, you will find exquisite wines with a focus on Austria. Chef Konrad Zellner personally welcomes the cigar lovers and is happy to give tips for the most beautiful cigar-friendly bars in and around Vienna.
Travel guide
Cigar shops
Mohilla
Kohlmarkt 6, 1010 Vienna
Tabak Trafik Wolfgang Wasinger
Gertrude-Fröhlich-Sandner-Straße 2, 1100 Vienna
Cigars WESSELY
Weihburggasse 3, 1010 Vienna
Cigarren & Tabak am Hof
At the court
1010 Vienna
Restaurants and bars
Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, by Hyatt
Arsenalstrasse 10, 1100 Vienna
Schweizerhaus
Prater 116, 1020 Vienna
Hilton Vienna Waterfront
Handelskai 269, 1020 Vienna
Hotel
Hilton Vienna Park
Am Stadtpark 1, 1030 Vienna
