The Kärntner Straße is one of the most famous streets in the center of Vienna. It begins near the Vienna Ring Road on Karlsplatz, leading past the Vienna State Opera and north to Stephansplatz in the center of Vienna. At Stephansplatz, the Kärnter Straße meets the Graben. Together with the Graben and Kohlmarkt, the Kärntner Straße forms Vienna's so-called "Golden U" of inner-city shopping streets, which offer upscale stores and are pedestrian zones.