Germany has a reputation for craftsmanship and this is reflected in the quality of locally-made goods. Traditional German buys include porcelain, handicrafts, toys, timepieces, beer steins, nutcrackers and cutlery, not to mention Mercedes and BMW cars.

Berlin has cast off its image as a drab center of intrigue to emerge as a shopping centre for fashion, antiques, furniture and home accessories. The most august shopping locale is Kurfurstendamm (Ku’damm). Most of the city’s premier clothes shops, boutiques and department stores are located on this famous thoroughfare.

While shopping in Germany might lack the glamour of France or Italy, it can still a great experience both for imported products and local goods. Traditional German buys include porcelain, handicrafts, toys, timepieces, beer steins, nutcrackers and cutlery.

Shopping In Berlin

Berlin has long come in from the cold to become a shopping centre for fashion, antiques, furniture and home accessories.

Each of Berlin’s districts feature its own shopping zone. The famous Kurfurstendamm (Ku’damm) is home to the clothes shops, boutiques and department stores. All the grand names of fashion and perfume have their outlets here.

Friedrichstrasse is home to many of Berlins more elegant outlets. A large branch of the French Galleries Lafayette department store opened here recently. The Unter den Linden is close by which offers a number of boutiques, mainly located between Friedrichstrasse and the Brandenburg Gate.

For more offbeat wares, head for the second-hand stores and art boutiques around Hackescher Markt. Even more exotic is the Turkish ambiance of the Kreuzberg Türkenmarkt. Berlin also offers a bunch of flea and antique markets

Shopping In Munich

Shopping in Munich is not cheap but this is offset by the generally high quality. You’ll discover world-famous brand names and designer goods sitting side-by-side with traditional Bavarian crafts

Munich has undergone something of a shopping renaissance in recent years. Such state of the art upscale malls as the Fünf Höfe have graced the local shopping scene. Then there are the old die hards such as Beck and delicatessen Dallmayr and Kafer.

The premier shopping artery of Munich is Kaufingerstrasse, a two kilometer pedestrian zone extending from the railway station to Marienplatz and north to Odeonsplatz. Here you’ll find every major international chain store but the maze of streets running off Kaufingerstrasse offers a more intriguing selection of shops. For even more colour, explore the Greek and Turkish stores found on Goethestrasse and Schillerstrasse.

Maximilianstrasse is the center for international luxury items together with the creations of Rudolph Moshammer, a home-grown fashion designer. Residenzstrasse and Theatinerstrasse also boast fine arrays of stores.

For more offbeat items, head to Schwabing, north of the university. You can peruse Bavarian antiques in the small shops clustered around the Viktualienmarkt and at Türkenstrasse, Theresienstrasse, and Barerstrasse.

Then the Sunday flea market at Kunstpark Ost is a great place for used bargains.

Most stores in Munich open from 08:00 – 18:30 from Monday to Friday and from 07:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays.