Shoppers will find themselves well served by Berlin’s mix of
large and small stores, with goods for every taste and budget. Europe’s
largest department store the Kaufhaus des Westens, better known as
KaDeWe, offers luxury goods over eight floors, and is worth a visit
just to browse the gigantic grocery department, which sells over 33,000
different products!
Fashion followers will want to spend some time at
the Berlin location of Paris’s famous Galeries Lafayette. In addition
to their wide range of goods from famous designers, they also host
fashion shows and musical performances. Check their calendar for
current events:
http://www.lafayette-berlin.deIf
you prefer making your purchases in a more intimate setting, consider
spending an afternoon wandering along the Kurfurstendamm, home to
boutiques from such designers as Hermes, Hugo Boss and Jil Sander. In
the east, the narrow streets surrounding Hackescher Markt are lined
with small shops offering well known brands as well as unique creations
from Berlin’s young designers.
Food markets are a favourite way
for Berliners to fill their pantries and almost every neighbourhood
hosts at least one, often accompanied by vendors selling handmade
clothes or other goods. Saturday’s market at Kollwitzplatz is highly
recommended for its variety of organic groceries while across town the
“Wochenmarkt am Winterfeldplatz” shoppers can feast on delicious cooked
foods while they purchase the week’s foodstuffs.
Sunday is flea
market day across Berlin. While bargains of every sort are to be found,
for many it is also a weekly social outing, with friends and lovers
meeting up to browse bins of vinyl records or snap up a new outfit for
a night at the clubs. The most popular are those in Mauerpark and
nearby Arkonaplatz in Prenzlauer Berg, as well as the market at
Boxhagenerplatz in Friedrichshain. If you are looking for antiques,
drop by the markets behind the train station at Ostbahnhof or along
Straße des 17 Juni