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| Home - City Guide - Berlin - Shopping | ||
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Shopping For years, the Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm, for short) has been the place to shop in Berlin. This elegant boulevard of shops and department stores has designer boutiques and shopping passages tucked down its side streets, particularly around the Uhlandstrasse U-Bahn station. The Europa-Center, is also unmistakable, as it has a large revolving Mercedes symbol on its roof. However, the most famous address is Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe), Tauenzienstrasse - the largest department store in Europe. Long gone are the days when the West enjoyed huge inner city malls while the east lolled around in primitive stores that left them craving for the trappings of all things capitalist. The West's pre-eminence for Berlin shoppers is facing challenges from the revitalised areas of East Berlin. Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse have both blossomed since reunification, with boutiques, department stores and the Galleries Lafayette and FriedrichstadtPassagen shopping centres. Even this is changing as Potsdamer Platz is completed - already the Arkaden shopping mall is luring away shoppers from other, more established areas. Also in the East are the boutiques in the Hackeschen Höfe and the many galleries in the Scheunenviertel just to the north. For innovative clothing Oranienburger Strasse 32 is the place to head with the likes of Hut Up, with its bold woollens, Nix, with its urban chic and Sterling Gold, with its array of weird and wonderful second hand cocktail and evening dresses. The most typical souvenirs are what are purportedly pieces of the Wall. For markets, there is the traditional fruit and vegetable market at Winterfeldtplatz, open Monday 0800-1300 and Saturday 0800-1530. More interesting objects are found at the Trödelmarkt (Flea Market) and Arts and Crafts Market along Strasse des 17 Juni, open Saturday and Sunday 1000-1700. Shops are generally open Monday to Friday 0900/1000-2000 and Saturday 0900/1000-1600. Smaller shops may close a little earlier. Visitors can reclaim a portion of the 15% VAT (up to 10%) on goods worth over DM60 if they are returning to a non-EU country. Shops displaying the 'TAX-FREE' sign issue a receipt which, when stamped by customs, can be redeemed at a tax-free reimbursement office. |
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