Shopping in Berlin

If there’s one thing that people tend to do on a city break, its shopping. It is not only a great way to experience new and different parts of a city, but also a chance to soak up some of its popular culture. All this and you get to come back with arms full of fantastic and original gifts for friends and family. Berlin is one of the world’s most interesting cities when it comes to shopping and its certainly worth at least a day of your stay. Whether it be expensive, high fashion stores or bargain filled junk shops that take your fancy, Berlin will not leave you feeling disappointed. Different areas offer very different shopping experiences, so make sure that you go to the right part of town!

For more traditional shopping, Tauentzienstrasse is the place to go. This 500 meter retail strip has everything from Gucci to Gap. The street itself has plenty of affordable and family friendly stores, but the KaDeWe - Kaufhaus des Westens, a giant department store on the strip, is the highlight, offering a range of everything from exclusive high end shops including high end designers like Luis Vitton and Dior and electronics and toy shops. The building boasts 8 floors, two of which are devoted entirely to food! If you are part of a large group or family with varied tastes, this is probably the best shopping destination in Berlin. A similar mall, though without so many high end establishments, can be found at Potsdamer Platz. The Potsdamer Platz Arcades offer an inclusive shopping experience in a fantastic and important part of the city of Berlin.

Those visiting Berlin who want to experience exclusivity and designer labels, away from a busy deportment store, Friedrichstrasse in Mitte is full of internationally famous labels and classy boutiques, all within beautifully designed art deco buildings. It has easy transport access and wonderful architecture, an example being the awe inspiring giant glass dome Galeries Lafayette department store (don’t worry, its an exclusive, high end department store!).

For the bohemians out there, who would prefer to enjoy a more laid back shopping trip, Hackescher Market is packed with bars and cafes as well as an eclectic mix of interesting and alternative shops. Formerly in East Berlin, Hackescher is trendy, fun and very friendly. It is full of indie fashion and design shops, great for people looking  to soak up a more local shopping experience, rather than international one. Another area, Scheunenviertel (BarnQuarter), is similar in terms of the kind of people it caters for. Galleries and shops stand side by side, all either renovated or half falling down, to make this one of the coolest places in the whole of Berlin.

If, like me, you enjoy browsing for bargains and strange or unusual items, then Berlin will not disappoint. Savignyplatz is a great place to amble the city’s little side streets looking for that little something that you know you won’t find anywhere else. Again, design and contemporary art features here, so look out for that sort of thing too!

There is one final category of shopper who will find a lot of joy in Berlin. People in this category love looking for bargains and antiques worth a small fortune in small second hand shops and at flea markets. There are hundreds of flea markets and car boot sales, large and small, to be found in Berlin. A quick google search will yield you plenty of results, with examples of these markets including Strasse des 17. Juni for clothing and Arkonaplatz for 60s and 70s memorabilia (great fun!). If you prefer browsing permanent establishments to market stalls, the best second hand shops in Berlin are to be found in Bergmannstrasse and Wuhlischstrasse, so be sure to have a look there as well.

There are of course, far too many great shopping districts in Berlin to talk about in one article, and there are a few that deserve honorable mentions. The shopping in Schloss Strasse is excellent, with a range of shops and restaurants to experience. Alexanderplatz is another good shopping district, and is the home of the famous Alexa shopping mall. A whole different experience again, Old Town Spandau injects some family fun by putting medieval flair into the equation. The Schonhauser Allee is easily accessible by U-Bahn and is Berlin’s fifth busiest shopping street. The main attraction here is a medium sized mall called the Schonhauser Allee Arcaden, situated right next to the station.

Hopefully I have shown that whoever you are and whatever you like, Berlin can provide the perfect shopping environment for you. Any urban holiday needs a bit of shopping, Berlin can give it to you. In my opinion, no other city does it better, so get out there and enjoy!