Shopping In Berlin
Berlin makes for a great place to shop, whatever your shopping preferences may be. This is remarkable for a city which bore the economic brunt of communism, as the eastern part of Berlin fell under communism during the Cold War; but which, in the last two decades, has fully healed from the effects of that era to be one of the best places to shop in the world.

Here are some of the most popular shopping sites in Berlin:

The Kurfuerstendamm: Home to many of Berlin’s tourist attractions, Kurfuerstendamm is also a great place to shop, with scores of shops lining both sides of the street. Here, you can shop, see the city's unique architecture, and sample German cuisine – all in one spot. A slight detour from the Kurfuerstandamm into the Tauntzienstrasse offers even more opportunity for shopping, especially for apparel and clothing accessories. You can visit Kurfuerstandamm’s website at www.kurfuerstendamm.de to learn more about what the Kurfuestendamm has to offer.

The Postdamer Platz Arcade: This is a three-story modern shopping center in Berlin’s Postdamer Platz District and home to well over 100 different types of stores, offering almost anything an avid shopper could want. The Postdamer Platz is also home to a number of delicious restaurants and next to the arcade is the Sony center, where you can catch a movie after your shopping adventure. For more information on the what else you can expect at the Postdamer Platz, visit www.potsdamerplatz.de/en.html

Charlottenburg: Berlin’s Charlotenburg area is teeming with a variety of shops – from clothing stores to bookshops to souvenir shops – offering almost everything imaginable. Plus, like many other popular shopping areas in Berlin, Charlottenburg has many great restaurants to enjoy during your trip. 

Schonhauser Allee:  The Schonhauser Allee is a good place to go shopping for apparel and clothing accessories, as everything from local German brands to international brands can be found here. Finding the Schonhauser Allee should not be hard, as it is a well known road in Berlin, and is located in a popular area – Plenzlauer Berg.

The Europa Center: Located in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district, and almost 40 years old, the Europa Center is among the very first modern shopping malls, as we know them today. Most modern shopping malls in Berlin are modeled from the Europa center, which is a three floor shopping complex and home to over 100 different stores. The Europa Center also has a number of nice coffee shops worth sampling. For more information on the Europa center, visit its website at http://www.europa-center-berlin.de/ and see what the center is all about.

Alexanderplatz: This is yet another great place to shop while in Berlin. While Alexanderplatz has always been known as one of Berlin’s premier shopping areas, shopping in Alexanderplatz received a further boost with the opening of the Alexa shopping mall – a three-storied shopping complex with an amazing variety of shops. Alexanderplatz is also home to the Galeria department store – another shopping location where (reputedly) you can’t miss anything. For more information on what else you can find in Alexanderplatz, visit http://www.berlin-alexanderplatz.de/.

Wilmersordofer Strasse: At Wilmersordofer, you have a choice of department stores and a variety of other shops stocked with almost everything a typical shopper might be looking for. Wilmersordordofer Strasse makes a particularly good place to shop if you want a break from shopping malls. For more information about the Wilmersordofer Strasse, visit www.wilmersdorfer.com.

Marheinekehalle (Martkhalle) at Kreuzberg: This is a good place to buy groceries at pocket-friendly prices. Inside the Marheinekehalle and on the stalls outside the market is a wide variety of food and condiments at great prices. The Marheinekehalle is located at Marheinekeplatz 15, 10961 Berlin in Kreuzberg.

Kaufhaus des Westens: Abbreviated KadeWe, the Kaufhaus des Westens is said to be a shopping wonder. With seven full floors, it is biggest in Germany and one of the biggest in the world. Located in Charlottenburg at Tauentzienstr. 21-24, 10789 Berlin, Kaufhaus des Westens stocks an amazing variety of products. Kadewe has long business hours everyday – between 10 am and 8 pm Monday through Thursday (extended until 9 pm on Fridays) and 9:30 am to 8 pm on Saturdays. For more information on Kaufhaus des Westens, visit the store’s website at http://www.kadewe.de/ or call 030 2121 0.

Galeries Lafayette: Galeries Lafayete is another remarkable department store, with a good stock of top-end brands. Found at Franzosische Strasse 23, 10117 Berlin, Galeries Lafayete also has a remarkable delicacies section on its basement floor. Galeries Lafayete is open between 10 am and 8 pm everyday, except on Sundays when it is closed. For more information on Galeries Lafayete, visit the store’s website (http://www.lafayette-berlin.de/index2.php) or call 030 20 94 80.