FLEA MARKETS AND FARMERS MARKETS
Clothing Boutiques and Pop-Ups Along Rosenthaler Strasse
Chocolate Shops on Gendarmenmarkt
Berlin is a good shopping city—if not quite a great one. Those who enjoy browsing design boutiques with clever hipster housewares are on cloud nine in Berlin. However, you can do that kind of shopping in many other cities, and Berlin isn’t known for any one must-buy item. And, while there’s not much “destination” shopping in this city, you can find fun areas to window-shop anywhere you go. This chapter focuses mainly on markets, neighborhoods, and streets where browsing is its own reward...even if you don’t buy anything.
Most Berlin shops keep similar hours: Monday through Friday from about 9:00 or 10:00 to somewhere between 18:00 and 20:00, often somewhat shorter hours on Saturday, and typically closed on Sunday.
For information on VAT refunds and customs regulations, see here.
Shops all over town stock the typical array of souvenirs (T-shirts, posters, bottle openers, etc.) emblazoned with icons of Berlin: Brandenburg Gate, TV Tower, Berlin Wall, bears (the namesake and official mascot of “Bear-lin”), and so on.
One big draw is communist kitsch. Stories about life behind the Berlin Wall have a way of capturing visitors’ imaginations. Gift shops at museums (such as the DDR Museum or the Museum of the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie) sell a variety of “East Berlin” paraphernalia: circa-1968 city maps that mysteriously leave out West Berlin, postcards and posters of DDR propaganda or famous Wall escapes, miniature Trabis, old DDR military armbands and medals, defunct communist currency, and little plastic chicken-shaped cups that every East German family had on their breakfast table. While you can get modern replicas all over town, if you’re looking for authentic communist artifacts, head to VEB Orange (in Prenzlauer Berg, described on here) or the flea market by the Ostbahnhof (Sun mornings, described later).
Maybe the top communist-kitsch souvenir is something—anything—with the image of the Ampelmann (traffic-light man), the DDR-era crossing-guard symbol that’s become Berlin’s unofficial mascot. The best selection is at the local chain of Ampelmann shops, with locations all over the city. The flagship store—with a hunk of Berlin Wall autographed by David Hasselhoff (no joke)—is along Unter den Linden at #35 (at the corner with Friedrichstrasse). Others are near Gendarmenmarkt (Markgrafenstrasse 37), between Museum Island and the TV Tower (Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 5), in the Hackesche Höfe (described later), at Potsdamer Platz, in the Hauptbahnhof, and on City West’s Kurfürstendamm (at #20).
One communist-era souvenir to avoid is an “authentic” chunk of the Berlin Wall—enough of which have been sold since 1989 to encircle all of Germany. Don’t trust any vendor who swears they chipped it off the Wall themselves. (And, because the few remaining stretches of Wall are now protected monuments, it’s not appropriate to chisel off your own souvenir.)
Berlin’s true forte is design. In this city of stylish young urbanites, the streets are lined with hipster gift shops that sell ironic T-shirts, clever kitchen or desk gadgets, snarky books and postcards, twee “put a bird on it” knickknacks, and so on. Stroll through home decor, housewares, and furniture shops: Even if what they sell is too big to pack home, you’ll get an eye-opening look at how locals furnish their lives.
Other shopping options to consider include Berlin’s many appealing bookstores (consider Do You Read Me? at Auguststrasse 28 in the Scheunenviertel; or Ocelot, near Rosenthaler Platz at Brunnenstrasse 181); CDs of quality music, perhaps performed by the renowned Berlin Philharmonic (shop at the Philharmonic building itself, also check out the big Dussmann book-and-record store at Friedrichstrasse 90; for something more recent, Hard Wax in Kreuzberg at Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44A is the seminal record shop in town); or museum gift shops, which stock books and prints of artwork that you enjoyed seeing in person.
In such an outdoorsy city, some of the most enjoyable “shopping” experiences aren’t in shopping malls or hole-in-the-wall boutiques, but at sprawling outdoor flea markets and farmers markets. In good weather, Berliners have a knack for turning these into opportunities to enjoy their city.
Virtually every Berlin neighborhood hosts a regular flea market.
Prenzlauer Berg: The Sunday rummage market in the Mauerpark isn’t just about buying and selling—it’s an excuse for a big, weekly, community-wide party. If it’s nice out, people come here simply to chill, drink, barbecue, and socialize. You’ll find lots of inventive snack stalls and, in the afternoon, karaoke in the park’s amphitheater (Sun 9:00-18:00, U2: Eberswalder Strasse, www.flohmarktimmauerpark.de). Sunday is also the time for a lively “junk market” (Trödelmarkt) several blocks south on Arkonaplatz (10:00-16:00, U8: Bernauer Strasse or a 10-minute walk from Mauerpark).
Scheunenviertel: Just across the Spree from Monbijoupark, the riverbank facing the Bode Museum hosts a weekend antique-and-book market (Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00, tram #M1 or #12 to Am Kupfergraben or a 10-minute walk from Hackescher Markt or Friedrichstrasse S-Bahn stations, www.antik-buchmarkt.de). Closer to the heart of the Scheunenviertel, Hackescher Markt hosts a twice-weekly market with an odd variety of produce, clothes, trinkets, jewelry, hats, and food stalls; while smaller, more touristy, and less funky than the best Berlin markets, it’s conveniently located (Thu 9:00-18:00, Sat from 10:00).
Kreuzberg: Along the south bank of Landwehr Canal, the twice-weekly Turkish street market is a very local place to shop for everything from clothes and fabrics to basic housewares to produce and meat. The clientele is a mix of Turkish and Middle Eastern immigrants, Kreuzberg punks, and a smattering of tourists. While you can pick up some tasty Turkish-style snacks (such as mint tea and dried fruits and nuts), I’d come here more for the people-watching than for souvenirs (Tue and Fri 11:00-18:30, U8: Schönleinstrasse, for location see map on here). Also in Kreuzberg—in the ritzier Bergmannkiez—the leafy and delightful Marheinekeplatz hosts a weekend flea market (Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00, U7: Gneisenaustrasse, for more on this area see here).
Friedrichshain: The swiftly gentrifying square Boxhagener Platz (affectionately called “Boxi” by locals) hosts a lively flea market on Sundays (10:00-18:00, U5: Samariterstrasse or U1/S5/S7: Warschauer Strasse plus a lengthy walk, www.troedelmarkt-arkonaplatz.de; also a Sat farmers market—see later). On Sunday mornings, the Antikmarkt Ostbahnhof (on the north side of the Ostbahnhof S-Bahn station) is the place to pick through the Cold War knickknacks that keep turning up in the basements of former East Berliners.
Near Tiergarten Park: One of Berlin’s largest flea markets is right next to the Tiergarten park on Strasse des 17 Juni, with great antiques, more than 200 stalls, collector-savvy merchants, and fun German fast-food stands (Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00, S-Bahn: Tiergarten, www.berlinertroedelmarkt.com).
City West: Consider the big flea market on Fehrbelinner Platz in Charlottenburg (Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00, U2/U3/U7: Fehrbelinner Platz), or the smaller one in front of the Schöneberg City Hall (Sat-Sun 8:00-16:00, U4: Rathaus Schöneberg, for more on this area see here).
Weekly farmers markets are huge in this city of foodies, and the biggest include stalls proffering fresh snacks of all kinds.
The city’s best food market is Kreuzberg’s Markthalle Neun, with a variety of vendors and even more activity during the thrice-weekly farmers market (Tue and Fri 12:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-18:00) and on “Street Food Thursdays.” For more, see here.
Another local favorite is on Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain (farmers market Sat 9:00-15:30, see also Sunday flea market, listed earlier). Prenzlauer Berg also has options: Kollwitzplatz (Thu 12:00-19:00 and Sat 9:00-16:00) and in the courtyard of the Kulturbrauerei (Sun 12:00-18:00). In City West, head for Wittenbergplatz (near KaDeWe, Thu 10:00-18:00).
My favorite hotel and dining neighborhood is also an enjoyable place to window-shop. It’s a delight to simply wander colorful Kastanienallee between Eberswalder Strasse (with a U-Bahn station) and Weinbergspark, but I’ve also mentioned some other options here.
On Kastanienallee: Perhaps the most satisfying place to browse in Berlin—with so many shops in such a small area—Kastanienallee is made-to-order for a shopping stroll. Here’s just some of what you’ll see as you work your way downhill from Eberswalder Strasse: Stoffbruch (#99, set back on a modern plaza) is a concept store with stylish clothes “designed in Berlin, fair-produced in Europe.” Da Capo (#96) is a funky, classic Prenzlauer Berg vintage record-and-book shop. Heimat Berlin (#13) is part of a small chain of fun-to-explore hipster gift shops (as is #41 and the Luxus International shop at #84).
After crossing Oderberger Strasse, you’re near two fashion outposts: Fein und Ripp (#91) has hip, made-in-Germany clothes, while Thatchers Fashion Berlin (across the street at #21) is a bit more upscale. Farther down, Uhranus (#31) is perhaps the most enjoyably eclectic Kastanienallee design shop, with tea towels, bags, and prints that celebrate Berlin. In the next block, Musik Department (#41) is an appealingly grungy basement record store; Kleine Fabriek (#63) has high-end artisanal stuff for kids; and Grünbein (#47) sells fashionable, Swiss-made shoes and boots. Near the bottom of Kastanienallee, facing Weinbergspark, is Glücklich am Park—a branch of the popular Oderberger Strasse waffle café, Kauf dich Glücklich, with its own little fashion boutique upstairs.
Elsewhere in Prenzlauer Berg: The Kulturbrauerei brewery-turned-cultural center (described on here) has a smattering of little shops, including Green Living (with environmentally friendly housewares and home decor). The Kollwitzkiez (a few blocks east) is mostly residential, but you’ll also find some pleasant shops here. For locally produced goods, stop by Brandenburgerie, with a variety of mostly edible products (meat, cheese, chocolate, juices, schnapps) made in the Brandenburg region that surrounds Berlin (closed Mon-Sun, Sredzkistrasse 36).
The otherwise nondescript street that connects the Hackescher Markt and Rosenthaler Platz areas (along the handy tram #M1 route) attracts those interested in Berlin’s fashion and design scene. Most shops along here are pop-up spaces, giving you a glimpse at what local designers are up to right now. A couple of permanent fixtures are worth checking out: Kauf dich Glücklich, a ramshackle Berlin café famous for its waffles (see here), but which has since moved into fashion (at #17, www.kaufdichgluecklich-shop.de); and Schee, with appealing handmade items, including prints and textiles (at #15, www.schee.net).
This delightfully restored old series of eight interlocking shopping courtyards sits in the heart of the Scheunenviertel (and is described on here of the Scheunenviertel Walk). While not cheap, it’s a convenient and tempting place to window-shop. Your options include Auerbach (top-end leather goods and men’s fashion), Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (locally made porcelain), Sawade (gourmet chocolates), Hoffnung Berlin (handmade belts), Home on Earth (products made of natural materials—felt, cork, wicker, and so on), Eat Berlin (artisanal local foods), Golem (decorative Jugendstil tiles), Ampelmann (goods featuring the kitschy DDR-era traffic-light man), and many other boutiques selling shoes, jewelry, handbags, and more (shops typically open Mon-Sat from 10:00 or 11:00 until 19:00, closed Sun, Rosenthaler Strasse 40, www.hackesche-hoefe.com).
The Hackesche Höfe connects directly into another series of shopping courtyards called the Rosenhöfe. Though this space has a nice, slinky Jugendstil flair, its shops are less characteristic (with more international chains, like H&M and MAC).
While a bit less colorful than the areas described above, Kreuzberg’s classy Bergmannkiez can be fun to browse for designer boutiques and plenty of antiques. While most are concentrated along Bergmannstrasse, you’ll find more options on the side streets. For more on exploring this area, see here.
The delightful square called Gendarmenmarkt—a short detour south of Unter den Linden—has two very different chocolate shops that are fun to browse: one bourgeois, and the other proletarian. For locations see the map on here.
Fassbender & Rausch claims to be Europe’s biggest chocolate store. After 150 years of chocolate-making, this family-owned business proudly displays its sweet delights—250 different kinds—on a 55-foot-long buffet. Truffles are sold for about €1 each; it’s fun to compose a fancy little eight-piece box of your own. Upstairs is an elegant café with fine views. The window displays feature giant chocolate models of Berlin landmarks—Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, TV Tower, a chunk of the Wall, and so on. If all this isn’t enough to entice you, I have three words: erupting chocolate volcano (Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun from 11:00, corner of Mohrenstrasse at Charlottenstrasse 60—look for green awnings directly behind German Cathedral, tel. 030/757-882-440).
If you’re a choco-populist, head to the opposite end of Gendarmenmarkt, near the French Cathedral, for the Volkswagen of candy. Rittersport Bunte Schokowelt is home to the flagship store of Rittersport, the famous chocolate company—“quadratisch, praktisch, gut” (“square, practical, good”). This is basically Germany’s answer to the M&M’s store. While you can find Rittersport in any grocery store, it’s fun to see floor-to-ceiling walls of chocolate, stop at their café, and create a make-your-own chocolate-bar souvenir: select milk, dark, or white chocolate; add three “mix-ins”; wait 30 minutes (browsing the attached retail shop) while it cools, and voilà (Mon-Wed 10:00-19:00, Thu-Sat until 20:00, Sun until 18:00, Französische Strasse 24, tel. 030/200-950-810).
Consumerism—the Cold War victor—has taken root with a vengeance in Berlin, where super-modern malls and department stores abound.
Unter den Linden is lined with some high-end shops, but for a wider selection, head a few blocks south.
The stretch of Friedrichstrasse near Gendarmenmarkt was slated to become Berlin’s “Fifth Avenue” shopping district after the fall of the Wall. While it hasn’t quite taken off the way developers had hoped, the French department store Galeries Lafayette has a large outpost here with several floors of high-end goods under a glass dome (top-quality basement food court; Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, closed Sun, Französische Strasse 23).
Several blocks west is the massive, recently opened, state-of-the-art Mall of Berlin, with 270 shops surrounding a cavernous, glass-covered passageway (Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00, closed Sun, Vossstrasse 35, www.mallofberlin.de). Nearby, Potsdamer Platz and Sony Center have additional shops.
Several swanky shops line Kurfürstendamm, the area’s main boulevard (and the place to go if you’re in the market for another Rolex).
The trendy Bikinihaus shopping center faces Europaplatz on one side and the Berlin Zoo on the other. This “concept mall” has a mix of international chains, local artisan boutiques, a few food stalls, a small Kaiser’s supermarket, and “pop-up boxes” highlighting a changing variety of Berlin vendors (plus a free glimpse of the zoo’s monkeys; Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, closed Sun, Budapester Strasse 38, www.bikiniberlin.de).
City West’s most venerable shopping is a couple blocks east (near the Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn), at KaDeWe—one of Europe’s fanciest department stores, in business since 1907 and a worthwhile sight in itself (for more, see here).
Farther west, the Charlottenburg neighborhood’s “Antique Mile” stretches along Suarezstrasse (between Kantstrasse and the Sophie-Charlotte-Platz U-Bahn stop).