Historic Mitte
Luxe label lovers, including the occasional celebrity, have this industrial-slick concept store on their radar. Peruse the latest wearables by established…
Must-see shopping in Central Europe
Warsaw
This shopping mall is mainly devoted to fashion with plenty of international brands represented alongside local designers, such as Lidia Kalita (www…
Antik- und Buchmarkt am Bodemuseum
Historic Mitte
This book and collectibles market has about 60 vendors in a gorgeous setting with Museum Island as a backdrop. Bookworms have plenty of boxes to sift…
Kraków
Smallish outlet of a local chain with decent collections of Polish authors in translation and travel books, including Lonely Planet guides. There's a…
Kraków
Bustling junk shop, featuring stacks of antique porcelain plates, silver sets and candelabras on the tables, plus rows of big wooden clocks on the walls…
Staré Město
Both a shopping mall and a passage linking Ovocný trh with one of Prague's major shopping streets, Na příkopě, Myslbek houses mostly design-name clothing…
Kraków
This small bookshop is dedicated to titles on Jewish heritage, with a decent selection on local history and lore, as well as Holocaust literature. It also…
Geneva
This convivial Thursday-night food market hawks the likes of bread, wine and cheese for you to enjoy in a nearby park or on the banks of the lake. It's…
Budapest
‘Many Kinds of Marzipan’ sells just that – in every shape and size imaginable – at this branch of a nationwide chain. It also does a delectable array of…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
St Pauli logos emblazon the shirts, other clothing and accessories here, and there's plenty of other retro fashion choices to enhance your local street…
Castle District
One of the largest and most central food markets in Buda is the four-level Fény utca Market, next to the Mammut shopping mall. The shops on the upper…
Hanover
Germany's first flea market, established in 1967, is still going strong in a lovely spot along the Leine River Canal. Dozens of tables are set with any…
Hamburg
Furniture designs from the 1920s to 1960s, updated for a modern audience, make for a fascinating trip through German home design. There's so much you'll…
Eastern Slovenia
Slovenia's largest cosmetic manufacturer, with more than 600 products, has an outlet about 1.5km south of the train station. After your spa therapy, come…
Upper Austria
Organic peppermint and Melissa (lemon balm) are among hundreds of varieties of herbs for sale at Bergkräuter-Genossenschaft. There are also herbal teas,…
Schöneberg
For exotic flair and flavours, head to this often overlooked farmers market where bargains on fresh fruit and vegetables abound and you can pick up such…
Bremen City
A renowned flea market is held in spring and summer (until the beginning of September) on Bürgerweide (a short walk north of Hauptbahnhof) and at the…
The Julian Alps
Across the street from the Iron Forging Museum, pop into the UKO Kropa forgers' workshop, which exhibits and sells all manner of articles made of wrought…
Kraków
Light, airy, contemporary home-furnishings store. The modern designs in glass, lighting, textiles and ceramics sit comfortably alongside retro posters and…
Berlin
A Berlin original, Thatchers has been making well-tailored and sophisticated women’s fashion since 1989 but only opened this Neukölln branch in recent…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
This chinaware and crystal shop sells Hungarian-made Hollóháza flatware, which is much more affordable than Herend and Zsolnay. Some of the new, more…
Geneva
Just south of Gare CFF de Cornavin, you'll find one of Geneva's best-known department stores, with its très popular in-house cafeteria, Manora.
Graz
Austrians take their national dress very seriously and this is a well-respected supplier of beautifully crafted traditional kit, from Dirndls (traditional…
Vienna
Cutting-edge tableware and accessories are among the unusual applied arts at Schauraum, along with Karin Merkl's clever, versatile jumpers, scarves and…
Ljubljana
For those into ridin’, fishin’ and shootin’, 'Hunter' has all the kit and equipment you’ll need under one roof at the BTC City shopping mall.
Katowice
Attached to the train station, this shiny modern mall houses all the clothing and accessories stores you'd expect, plus a supermarket and cinema.
Vienna
Five floors of shops at Gerngoss cover most genres, although the selection is very mainstream. Cafes and restaurants within the complex include two on the…
Heidelberg
This old-time sweet shop is filled with bonbons, liquorice laces and fizzy sherbet.
Vienna
Steffl is one of Vienna's largest department stores, filled with designer labels and cosmetics. Don't miss the view from its rooftop Sky Bar.
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
In central Pest, this Goliath has everything you could possibly want or need, with 400 shops, telecom outlets, large indoor fountains and the 230-room…
Warsaw
More like a big terrace of major-brand shops than a self-contained mall, tenants range from Polish chains including Empik to internationals such as H&M, C…
Kraków
Take back home something a little different like these whimsically painted, Polish-made metal dishes and coffee cups that evoke a twinge of nostalgia of…
Košice
Though it's geared towards local beekeepers, there are honey-scented hand creams, honeyed liqueurs, insect-adorned aprons, and other cute and tasty gifts…
Zürich
Aficionados of Italian- and Spanish-designed footwear (men's and women's) will love the carefully chosen selection at this stylish boutique near the…
Lausanne
On the first Friday of the month, the Place de la Palud fills with the stalls of local artisans and craftspeople selling original handmade arts and crafts…
Eastern Slovenia
This boutique factory makes Slovenia's most famous chocolates and the shop stocks the full range of chocaholic delights. It's next door to the Olimje…
Budapest
This shop (where they take a very long lunch) sells vintage bikes and parts (anyone up for an old used seat?) and has some interesting, museum-quality…
Zürich
For over half a century, this independently run shop has devoted itself to procuring exquisite fossils and gemstones from Switzerland and elsewhere around…
Geneva
Geneva's main department store is also home to a top-notch food hall, packed out midweek with business suits and other working Genevans at lunchtime and…
Hamburg
Fun clothes, bags and other accessories with nautical colours and Hamburg slogans or other references make this a good place for cheerful souvenirs from…
