Shopping in Switzerland
-
A
Globus
Designer shopping is wedged between Rue du Rhône and Rue de Rive. Globus is one of the main department stores. For designer secondhand, try Rue des Étuves.
reviewed
-
B
Stauffacher
A labyrinth of a bookshop, with a brilliant range of English-language fiction, nonfiction, travel literature and books about Switzerland on the 3rd floor.
reviewed
-
C
Weihnachtshaus Johann Wanner
Weihnachtshaus Johann Wanner is a well-known Christmas store – pick up festive decorations year-round.
reviewed
-
D
Jelmoli
The basement food hall is the highlight of this legendary department store, Zürich’s first, biggest and best.
reviewed
-
E
Bider & Tanner
Has English-language books, travel guides and maps.
reviewed
-
F
Migros
Self-caterers can buy up big at Migros.
reviewed
-
G
Aperto
A central supermarket
reviewed
-
H
Coop Supermarket
For self-caterers.
reviewed
-
Hallwag, Kümmerly + Frey
Hallwag, Kümmerly + Frey has a vast range of road atlases, city maps and hiking maps, which can be bought online. Swiss Hiking Federation maps and maps produced by the Bundesamt for Topographie (sometimes down to 1:15,000 scale) are also found in most travel bookshops. The Swiss Travel System brochure, free from Switzerland Tourism and major train stations, has a clear A3 map of bus and train routes. For more detail, buy the Swiss Federal Railway rail map from any Swiss train station.
reviewed
-
Heidihaus
At Heidihaus, where of course she never lived because she never existed, you could visit the Heidishop to buy Heidi colouring-in books, Heidi videos or just plain Heidikitsch. For little-girl-of-the-Alps overkill, you could follow the Heidiweg into the surrounding hills (Heidialp). When you’re done, you might be in need of some Heidiwein for your Heidiheadache…or perhaps just hit the A13 road and Heiditail it out of here north into Liechtenstein.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Schweizer Heimatwerk
The souvenir cowbells, cuckoo clocks, chocolate bars and Matterhorn snow globes are unavoidable. A cut above the rest is Schweizer Heimatwerk, an upmarket and exclusive chain selling strictly Swiss-made, beautifully crafted wooden toys, games for children and adults, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and so on. Find boutiques at Zürich and Geneva airports, and in Zürich and Basel town centres.
reviewed
-
Swiss Army Recycling Collection
Take the Swiss Army Recycling Collection, a hip line created by a Valais shoemaker and saddler, who makes eco-bags from rough wool blankets used by the Swiss Army until the 1960s when they switched to sleeping bags. Handles are recycled gun straps or soldiers’ belts, but the icing on the cake is the bold white cross emblazoned across the front.
reviewed
-
I
Bucherer
If you can't stretch to a TAG Heuer, Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe, then a Swatch will stylishly tell you the time. But for high-end, elegant watches, jewellery, pocketknives and crystal, check out Bucherer, a family business that began in Lucerne in 1888. It still has its principal outlet and workshop here, where everything is designed and handcrafted.
reviewed
-
Westside
Bern’s snappiest dresser, this state-of-the-art leisure and shopping centre, with dozens of shops, a cinema, restaurants, a water park and spa, was designed by internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. Take tram 8 from Bahnhofplatz to Brünnen Westside Bahnhof stop (Sfr4).
reviewed
-
Rosenhof Crafts Market
The Rosenhof crafts market springs to life at the beginning of March, the charming, bright square in Old Town is transformed into a bohemian, trash and treasure wonderland. From exotic foreign curios to Swiss handicrafts, hip handmade clothes, jewellery, and ceramics. There's also a variety of tasy snacks to fill your belly.
reviewed
-
Chäs Vreneli
This marvellous shrine to the art of cheese will have your olfactory nerves quivering. If you're the kind of person to whom stinky cheese spells gastronomic heaven, don't miss it. You can even buy your Gruyère vacuum-packed so your friends at home can give fondue a try and who doesn't love a bit of fondue, eh?
reviewed
-
J
Neumarkt 17
Neumarkt 17 offers furniture shaped by a stripped-back, held-back aesthetic that reminds you you're in the German bit of Switzerland. You may not be able to take home one of their tubular couches or child's-drawing tables, but there are more baggable items if you're feeling in a minimalist mood.
reviewed
-
K
Freitag
The Freitag brothers turn truck tarps into water-resistant carry-all chic in their factory. Everything is recycled and every item is original. Their outlet is equally impressive – a pile of containers; they call it Kreis 5’s first skyscraper and shoppers may climb to the top.
reviewed
-
L
Weber & Bläuer
One of the main shopping strips is Via Nassa, lined with purveyors of Swiss watches (what else?!), Italian fashion, cigar shops and jewellery stores. An intriguing store is the timeless Weber & Bläuer, which sells antiques and old jewellery.
reviewed
-
Café-Shop
café-shop can be visited, much to the joy of locals, who flock here to stock up on chocolate at factory prices (Sfr6 for a 300g bar) and flop on leather sofas over a hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and Villars chocolate shavings.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
M
Macelleria Gabbani
You’ll find it hard to miss the giant sausages hanging out the front of this irresistible delicatessen. The same people operate a tempting cheese shop, the Bottega del Formaggio, across the road at No 13.
reviewed
-
Williseger
Wonderfully nostalgic, this Christmas shop brims with vintage and hand-carved decorations, from Erzgebirge nutcrackers and smoking men to glitzy baubles, dinky matchbox scenes and music boxes.
reviewed
-
N
Open-air Market
There is an Open-air Market each Tuesday and Saturday (daily in summer) in Bärenplatz. On the first Saturday of the month there is a craft market in front of the cathedral.
reviewed
-
O
Casagrande
Our favourite temple of kitsch might tempt you to spend on Heidi dolls, cuckoo clocks, yodelling marmots and – heaven forbid – his ‘n’ hers cow mugs.
reviewed
-
P
Fidelio
One of the city’s best clothes boutiques, Fidelio sells a wide range of men’s and women’s wear, from designer labels to street fashions.
reviewed