Must-see shopping in Europe

Enchanting nooks and crannies overflow with new and secondhand English-language books. The original shop (12 rue l’Odéon, 6e; closed by the Nazis in 1941)…

Grande-dame department store Galeries Lafayette is spread across the main store (its magnificent neo-byzantine stained-glass dome dates from 1912), its…

Completed in 1897, this is Budapest's biggest market, though it has become a tourist magnet since its renovation for the millecentenary celebrations in…

Milan's historic deli is a bastion of the city's culinary heritage, with the huge ground floor turning out a colourful cornucopia of fabulous foods. It…

With some 3km of forest-green boxes lining the Seine – containing over 300,000 secondhand (and often out-of-print) books, rare magazines, postcards and…

In business since 1612, this exquisite perfumery-pharmacy began life when Santa Maria Novella's Dominican friars began to concoct cures and sweet-smelling…

This flagship store of local superstar Ben, a Florentine-based fashion designer who set up the business with schoolmate Matteo after undergoing a heart…

The global Slow Food phenomenon began here in Lingotto. Set in a vast converted factory, the Eataly mothership houses a staggering array of sustainable…

Artisanal perfumes, bodycare products, scented candles and stones, essential oils and room fragrances crafted by Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi…

Spanning nine hectares, this vast flea market was founded in 1870 and is said to be Europe’s largest. Over 2000 stalls are grouped into 15 marchés …

Kids and kids-at-heart will adore this sugar-fuelled tour de France. The school-geography-themed boutique stocks rainbows of artisanal sweets from around…

Owned by Canadian Jennifer Gaudet, this shop stocks top-quality towels, peştemals (traditional bath wraps) and robes for both adults and children. All are…

A Fiat Cinquecento marks the entrance to this unique concept store, which donates all its profits to a children’s charity in Madagascar. Shop for fashion,…

A flashback to the late 19th century with its high ceilings and polished cabinets, this former warehouse and perfume factory lures nostalgics with its all…

Run by committed oenophiles Francois and Vincent, this trove of rare and delightful bottles aims to cover the many French styles and terroirs, paying…

Run by Bastia’s famous distillery, this iconic boutique has the look and feel of a grocer from the 1900s. The enticing array of bottles naturally includes…

The magnificent food hall of department store Le Bon Marché sells 30,000 rare and/or luxury gourmet products, including 60 different types of bread baked…

Built by Gustave Eiffel as Paris’ first department store in 1852, this is the epitome of style, with a superb concentration of men’s and women’s fashions,…

As much a museum of design as an actual shop, this iconic store is home to the signature fabrics and furniture of Josef Frank and his contemporaries…

A wonderful place to stock up on picnic supplies, self-catering needs or take-home gourmet gifts, Heimatgold champions the products of local farmers, from…