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 Shopping : Best of the City
Berlin in the Cold War Era may evoke images of functional – even bleak – fashion styles, but the city’s modern incarnation has gone a long way toward remedying that misconception. On par with London, Milan, and Paris, Berlin has emerged as one of the world’s most stylish cities, successfully juxtaposing a tendency for the avant-garde with contemporary cuts by big-name designers. Most stores are open from 9am to 6:30pm except on Thursdays, when many stay open past 8pm, and on Saturdays, when doors usually close before 3pm. The city’s main shopping drag is Kurfürstendamm (known as Ku’Damm) and its Tauentzienstrasse extension, which offer a dizzying mix of exclusive shops, the enormous KaDeWe department store, and shopping centers like Europa-Center. Side streets like Bleibtreustrasse and Fasanenstrasse, meanwhile, provide chic boutiques, many of which carry signature styles you’ll find nowhere else. Other hubs for trendy apparel include Friedrichstrasse in Mitte, Kantstrasse in Charlottenburg, and Kreuzberg’s Oranienstrasse. Major centers like Galeries Lafayette and Quartier 206 give Mitte added appeal.
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Friedrichstrasse 71, Berlin 10117 • +49-(0)-30-2094-6800
Description: MITTE. Despite its close quarters, Departmentstore Quartier 206 holds the distinction of being one of Berlin's most distinguished department stores. High-end fashions for children, women, and men take top billing, but the store also manages to fit in a dizzying array of top-of-the-line personal and home accessories. S-BAHN and U-BAHN: Friedrichstrasse
Breitscheidplatz, Berlin 10789 • +49 30 2649 7940
Description: CHARLOTTENBURG – WILMERSDORF. Ultra-sleek and very Euro, this large center in Charlottenburg is a perfect spot for shopping and people-watching. Completed in the early '60s, it was intended to be the commercial heart and soul of West Berlin, and indeed it was - and still is! Bars, coffee shops, and about 100 stores spread across three, atrium-style floors. In addition, unique features like the Clock of Floating Time, Lotus-Fountain, and even fragments of the Berlin Wall have become tourist attractions almost as popular as the mall itself. Take the elevator to Europa-Center's 22nd floor and get a great view of the surrounding city. U-BAHN: Zoologischer Garten
Friedrichstraße, Berlin 10117
Description: MITTE. Considered the main drag of what was once East Berlin, Friedrichstrasse has shrugged off its cobwebs and emerged as one of the city's more cutting-edge commercial zones. Where visitors once found ho-hum trinket and souvenir stands, they now discover a bustling central district that's the epitome of 21st century capitalism. Indeed, high-end markets, boutiques, department stores, and restaurants stand in the shadows of modern office buildings, giving Friedrichstrasse the look and feel of London, the Big Apple, and other fashion centers. U-BAHN: Friedrichstrasse and Französische Strasse
Französische Strasse 23, Berlin 10117 • +49-(0)-30-2094-80
Description: MITTE. In keeping with Berlin's justly-earned rep as a city with a keen sense of style, Galeries Lafayette in Mitte carries elegant, brand-name French designs, as well as expensive perfumes, colognes, shoes, and accessories. In addition, the department store is known for its fabulous basement floor, which features gourmet delights like exotic produce, imported wines, premium meats, and other delicacies. U-BAHN: U6 Französische Strasse
Tauentzienstrasse 21-24, Berlin 10789 • +49-(0)-30-2121-0
Description: CHARLOTTENBURG – WILMERSDORF. One of Berlin's – perhaps even Western Europe's – largest and most famous department stores, legendary Kaufhaus des Westens in Charlottenburg is revered for its wide variety (seven floors worth!) of high-end merchandise, ranging from contemporary fashions and cosmetics to best-selling media and kitschy kitchen wares. In addition to great shopping, the store has a delicacies department on the sixth floor that features champagne, wine, and beer bars; a deli; a crêperie; and even a sushi bar. U-BAHN: U1, U2, U3 Wittenbergplatz
Kurfürstendamm, Berlin
Description: CHARLOTTENBURG - WILMERSDORF. Long considered West Berlin's main commercial drag, Ku'Damm offers a wide range of shopping alternatives, from upscale stores carrying name-brand fashions to boutiques whose merchandise falls on the cutting-edge. Side streets like Fasanenstrasse offer opportunty for serious shoppers to find one-of-a-kind fashions. Tauentzienstrasse, Ku'Damm's eastern exension, is a shopping mecca all its own, thanks to Europa-Center and ultra-classy KaDeWe. U-BAHN: Kurfürstendamm and Wittenbergplatz
Kurfürstendamm 23, Berlin 10719 • +49-(0)-30-8877-1100
Description: CHARLOTTENBURG – WILMERSDORF. Ku'damm 23, home to the New Kranzler-Eck, has to be one of Charlottenburg's hottest addresses for shoppers, who are attracted by the center's bold style and high-end specialty shops. Indeed, the 16-level building's architecture, conceived by Helmut Jahn, is marked by sharp geometrical elements, and its glass-and-steel facade gives it the illusion of transparency on clear days. Among the more popular shops you'll find is Karstadt Sport. U-BAHN: Kurfürstendamm or Uhlandstrasse
Berlin 10785
Description: MITTE. Strikingly modern and looming with magnificent skyscrapers, this area is on a mission to become Berlin's commercial center. It is home to several international corporate offices, along with the Berlinale Film Festival, cinemaplexes, and shopping malls like Sony Center and Potsdamer Platz Arkaden. Other sites to see in the vicinity include museums, the Berlin Wall, and coffee houses. U-BAHN and S-BAHN: Potsdamer Platz