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Germany Travel Guide

Shopping

The Best Shopping

by Frommers Travel Guides
wiley
Content provided by Frommers

    The best way to approach shopping here is to make it a part of your overall experience and not an end unto itself. Though Berlin and Munich are the major shopping centers in Germany, the rest of the country is okay -- neither a shopper's mecca nor the bargain basement of Europe. Still, you can find some good buys here, such as:

  • Porcelain: For centuries, Germany has been known for the quality of its porcelain. Names such as KPM, Rosenthal, and Meissen are household words. KPM, for example, has been a Berlin tradition for more than 2 centuries.

  • Toys: Nurnberg, the country's toy center, produces some of the most imaginative playthings in the world.

  • Handicrafts: In the Bavarian Alps, woodcarvers still carry on their time-honored tradition. The best place to purchase woodcarvings is in the alpine village of Oberammergau.

  • Timepieces: Corny though they may be, carved Black Forest cuckoo clocks remain an enduring favorite.

  • Cutlery: WMF (Wurttembergische-Metalwaren-Fabrik) and J. A. Henckels are two of the country's premier producers of fine cutlery. Their knives are expensive, but longtime users say they last forever. Both WMF and Henckels stores are found all over Germany.

Germany Travel Experiences

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Neuschwanstein seen from Mary's Bridge The body of water which gets the Hamburgers most misty-eyed and nostalgic is the Alster lake The city from atop St. Peters Church Heidelberg and the Neckar River from the castle
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