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A Shopping Guide: From Groceries to Dirndls
Partly overshadowed by visions of townspeople downing weißbier while dressed in lederhosen, a little, unknown fact about Munich is that it has incredible shopping ranging from designer couture to groceries. Below is a quick overview of different shopping areas, where to find what you want and how to get there. NOTE: Stores are closed on Sundays all over Germany. What are open are restaurants, and some grocery stores. Also, not all stores take Visa, almost none take American Express. On the outside window of the store, usually near the door, pictures of the cards accepted are usually posted.
Marienplatz
Kaufingerstraße is the main avenue that runs from Marienplatz down to Karlsplatz. The car-less road is the main, downtown area where shoppers are able to wander the area freely. Down this busy road, one can find the large department stores such as Kaufhof, Karstadt, and C&A next to popular chains such as H&M (men, women, flagship and young adult), United Colors of Benetton, Esprit, Mango, Zara and Promod. For those men who are looking for no fuss, straight to the point shopping, Wormland is located right on the Marienplatz, selling top brands exclusively for men. At times, they serve tasty cocktails after work hours or on weekends. Maybe they do it to settle the nerves of the shopping men or pass the time of the bored women. The last time I was there, they served martinis with a twist. Yum!
If you’re looking for hot deals that won’t hurt your wallet too much, definitely check out the enormous shoe stores Tack and Deichmann where you can find the coolest “European style” boots and shoes for a fraction of the cost of competitors.
In addition to all the über cool European clothing, one can find jewelry stores such as Christ and the eye catching Swarovski store. For sport enthusiasts department stores dedicated to sporting such as Schuster and Karstadt Sports are where you can find any gear from skiing to yoga, rock climbing to tennis. A note about Schuster, sometimes they make you pay on the first floor. What they do is take your merchandise, give you a ticket, and then send your merchandise downstairs to the first floor where you pick up and pay.
Transport: Accessible by all S-Bahn lines as well as the U6 and U3 U-Bahn lines. Stop: Marienplatz
Universität
Located near the two main universities of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität (LMU) and Technische Universität München (TUM), this area is marked by boutiques, independent bookstores boasting 200-year-old texts and an overall non-commercial feel. For a great day of browsing through stores, enjoying a cup of joe with a delicious pastrie at a local café and exploring the streets, Universität is a great place to make a stop during your trip as it’s usually overlooked by tourists. This area is also a great place to find a hair dresser, if you’re looking to go home with a new, chic crop. (More on Hair Salons later)
Transport: U6 or U3 U-Bahn lines
Stop: Universität
Schwabing
Schwabing is the name of the cool, hip neighborhood in Munich. Side streets shooting from the main avenue of Leopoldstraße are lined with shops for beauty, clothing, furniture, art, shoes, accessories and groceries. On Saturdays with good weather, Leopoldstraße (At the Giselastraße U-Bahn stop, near the HUGE walking man) is lined with artwork from local artists and craftsmen.
Restaurants from French to African are dotted throughout the neighborhood from high end to relatively cheap. One street in particular, Feilitzscherstraße, near the Münchener Freiheit train stop, is popular with the party crowd as it is lined with Turkish Kebab stands that are open into the wee hours of the night. For about 4€, you can buy a kebab with all the toppings and a drink after a long night on the town. These stands also make for quick eateries if you’re on the go and don’t want to waste time sitting down and eating during the day, as they serve the usual pizza, fries and sausage sandwiches.
Hop on the bus #53 at Münchener Freiheit and take it about 3 stops to get deeper into Schwabing. Then hop off whenever you see something interesting, as you most certainly will. But, don’t take it past Hohenzollernplatz as after that stop, the area becomes mostly residential. Wander the streets and it’s always easy to either jump in a cab to go back to Leopoldstraße or the nearest U-Bahn stop. Feel free to walk the length down Leopoldstraße towards the city center. It’s a nice walk and you’ll see a lot on your way.
Transport: U6 or U3
Stops: Münchener Freiheit, Giselastraße or Universität
Transport: U2
Stops: Josephsplatz or Theresienstraße
Souvenier Shops
You can find souvenier shops all over Munich, but I suggest stopping by two areas where you’re sure to find some great momentos. There are about 4 or 5 souvenier shops near the Hofbräuhaus on Orlandostraße, which is actually down the road from the Hofbräuhaus, towards Marienplatz. They always have great deals and a wide variety of goodies to take home. If you are searching for more traditional take-homes such as cukoo-clocks, I suggest the souvenier shops on Kaufingerstraße, next to the Crabtree and Evelyn store. But, definitely be careful in these stores as they’re quite small and are stuffed with breakables hanging from everywhere.
Transport: Accessible by all S-Bahn lines as well as the U6 and U3 U-Bahn lines
Stop: Marienplatz.
Groceries
If you’re traveling with kids, or would like to save money by making your own food, Munich has grocery stores that are convenient to get to and easy to navigate. The Kaufhof department store at Marienplatz has a large grocery store on its lower level. There you can find most anything and everything: fresh cheeses, breads and deli meats, rotisserie chickens, chips etc. You can also find all you need in order to prepare, serve and clean up your meal. Another easy-to-get-to grocery store is the Reve at the main train station, Hauptbahnhof, which is open on Sundays as well. You can also find general toiletries at these stores in case you lose your toothbrush.
If you're looking for specialty, gourmet groceries, be sure to stop into the Alois Dallmayr on Residenzstraße, in between Odeonsplatz and Marienplatz. This store, open since 1700, is the place to find not only delicious but beautiful foods, made right in Munich or imported. Famous throughout Germany, I would highly recommend visiting the shop to take in the sights and smells.
NOTE: In Munich, you have to either bring your own shopping bags for your groceries, or you have to buy them at the store from 10 to 30 cents depending on size and store. You also have to bag your own groceries, so be prepared to move fast because people sometimes get a little impatient.
Transport: All S-Bahn Lines, U4, U5, U2, U1
Stop: Hauptbahnhof
Transport: All S-Bahn Lines, U6 and U3
Stop: Marienplatz
More coming soon...