Hamburg Shopping and Districts

(Hamburg, Germany)

Central Hamburg is a great place to come if shopping is on your mind and the shops line many of the streets around this area. With traffic-free, pedestrianised precincts, shopping arcades and German department stores, when visiting this part of Hamburg, it is difficult to stop at simply window shopping.

Mainstream boutiques, elegant shops and local speciality stores are often to be found within historic buildings, with many standing close to restaurants and cafes. Popular shopping districts within Hamburg include Altona, Eimsbüttel, Eppendorf, Innenstadt, Schanzenviertel, Univiertel, and both the New Town and Old Town (Altstadt) areas.

Where to Shop

There are two main shopping districts within central Hamburg. The largest and most comprehensive department stores lie on the eastern side of the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, together with clothing stores and high-street names.

Nearby, a triangular area is made up by Fuhlentwiete, Jungfernstieg and also the street of Nuer Wall. There is a network of more than ten shopping arcades located within this region and also around Mönckebergstrasse and the nearby historic St. Petri Church. Many designer-label stores line the streets here, with names such as Armani and Gucci being commonplace. This part of Hamburg is also a great place to come for some serious jewellery shopping, particularly if Cartier is your thing.

The Nuer Wall area of Hamburg is bursting with all kinds of shopping opportunities and is close to both the city hall and also Adolphsplatz, where the stock exchange resides. Also popular is the excellent Hanseviertel shopping arcade along Grosse Bleichen, where you will discover a wealth of leading chain stores and many top restaurants, together with a number of seasonal theatrical events. The Hamburger Hof shopping arcade is also worth searching out and is situated within Hamburg's Jungfernstieg and Inner Alster area, where the Alsterhaus department store is amongst the main highlights.

However, for a true taste of local shopping in Hamburg, a visit to one of the city's innumerable markets is an absolute must. Markets are always held around the city centre and include regular flea markets, food markets and an array of seasonal markets, with the Easter and Christmas markets being particularly impressive.