Shopping in Munich – Germany

Shopping in Munich: You can buy a lot more than beer and sausages in Munich!

The Fünf Höfe is one of Munich’s best shopping arcades

Yes, there’s certainly more to buy in Munich than just giant tumblers of amber ale and souvenir mugs! Within the city centre alone, there’s a wide selection of shops, boutiques and department stores to cater to everyone’s shopping taste.

Maximilianstraße is one of the most exclusive areas in Munich and in the area reside the Bavarian Parliament, Maximilianeum, the Nationaltheater and the Bavarian State Opera.  The western part of Maximilianstraße is known for its galleries, designer shops, luxury boutiques and jewellery stores.  Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, one of Munich’s most luxurious five-star hotels, is located here and of course luxury labels like Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferré, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Bulgari, Escada and Hugo Boss all have a presence in Maximilianstraße.

Theatinerstraße is also a main address for luxury-goods shopping.  This street connects the central square Marienplatz with Odeonsplatz to its north. There are many traditional cafés and restaurants in the area, in addition to an arts cinema which shows international movies. The entrance to one of the largest art exhibition areas, the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, leads into Munich’s latest shopping centre, called Fünf Höfe or Five Courts. The Fünf Höfe is literally an area of five connected courtyards, each with its own character. Apart from exclusive shops, a modern centre for shopping, restaurants & cafes, there are art galleries, office space, and residential apartments as well. The Swiss architects of Fünf Höfe have made this network of passages and inner courtyards an absolute pleasure to stroll through and in the evenings, slowly pulsating lights which change colour light up the office spaces.

Another of Munich’s busiest shopping areas is Kaufingerstraße.  The boulevard between Marienplatz and Karlsplatz/Stachus, with the medieval city gate Karlstor, has been a pedestrian zone since the 1970s. If you take a left turn half way between Marienplatz and Stachus, this will take you into “Arkaden“, a roofed alley which is home to more shops and cafés.

If you are looking for arts and crafts, unusual gift shops or arty posters, the ideal place to go is Sendlingerstraße which is a typical shopping district of Munich.  The small street leading from Marienplatz to the medieval city gate Sendlingertor, in the south of old town, is home to many family-run retail shops. There are plenty of little cafés and restaurants where you can sit down and recover from your shopping trip or enjoy the evening.

If you’re not familiar with the city or where the major landmarks are, a good thing to do before your shopping expedition is to sign up for one of the city tours or a Hop on Hop off tour where the highlights of the city will be pointed out to you.

Other things to do in Munich

Click here to get a free PDF of this post