If reading magazines to you means catching up on Paris Hilton’s latest social misstep, then this might not be your kind of store. At do you read me?! you’ll find a carefully culled selection of some of the best magazines in the world for art, fashion, design and the likes. However, if you’re somewhat behind the cutting edge of cultural theory, as most are, there are still numerous photography and art magazines with loads of lovely pictures waiting for you on the shelves. The prices here are a bit steeper than at your average newsstand, but that’s just the going rate for the crème de la crème.
In 1999 Heinrich Fassbender and Wilhelm Rausch established Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers, one of the biggest chocolate houses in the world, offering premium chocolate creations in every conceivable form. The delightful facility also displays scale models of famous landmarks and crafts cherubs, models, houses and other sculptures, made using chocolate of course.
In the early 19th Century, Hackescher Markt was still a muddy swamp situated outside Berlin's city gates. Yet as the industrial revolution gained hold, new businesses and booming industries set up shop here, bringing wealth and prosperity to the whole area. Hackescher Markt's main claim to fame, however, is its S-Bahn station. Constructed at the height of the railway boom in the late 19th Century, with a red-tiled facade, mosaics and rounded windows, this is one of Berlin's most attractive stations. Originally known as Bahnhof Börse because of its proximity to the Berlin Stock Exchange, the square in front of the station was renamed Marx-Engels-Platz by party apparatchiks during the socialist era. Nowadays, the station is used primarily by visitors to the nearby Hackesche Höfe complex, a labyrinth of courtyards brimming with cafès, restaurants, boutiques and art galleries. A cinema, theater and the Oranienburger Straße nightlife strip complete the list of attractions in this increasingly popular district.
Located on Grunerstraße in Mitte Berlin, the Alexa Shopping Center is spread over 50,000 square meters (538,196 square feet) and five, spacious floors. Boasting 180 shops and businesses, the shopping center is home to international labels like Zara, Esprit, Tommy Hillfiger, Mango and Vero Moda, to name a few. Apart from this, there are bookstores, art stores and even services to be found here. You can drop your kids at Kindercity, the popular playpen, where they can have as much fun as you do when you shop. After your shopping spree, you can sit for hours at the food court which is full of great options such as Thaipan, Aida, Papa Asada and popular fast food joints like McDonald's and Subway.
The Ring-Center was one of the first shopping centers built in East Berlin after the fall of the Wall. Situated on the much frequented Frankfurter Allee, the shopping center houses all you need for a happy and successful day's shopping. Here you will find a number of shops selling a variety of products ranging from accessories, flowers, gift items, furniture, apparel, jewelry, toys, sport related goods and a lot more. Reputed brands such as Cosmo, Chelsea, Biba, Bonita, Depot, Weltbild, Yves Rocher and H&M have stores here. Replenish yourself with a snack from Dunkin Donuts or Hussels.
Marheineke Markthalle opened in 1892 but was damaged severely during the World War II. Now this renovated indoor market, probably the only remaining of its kind in the city, is an exotic location for edible products that are organic and regionally produced. You will also find special ingredients from the Middle East, Greece, Italy and Spain. Make pit stops at the many cafes, food stands or the restaurant Matzbach to savor eclectic cuisines. You will also find artisanal shops like locksmiths and shoe-makes. This vibrant market is also home to art exhibitions and a radio station.
Founded during the early days of the gay rights movement, Germany's first gay bookshop has developed into a comprehensive bookstore for sexual minorities in general. Customers will find novels, poetry, travel literature and much more amongst the shop's 12,000 different books. The staff is knowledgeable and charming and will help you find the book you're looking for. One of the most prestigious gay bookstores in the world, Prinz Eisenherz Buchladen moved to its current location on Motzstraße in November 2013.
Located in the heart of the historic city of Potsdam, Bierlese offers craft beers. This liquor store offers a plethora of artisan beers from micro-breweries from all around the world. Visitors can participle in the store’s beer-tasting events and learn about the different flavors of beers and the processes of brewing beers. The friendly staff at the store also help pick out the best beers that they have to offer.
Books are normally something made of paper which is held in your hands and read by your eyes, wandering from top left to bottom right. In this bookshop, however, you will find a wide range of books which are audible. So-called talking books are becoming more and more popular, delighting blind people, drivers, lovers of radio plays and militant tree welfarists. Large print editions are also available for partially sighted people.
This bookshop sells books for people who can't read. Books with pictures of cats and dogs, pigs and cows. Children's books! As well as a wide range of picture books for toddlers, v.kloeden also stocks novels for older children, foreign language books, videos and a huge range of toys.
Vom Fass is a popular wine shop with franchises all over Germany. It also has several stores in other European countries and even a couple of them in Japan. Their most central shops are located at Ostbahnhof station and near Schloßstraße in Friedenau. All Vom Fass shops have one thing in common- the wine, oil, vinegar and spirits aren't sold in bottles but are filled up straight from the barrel; sherry from the oak barrel, oil from terracotta pots and grappa from huge, round, glass containers. You can either bring your own empty bottle or buy one of the many fine bottles on sale here.
A specialist book store for alternative children's literature, Anagramm stocks books by contemporary authors such as Cornelia Funke, Paul Maar and Marjaleena Lembcke. There are cassettes by contemporary singers like Atze, Robert or Fredrik Vahles in preference to the outdated classics available in most other book shops. A section for grown-ups has a selection of cook books, travel guides and postcards. The shop also stocks a number of English language books.