10 Shopping Experiences in Hamburg

Hamburg’s Renaissance-style Alster Arcades are lined with small café tables on one side and exclusive shops on the other. Browse for upmarket fashion items or extravagant jewelry, while classical street musicians often add to the walkway’s Mediterranean flavor.

Across Adolphsbrücke from the City Hall, the Neuer Wall boulevard is the shopping location of choice for Hamburg’s chic set. Brands including Armani, Jil Sander and Louis Vuitton fill the shops. Afterwards, join the street’s fashion lovers for a cappuccino at Café Engelchen. An unassuming entrance leads to the second-floor café, where a wide window gives way to the busy street.

Shouting in strong Hamburg accents, the weathered vendors of Hamburg’s Sunday morning Fish Market are an attraction in their own right. But visitors can bag serious bargains in this Hamburg institution, too. Haggle for a portion of fresh local catch, flowers or large fruit baskets. Those who do not want to get up early should book a hotel close to the fish market, as it starts already at 5 o'clock.

Try Italian shoes or Spanish jewelry before settling with some Danish ice cream at Hamburg’s Europa Passage. Located between Jungfernstieg and Mönckebergstrasse, the modern mall unites 120 shops under its roof. From atop, visitors have great views of the fountains and small boats of Alster Lake.

The shopfronts of Hamburg’s prime shopping promenade lure with chic shoes and fine leatherwear. Lining the Alster Lake, the street has been a promenading walk since the 19th century, making the hotels along Jungfernstieg among the most popular in Hamburg. Hamburger Hof, just off the main street, is a bright, glass-domed shopping passage.

Hip local fashion designers have set up stall in the tiny Karoviertel neighborhood, sandwiched between Hamburg’s trade fair and Heiligengeistfeld. Buy one-off items straight from small studios, before strolling the alternate-minded Schanze district, around the corner, where small boutiques sit between the many cafés.

Lovers of unusual antiques and maritime-flavored memorabilia flock to Hamburg’s St Pauli district, where shops like Harry's Hamburger Hafenbasar sell voodoo masks, boat models and African swords. On most days, street markets add to the area’s quirky shopping.

Alsterhaus on the Jungfernstieg boulevard is Hamburg’s most traditional department store. The handbag and jewelry sections attract the city’s fashionable, but the store’s wide range of shops, from toys to delis, make this a great place for family shopping.

On Saturday nights, the St Pauli district does market shopping with a twist. Between 5pm and 11.30pm, the popular St Pauli Night Flea Market sets up on Spielbudenplatz square, luring bargain hunters and nightlife fans alike with designer furniture, antiques and all sorts of bric-a-brac. If you want to dive further into this part of town, it is advisable to book a hotel in St. Pauli Piers.