In Berlin, pedestrian zones are spread all over the city. In some districts you will find exceptional shopping streets.
1. Kurfürstendamm
The most famous and popular shopping street is Kurfürstendamm, affectionately called Ku'damm by Berliners. It runs from Breitscheidplatz in Charlottenburg to Rathenauplatz in Grunewald and can be easily reached by the U9 U-Bahn line at the stop with the same name.
In addition to department stores and branches of large chains, you can find flagship stores as well as Armani, Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent boutiques. Numerous restaurants and bars serving international specialties invite you to take a break during your shopping spree. The famous Café Kranzler is located at Kurfürstendamm 18/19, on the corner of Joachimsthaler Straße.
Kurfürstendamm was originally a boulevard and led the electoral riders from the Tiergarten to Grunewald. In its current form, Kurfürstendamm was created in the 19th century at the instigation of Otto von Bismarck, who wanted to turn Kurfürstendamm into the Champs-Elysées of Berlin.
Nearby is Europaplatz with the famous Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which as a repaired ruin is a landmark of the city, the Zoological Garden, and KaDeWe, the most luxurious department store of Berlin.
2. Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz, also called "Alex" by Berliners, is located in Mitte, Berlin and is a central transportation hub. The Alexanderplatz station is one of the largest U-Bahn stations in the Berlin subway, accessible from underneath with the U5 U-Bahn line.
In addition to Galeria Kaufhof and Alexa, and the Art Deco shopping center, there are many smaller stores that invite you to shop, as well as numerous restaurants where you can take a break.
Formerly a parade ground, Alexanderplatz was transformed into a pedestrian zone in GDR times and was considered the center of the city and used for numerous major events.
Alexanderplatz is home to the World Time Clock, the Fountain of Friendship between Peoples, and the 365-meter-high TV Tower. Nearby is the Red City Hall and the Neptune Fountain.
3. Hackescher Market
Hackescher Markt is located in the Mitte district of Berlin between Friedrichstraße and Alexanderplatz. The eponymous stop is served by S-Bahn lines S3, S5, S7, and S9. In addition to many small stores offering mainly fashion and shoes, you can also find flagship stores of well-known brands, as well as designer objects and art boutiques. Clubs, bars, and restaurants provide lively nightlife in the area. Numerous theaters, cinemas, and variety shows invite you to visit.
When Berlin was still divided, Hackescher Höfe was located in East Berlin. Many of the old buildings were not renovated and fell into disrepair over time. After extensive renovation in 1990, numerous artists and designers settled here and Hackesche Höfe developed into a lively trendy neighborhood.
Hackesche Höfe was built in September 1906 and renovated in the 1990s and the buildings are now historical landmarks that are considered a special attraction. They represent the largest enclosed courtyard area in Germany and are still used commercially.
Not far from Hackescher Markt is the Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, and the New Synagogue.
4. Friedrichstraße
Located in Mitte, Berlin, Friedrichstraße runs as a north-south axis through Berlin. The centrally located Friedrichstraße stop is served by the S2, S3, S7, and S9 S-Bahn lines and the U6 U-Bahn line.
The French-style department store, Galeries Lafayette, as well as the elegant Art Deco-style shopping center, Quartier 206 with its boutiques for luxury fashion, are located on Friedrichstraße. In addition, there are many exclusive boutiques, as well as branches of international fashion labels. The cultural department store, Dussmann, sells books of all kinds, DVDs, and CDs. Numerous restaurants and cafés invite you to relax.
Friedrichstraße was named after the Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg. A memorial plaque at Friedrichstraße 180 commemorates the barricade fights during the March Revolution in 1848. After World War II, the GDR began rubble removal, and the street was divided by the Berlin Wall. The Palace of Tears commemorates the sad role played by the Friedrichstraße Station, which opened in 1882 during the period when Berlin was a divided city. After the fall of the Wall in 1989, today's modern shopping district was created between Checkpoint Charlie and the Friedrichstraße Station.
To the north of Friedrichstraße is the Palace of Tears, on the way south you pass the magnificent Unter den Linden boulevard, and to the south is the once infamous Checkpoint Charlie.
5. Torstraße
Torstraße runs between Mitte, Berlin and Prenzlauer Berg and is easily accessible by the U6 U-Bahn line, at the Oranienburger Tor stop, among others. Its not far from Hackescher Markt and has recently developed into a trendy district. You won't find big department stores and brand names here; the streetscape is characterized by many small stores, sought-after boutiques, fashion stores, trendy cafés, and design stores.
Here you can shop away from mass production and the large, well-known stores and in between strengthen yourself in one of the numerous small cafes or restaurants. Also many art designers have settled here, the Brutto Gusto flower and art gallery is worth a visit.
Until the century before last, Torstraße was the path along the old customs wall, which was used at that time to prevent smuggling and to stop deserted soldiers. It plays an important role in the novel "Berlin Alexanderplatz" by Alfred Döblin from the 1920s. Most of the houses on Torstraße were built between 1870 and 1900, and more than 50 buildings are registered as historical buildings today.
The oldest water tower in Berlin, the New Synagogue, and Hackeschen Höfe are nearby.
6. Wilmersdorfer Straße
Wilmersdorfer Straße is located in Charlottenburg, Berlin and is Berlin's oldest pedestrian zone. It can be reached by the U7 U-Bahn line, at the Wilmersdorfer Straße stop. In addition to well-known department store chains, numerous smaller stores invite you to shop, eat, and stroll. In the Wilmersdorfer Arkaden, right next to the Wilmersdorfer Straße subway station, you will find well-known fashion chains. Berlin's oldest department store was founded in 1906 under the name "Graff and Heyn" on the corner of Pestalozzistrasse. The building now houses a Karstadt branch. The Rogacki delicatessen is famous throughout Berlin for its fish specialties.
One of the oldest streets in Charlottenburg is Wilmersdorfer Straße and was originally just a small dirt road called Kleine Spreestraße. It has borne its present name since 1824. It witnessed looting during the Seven Years' War and when Napoleon moved into Charlottenburg Palace. During the First World War and the November Revolution, many violent confrontations took place here.
During the Second World War, Wilmersdorfer Straße was severely damaged. Julius Krautz, the last executioner of Berlin, whose life is described in the novel "The Executioner of Berlin," lived at Wilmersdorfer Straße 13.
Nearby you can find Charlottenburg Palace and Kurfürstendamm also invites you to visit.
7. Schloßstraße
Schloßstraße is the main shopping street in the Steglitz district of Berlin and can be reached by the U9 U-Bahn line, at the Schloßstraße stop. Four large shopping centers are located here, offering national and international goods. The most interesting is Das Schloss, where images of the starry sky and ocean waves are projected onto the ceiling every Friday and Saturday, providing an unparalleled shopping experience.
Nearby is Boulevard Berlin, Forum Steglitz, one of the first shopping malls in Germany, and the Irish fashion retailer, Primark. In the shopping centers as well as outside, numerous restaurants and cafés invite you to relax.
As one of the first paved streets in the Kingdom of Prussia, Schloßstraße was developed into a modern main street around 1900. The Wrangelschlösschen has been listed as a historic monument since 1923 today houses the Schlosspark Theater and a movie theater. It is one of the last surviving buildings of Prussian early classicism.
The 47-meter-high Bierpinsel with its polygonal tower dates from the 1970s. It is considered a landmark of Schloßstraße and has been listed as a historical building since 2017.
Also worth seeing is Steglitz Town Hall, built in 1898 from red bricks. The nearby Botanical Garden is one of the largest and most species-rich botanical gardens in the world.
8. Schönhauser Allee
Schönhauser Allee is located in the Prenzlauer Berg district and can be reached with U2 U-Bahn line. The Eberswalder Platz stop is in the middle of Schönhauser Allee. However, you can also get off at Senefelder Platz or directly at the Schönhauser Allee stop. Here, everything is cool and casual. There are small original stores with current fashion that are often unusually furnished and have unique items, including hats, jewelry, and vintage designs.
The "Kauf Dich Glücklich" fashion boutique has an interesting name and is also a café. It is now considered a Berlin institution. In the area there are numerous restaurants and cafes for breaks during and after your shopping spree. Also check out the Kulturbrauerei , it has a deceptive name. Today, there is a cinema, theater, clubs, a museum, as well as restaurants instead of beer barrels. It’s housed in the Schultheiss brewery building, which opened in 1891, it has been used for its current purpose since the end of the 20th century.
In the Middle Ages, Schönhauser Allee was built as a connecting road between Berlin and the surrounding villages. At that time, it was called Pankowscher Landweg.
In 1899 the first electric streetcar ran here, and the elevated railroad was opened at the beginning of the 20th century. The Prater, founded in 1837, has 700 seats and is the oldest beer garden in Berlin. Theater and variety shows are held in the Prater Theater.
The Zeiss Grossplanetarium is nearby and only 2 subway stops away is Rosa Luxemburg Platz and Alexanderplatz with the TV tower.
9. Frankfurter Allee
Frankfurter Allee stretches across the Berlin districts of Friedrichshain and Lichtenberg and can be reached with the U5 U-Bahn line, at the Frankfurter Allee stop. Here, in addition to many cozy cafes, restaurants, and bars, there are also unusual store concepts such as Spitzen&Spätzle, where lingerie is sold along with southern German specialties. Second-hand items can be purchased at reasonable prices in the Humana Store. The F95 Store offers international fashion highlights from fashion shows.
The Ring Center, with over 100 specialty stores, is one of the best-known shopping centers on Frankfurter Straße.
Originally laid out in 1708 by Margrave Albrecht Friedrich of Brandenburg-Schwedt as an army road, it was renamed Stalinallee for Stalin's 70th birthday, and then it received its current name in 1961. The street played an important role in the battle for Berlin in April 1945, when it was one of the main routes along which the Red Army advanced towards the government quarter and the Reichstag. The annual demonstrations in honor of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht start on Frankfurter Allee. The Stasi Museum is nearby.
10. Karl Marx Straße
Karl-Marz-Straße is located in Neukölln and can be reached with the U7 U-Bahn line. The stop with the same name is in the center, but you can also get off at Neukölln or Rathaus Neukölln. Here, you will find the Neukölln Arcaden shopping center, which offers fashion, technology, and household goods. These can also be found at the many small retailers in the central area of the street. In addition, there are branches of C&A, Woolworth, and Hennes & Mauritz.
The Karstadt bargain center sells the remaining stock from all Karstadt stores. Otherwise, the streetscape is characterized by furniture stores, electronics stores, smaller department stores, as well as restaurants, cafés, and bistros.
The street was named after the philosopher and economic theorist Karl Marx on July 31, 1947. In the Rixdorfer Gesellschaftshaus, which was built in 1908, there is an original preserved cinema hall from 1909, as well as the Neukölln Opera House.
With the U7 you can easily get back to the city center.
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