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Shopaholics will find their every need catered for in Frankfurt’s excellent retail districts. There are the usual large department stores, as well as specialist handicrafts shops, so whether visitors are after a souvenir or just want a bit of retail therapy, the city doesn’t disappoint.
Markets A flea market is held every other Saturday 0900-1400 in Sachsenhausen, on the south side of the Main. Head here for vintage relics and treasures that are unlikely to be found on the main shopping streets. An excellent produce market can be found on Saturday 0800-1700 and Thursday 1000-2000 on Konstablerwache Square, which is ideal for self-catering visitors. Shopping centres The pedestrian street, Zeil (from Hauptwache to Konstablerwache), is the city's major shopping street and is lined with well-known department stores, including the super-modern Zeilgalerie, Zeil 112-114, with approximately 50 shops, a number of eateries, an aqua spa, and tremendous views from the roof terrace. The largest shopping centres in Frankfurt are the Nordwest Zentrum, Walter-Möller-Platz 2, and Schillerpassage, Rahmhofstrasse 2. Others are the Hessen Centre, Borsigallee 26, the Neu-Isenburg-Zentrum, Hermesstrasse 4, and the Main-Taunus-Zentrum in Sulzbach. Key areas Many shops along Zeil sell the typical local gift, the ebbelwoi (apple wine) carafe, called bembel, which comes with matching glasses. International brands can be found in the streets leading off the main thoroughfare. Goethestrasse is known for its exclusive designer clothing and jewellery boutiques. Oeder Weg and Berger Strasse offer just the opposite - small but interesting bargain and curiosity shops in which to rummage. Antiques can be found in the streets around the cathedral. Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse has the best delicatessens, fish shops, markets and wine merchants in town and the Kleinmarkthalle on Hasengasse is full of international delicacies. For something unusual, Comica, Stiftstrasse, offers comics, graphic novels and related memorabilia. Souvenirs For souvenirs, make a beeline for Roemer, Frankfurt’s main square. Small trinket shops dot the perimeter, with stalls also selling the usual array of key rings, fridge magnets, postcards and tea towels. These classic bits and bobs feature Frankfurt’s Dom Cathedral, pictures of the Main and other key city landmarks. Shopping hours Large city centre stores and supermarkets are open Monday to Friday 0900-2000 and Saturday 0900-1600. Smaller shops close at 1830 on weekdays and at 1400 on Saturday. All shops are closed on Sunday. Tax information VAT is currently at 19%. Travellers who live outside the European Union can obtain a tax refund (www.globalrefund.com) on goods bought in Germany by submitting the purchased goods and the original receipt to the customs office at the airport. The export certificate should then be taken to any one of five counters after the security check, where a cash refund is obtained. Note that a small fee will be charged on all refunds. |
