Shopping
Heidelberg isn't likely to spawn a new volume in the Born to
Shop series, and there are better places to buy Missoni dresses or Armani
suits. Still, if you need the basics, you'll find plenty of stores to choose
from, including outposts of such well-known chains as Kaufhof, H&M, and Jack
Wolfskin.
Heidelberg's
real strength as an Einkaufzentrum is in the niches. Sweets, for example,
are a Heidelberg staple: Only the most tradition-averse tourist would leave town
without buying at least one Heidelberger Studentenkuss,
a confection of praline nougat spread on a wafer base and enrobed in chocolate.
(The Heidelberger Studentenkuss was invented
in 1863, when--according to legend--male university students would have waiters
carry chocolate "kisses" to female students in the gender-segregated taverns of
that era.) You can buy the edible smooches at any souvenir store, but the
official Knösel Heidelberger Studentenkuss shop is on Haspelgasse near the Alte Brücke.
Another
popular candy store, the Heidelberger
Zuckerladen, is a pilgrimage site for Uni students, children, and older folk
who enjoy their Gummi Bears and other sugary sweets with a side dish of
nostalgia. The old-fashioned shop is run by an owner who hands out samples
when the spirit moves him, and the dentist's chair in the shop window is a
whimsical touch that appeals to visitors of all ages. Look for the Zuckerladen
at Plöck 52, an east-west street that starts near the Peterskirche.
L'Epicerie,
in the courtyard of Hauptstrasse 35, sells foods and gifts from the
Mediterranean; across the hall is an upscale chocolatier,
L'Epicerie Chocolat,
where the cubes of drinking chocolate on stir-sticks make irresistible gifts or
souvenirs.
If you'd rather indulge your literary tastes than your
tastebuds, don't miss the bookstores around or near the Universitätsplatz.
You needn't read German to enjoy them: Several have English-language sections,
and you'll find guidebooks and maps for Heidelberg and other German cities.
Looking
for something racier? There's a sex boutique near the Jesuitkirche (see
photos at right). We mention the store because of its unique sign: The side
facing the church is blank, having been painted over in response to a complaint
from the church management (which apparently didn't want parishioners' thoughts
turning from God to hanky-panky after Sunday services).
Heidelberg's
most famous church, the Heiliggeistkirche, exhibits a medieval
partnership between God and Mammon: The exterior of the church is lined with
built-in stalls and shops where you can buy souvenirs, framed prints, and other
non-religious merchandise.
Markets
are always popular with tourists, and they attract locals, too. From 7 a.m.
until 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, you can buy raw mat, baked goods,
jams, and other items on the Marktplatz in the Altstadt. You'll also find
weekly or twice-weekly markets across the river in Neuenheim and Handschuhsheim.
Käthe
Wohlfahrt got her start in
Rothenburg ob der Tauber,
but her year-round Christmas shop on the Hauptstrasse at the corner of
Universitätsplatz is worth a visit if you enjoy the holidays out of season.
(Carolin Miltner, the Christkind of Heidelberg's 2006 Christmas Markets,
posed for the inset photo at Käthe
Wohlfahrt.)
Shopping tips:
-
Department stores and branches of major retail chains are
clustered around the Bismarckplatz (a hub for tram and bus lines) and
the western end of the Hauptstrasse,
which is said to be Germany's longest pedestrian zone.
-
Continue east along the
Hauptstrasse toward the Marktplatz, and you'll find all kinds of other
stores, both on the main street and in the little side streets. (The
Altstadt is narrow, so you'll never have to walk more than a block or two
from the Hauptstrasse.)
-
During the holiday season, be sure to visit Heidelberg's
Christmas markets, where you can buy gifts, food, and hot
Glühwein.
