Munich Shopping

Bavaria is Germany's wealthiest state, and in 2008, the city of Munich's annual per-capita purchasing power was 37 percent above the German average at €25,696. What's more, Müncheners like to spend their money--and not just on beer, sausages, and Lederhosen.

The city has what seems like an endless supply of department stores, fashion boutiques, electronics shops, shoe stores, housewares emporiums, and other retail businesses. You'll even find a multistory bookstore, Hugendubel, on Marienplatz in the city center, that wouldn't be out of place in a megacity like New York or London.

The Munich Tourist Office has published a bilingual booklet, Shopover in München, with descriptions and ads for businesses in the main shopping areas such as the Marienplatz (the heart of the city's pedestrian zone), Viktualienmarkt/Tal, Sendlinger Strasse, Maximilian-/Residenz- and Theatinerstrasse, the Hackenviertel, and the eclectic shopping district near the main railroad station.

The Tourist Office's City Guide also has a couple of pages on shopping, with a map that shows the main commercial areas. Still, you really don't need a guide: Just head for the pedestrian zone, visit a few of the department stores, and then head into the side streets for specialized businesses such as galleries and antiquarian bookstores.

A few tips:

• The Viktualienmarkt is a great area for foodies, with a mixture of market stalls and gourmet shops. It also has a pleasant beer garden where you can enjoy a drink or a meal year-round.

• If it's raining, the upscale shopping arcades of Fünf Höfe and Schäfflerhof are good places to spend time and money. (Cafés, bars, and restaurants are interspersed with luxury shops and galleries in the covered passages.) Alternatively, head for the underground Stachus shopping center at Karlsplatz, where you'll find lower prices and a more diverse cross-section of the city's populace.

• Under German law, shopping hours are limited to 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, but most shops in the city center close at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. If you want to shop late in the evening or on Sunday, try the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) or München Airport Center at Munich International Airport, which are allowed to stay open when other shops are closed.