As far as shopping experience is concerned in Munich there is too much for shoppers delight and excitement as city shops combines all the best names of International brands combined with Bavarian crafts. The primary shopping centers in the area are Neuhauserstrasse and Kaufingerstrasse having large department stores and international chain of products and services. There are shops for all occasions in Munich whether they are at Christmas market or at seasonal flea markets. However, some attractive shopping centers and markets in Munich are being discussed below:
• Maximilianstrasse / Residenzstrasse / Theatinerstrasse: These shopping streets are located around the Opera (Nationaltheater) in the city center and are the best place for high end luxury goods and items. There all the usual international suspects and local designers are present. There are also located some art galleries too.
• Kaufingerstrasse / Neuhauserstrasse: This particular pedestrian zone is spread across from Karlsplatz/Stachus to Marienplatz and is the prominent shopping center for mid-priced goods and items. There are situates a good number of department stores, chain and other remaining independent boutiques there along the corridor. One would get side streets there least crowded and presents experience of homogenized shopping. There are located a good number of restaurants, open air cafes and beer gardens where a tourist can enjoy himself for his fullest excitement and enjoyment.
• Shopping Centers: If you are looking for a good number of shops even under a single roof and place in Munich, then there are ample shops even under a single roof at shopping centers like PEP (U-Bahn stop: Neuperlach Zentrum, U5), OEZ (U-bahn stop Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, U1 (also U3 starting from autumn 2007)) or Riem Arkaden (U-Bahn stop Messestadt Ost, U2).
• Hohenzollernstr: This Street is quite famous for collection of textile and clothes like Mazel, Vero Moda. The street becomes live especially at period of summer. Their especially during the summer in the months approaching the Oktoberfest, numerous shops sells comparatively cheap traditional German clothing.
• Leopoldstr: This busy boulevard can be reached by the U-bahn U6 or U3 at the stops Münchner Freiheit, Giselastraße or Universität, and has chain stores such as The Body Shop, fast food joints, inexpensive restaurants, cinemas, sidewalk cafes and for the truly adventurous coffee shops, such as Starbucks. In the side streets you can find a wide selection of boutiques and lesser known local designers. On warm summer evenings along the sidewalks dozens of local artists will be showing and selling their works.
• Viktualienmarkt: It is a famous market located around at the city centre, where you can have every type of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, spices, and so on. And further more it is a great place to have a quick bite to eat as well.
• Elisabethmarkt: It is quite smaller and comparatively cheaper market that has nice stall for good selection of fruits, vegetables and delicacies. It is situated around Elisabethplatz of the tram 27. This is nice place to spot around the lesser commercial parts of Schwabing. There are also interesting boutiques and designers on Elisabethstrasse between Elisabethplatz and Leopoldstrasse.
Apart from the conventional markets in Munich, there are special occasions of the years when certain markets are being set up there in the city, and one such occasion is Christmas when markets larger like Tollwood is being set and there small markets are also being set to sell out smaller commodities Christmas biscuits (Lebkuchen) souvenirs and the typical Glühwein. Some of the popular Christmas markets in Munich are as follows:
• Münchner Freiheit: It is an artisan market at the subway stop in Schwabing.
• Marienplatz: This comparatively is bigger market that is very commercial and stretches across the shopping market. So there one can mix Christmas market shopping and normal shopping.
• Chinesischer Turm at Englischer Garten: It is a nice Christmas market located around a pretty park surrounding. It can be reached out there easily from U/Bus station Münchner Freiheit on the Bus 54 that has a stop at Chinesischer Turm.
• Wittelsbacher Platz: Situated near to Odeonsplatz it is a Christmas market that is into service and regulation since medieval period and a person can buy there medieval clothes, food and drinks, swords and can watch performances of medieval dances and music.
• Christkindltram: Another sort of market there is a Christmas tram that operates and run around Advent through the city center around half an hour. The tram is excitedly decorated inside so people can enjoy Christmas songs and mulled wine.
Next to markets, there is located seasonal flea markets that occur generally only and around Saturday Morning when sun shines there around. More you can found around there courtyard flea markets events that even happens in the summer months.
• Auer Dult: These long markets take place three times in a year respectively in months of spring, summer and autumn and it generally deal with household goods and antiques and too offers beer and amusement rides.
• Theresienwiese: This is considered as the largest annual fleamarket in Europe that occurs there on the first Saturday of the Frühlingsfest at the same site as the Oktoberfest. In the market, there around several thousand citizens’ offers second-hand goods and the dealers of new wares are forbidden in the market.
• Olympiapark: Here, it tends to be organized fine weekly flea market during and have break only when any event is being organized at Olympia Stadium. It takes place in the nicely tree-shaded parking lot of the stadium on Fridays and Saturdays from 7AM to 4PM.