Berlin is a city with a unique character – one you might start missing after a little while. If you’re hankering after a trip to Berlin, or someone you know is, then it’s a great time to treat yourself or buy a gift from a Berlin shop. Pick up tasty treats, find the perfect piece to wear, or spruce up your home with stylish homeware – all made in Berlin. You can even sample the nightlife from afar. With eco-friendly delivery and click and collect options, online shopping can be sustainable, too.
Tip: You can also find great souvenirs from the capital at the Berlin Tourist Info Centers (BTI). Currently, the BTIs are open at the main train station, daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and at Berlin Brandenburg BER Airport, daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tip 1: Discover the perfect scent from the city at Frau Tonis Parfum
Frau Tonis Parfum is a perfume business creating bespoke scents in the heart of Berlin. Founder Stefanie Janssen named the company after her beloved grandmother, Toni-Luise, a perfume aficionado – and her spirit infuses the company’s unique unisex products. The city of Berlin has inspired some of the company’s signature scents, such as Pure Violet, inspired by iconic Berliner Marlene Dietrich. Do the quiz online to find which scents are right for you, order samples to try at home, choose your favourite scent, and have it delivered to your door – it’s that simple.
Where: Zimmerstraße 13, Kreuzberg
When: Mon – Fri, 10 am – 6 pm
Tip 2: Wear a Berlin keepsake from TomShot
TomShot founder Thomas Schwender originally began designing jewellery back in the late 1990s to fund his training as an opera singer. Then his creations started winning rave reviews. His 12-strong team now make magnificent pieces in their workshop in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg. Their stylish designs make the perfect Berlin souvenirs – a stunning piece of the city to adorn your neck, ear or wrist. Choose a favourite for yourself or send one to a friend who’d love to be in Berlin.
Where: Sredzkistraße 56, Prenzlauer Berg
When: Mon – Fri 11 am – 7 pm, Sat 11 am – 6 pm
Tip 3: Find a porcelain gift with tradition at KPM
A city institution dating back centuries, porcelain manufacturer KPM Berlin looks back on a long tradition spanning 255 years of producing incredible porcelain. Its sleek and elegant tableware, vases and other products combine contemporary simplicity with a nod to its past. You can purchase pieces of its illustrious history as Berlin souvenirs or gifts online, or from one of its Berlin shops.
Where: Various stores in Berlin, including a flagship store at Wegelystraße 1, Charlottenburg
When: Opening times vary – see individual stores for more information
Tip 4: Enjoy exclusive Berlin nightlife from your sofa with Berghain
Berlin is a city with nightlife like no other – and Berghain is its most iconic example. If you can’t get sweaty with hundreds of other revellers inside its hallowed walls – or you quite simply haven’t passed the famously stringent door policy – then picking up some merch is the next best thing. The online shop stocks striking branded clothing and techno records from the club’s own label for you to spin at home. Enjoy a heady night of Berghain – without the hangover.
Where: Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Friedrichshain
When: Order online anytime
Tip 5: Sample the city’s eclectic fashion flavour from Iala Berlin
If you’re looking for fabulous fashion from Berlin, look no further than lala. The label’s founder, Iranian-born designer Leyla Piedayesh, migrated to Germany with her family in 1979, and has gone on to become one of the country’s top designers. Based in Berlin with a global reach, her brand encapsulates the city’s international flavour. Pick up one of its distinctive pieces for style inspired by the city.
Where: Various stockists; flagship store at Alte Schönhauser Straße 3, Mitte
When: Mon – Sat, 11 am – 7 pm
Tip 6: Pick up tasty treats and gifts from the city at Ick bin Berliner
Owner Michael Ruf is proud to call himself a Berliner – and the owner of this hub for all things Berlin in the city. His shop stocks everything from Berlin craft beer classics and punchy sauces to delicious coffee and chocolate – all great flavour, made in Berlin. Stop by or order online to enjoy an authentic taste of the city.
Where: One store in the Nikolaiviertel and one on Unter den Linden
When: Opening hours may vary – call for more information: +49 (0)176 21310590
Tip 7: Sample Berlin coffee culture at home with beans from The Barn
You don’t have to be in Berlin to enjoy delicious coffee from some of the city’s finest roasters. The Barn has everything you need to make a great brew at its Berlin shops and online – from coffee beans to specialist equipment – with a focus on great quality and sustainability. The company delivers internationally, so you can treat yourself or send a friend the best of Berlin coffee anywhere in the world. You can also order a monthly coffee subscription, so you’ve always got beans from Berlin in the bag.
Where: Schönhauser Allee 8, Prenzlauer Berg; Auguststraße 58, Mitte; Weinbergsweg 1, Mitte; Friedelstraße 27, Neukölln; Invalidenstraße 112, Mitte; Neue Schönhauser Straße, Mitte; Alte Potsdamer Straße 5, Mitte; Bellevuestraße 1, Mitte; Kurfürstendamm 18, Charlottenburg; Voltastraße 28, Spandau
When: Opening hours vary – see individual stores for more information
Tip 8: Design your home storage system made in Berlin with stocubo
Berlin is a city known for its effortless cool – but keeping your home looking good takes work. It’s easier with the right storage, of course. The innovative and sustainable modular shelving system from stocubo – based in Berlin’s Wedding district – lets you mimic the city’s minimalist style in your own home. Use the online tool to create your design, design a trial package to test it out, and order your very own storage system, made in Berlin.
Where: Exerzierstrasse 14, Wedding
When: Mon – Fri, 9 am – 6 pm
Tip 9: Find a perfect perch for your pets at CAT-ON
Cats love to scratch – but scraped furniture and ragged scratching posts hardly spell style. CAT-ON changes that. With its innovative, minimalist designs, this Berlin brand is cool for cats, and their owners, too. All its products are individually handmade in the capital. Pick up a quirky design inspired by David Bowie, Kraftwerk or the Berlin skyline for a piece that’s sure to remind you and your furry friends of your favourite city.
Where: Geneststraße 5, Schöneberg
When: Mon – Fri, 10 am – 5 pm
Tip 10: Feast on a Berlin foodie favourite with blood sausage from Blutwurstmanufaktur
Berlin is a city at the cutting edge, but it has its traditions, too – and blood sausage is one of them. You can find some of Berlin’s finest blood sausage at Blutwurstmanufaktur, a butcher that’s been making all kinds of sausage specialities for over a century. It’s currently run by Marcus Benser, who’s such an expert in all things Blutwurst he’s even been named a Knight of the Blood Sausage for his services to this tasty treat. Stop by the shop or order online to get your fix – or send a special Berlin-themed gift set to someone you know who misses the city.
Where: Karl-Marx-Platz 9–11, Neukölln
When: Mon – Fri 8 am – 6 pm, Sat 8 am – 1 pm
Tip 11: Bring home a Berlin icon from Ampelmann
Anyone who’s ever been to Berlin knows the Ampelmann: the little guy in the traditional hat who appears on the pedestrian traffic lights in the city’s East. Now a beloved figure, he wasn’t always quite so popular. Following the reunification of Germany and the divided city of Berlin itself, the distinctive traffic lights were in danger of being dismantled and disappearing forever. That’s when product designer Markus Heckhausen stepped in. He began rescuing old traffic lights and turning them into lamps. By showing him in a different light, he saved the Ampelmann from obscurity. Now, Heckhausen runs the Ampelmann chain, a series of shops producing all kinds of weird and wonderful products featuring this quirky little chap: everything from T-shirts and cookie cutters to keyrings and face masks – and yes, even underpants. Take this iconic Berlin figure home with you in one of its many forms.
Where: Flagship store on Unter den Linden 35, Mitte; Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 5, Mitte; Markgrafenstraße 37, Mitte; Rosenthaler Straße 40–41, Mitte; Europaplatz 1, Mitte; Kurfürstendamm 20, Charlottenburg
When: Opening times vary – see individual stores for information
