what to buy in Berlin?
 

We are spending a few days in Berlin. What goods are the best buys there?

do you mean.... food, clothing...?
best buy...quality, price, something you cannot buy at home?

Beer

There are lots of good vintage clothing shops there. I have bought some beautiful vintage wool coats/jackets. I like to bring back German coffee and French butter. I keep eyeing Alfi thermal carafes but haven't gotten one yet.

I don't find the shopping too interesting there - but there is certainly enough to choose from.

I love Berlin - great city. I hope you have a wonderful time.

I second the Alfi thermal carafes, they're very good. I won one once about 15 years ago and it's still good. Also WMF kitchenware and tableware, Villeroy and Boch china ($$$ but a better range than you have at home), Nachtmann and Riedel glassware. Probably none all that cheap except for the Nachtmann (I've seen bargains), but cheaper than you'd get in the States or whereever you're from.

But maybe these sorts of things don't appeal to you - there are lots of foodstuffs and Drogerie purchases I could recommend too. What specifically do you like?

Lavandula

Wordsmith, you might just contact the Fodor's people and ask them to tag this Germany or it might just get lost in the slew of Europe queries. More people will see it if it's Germany.

Lavandula

"there are lots of foodstuffs and Drogerie purchases I could recommend"

I'm going this week...interested in this if the op isn't...

Paintings, excellent prices and beautiful paintings, they will ship them for you.
We went to Berlin 3 years ago and went to some galleries that have work from artists that are not well but that have very good work.
I am trying to find the name of the gallerie from where we bought ours, but no luck yet. I remember it was close to check point Charlie on an important street. If I find the information I will posted it later.
But if tha is something that will interest you , go to some galleries and ask.
Have a great trip

OK: bear in mind that these are things I like, hopefully you'll get other people's recommendations too.

Drogerie:
*Kneipp bath oils (therapeutic), particularly pine when you have a cold
*Dresdner Essenz bath salts (I once had chocolate, it was fantastic)
*Anything by Nivea - just a much wider range than you'll find at home
*Weihnachtstee or similar - a warming herbal tea just available in winter
*often interesting cough drops - we can't get Ricola here but they are an excellent semi-herbal remedy. Likewise Brust-Karamellen, very good for a chesty cough
*Lip care - Bebe Care is a brand I like - quite nice chap stick with a vanilla scent
*Very cute baby's clothes in some DMs (Drogerie Markt) - nice gift
*I am unable to get impregnated towelettes to clean spectacles in Australia, so if I see them I buy some
*I have a friend who swears by Ohropax ear plugs to deaden sound - they are apparently a cult product. I have never bought them.
*candles - cheap ones from Drogerien, beautiful and more expensive ones from shops like Karstadt - also matching serviettes. Look out for these especially in the winter months.


Food:

*to consume in Germany - any of the excellent smallgoods, quark with herbs, prepared 'salads' (you can also get meat 'salad') to eat on bread, yoghurt in many different flavours
*beer, wine, flavoured Schnapps like Kleine Feigling (mini-bottles, to drink as a shot after heavy, fatty meals, with the excuse 'for the digestion') or brandy like Asbach Uralt. Even Aldi has an acceptable range of very interesting liqueurs.
*coffee (be guided by the price in the supermarket - we sometimes get Mövenpick) - I like Tchibo also, and you can try them in the Tchibo shops, where they have hot drinks and light snacks / pastries available

*Christmas specialties like Stollen (a kind of fruit bread)
*Interesting teas - tea shop chains like Tee-Handels-Kontor have an amazing range. In the supermarket you can buy green tea with prickly pear flavouring which is unusual and nice (Grüner Tee mit Kaktus-Feige Geschmack)

That's to start you off. I am sure you'll get more suggestions!

Lavandula

Ohh, sweets - you can get an amazing range of 'Gummi' sweets. A friend of ours who I would consider a Gummibär-connoisseur likes the Bären-Treff shops, but Haribo is available in most supermarkets.

Lavandula

Thank you for this. I will be on the lookout!

how much are the Alfi carafes in Germany? I see they are U$100 + in the US and about £100 on e-bay in the UK. pricey but very smart though.

i love German food - especially things like Fleischsalat [mentioned above] , the various Wurst, the lovely bread rolls you get for breakfast [better than anything in the UK] Spätzle [a sort of egg noodle, often fried, which you can buy in packets to bring home to cook] potato salad, the cakes, the beer...you'll have a great time and you won't starve.

and Schnitzel. I could eat Schnitzel every night!

Here is a website with prices for Alfi carafes in Germany:
http://www.trinkflaschen-onlineshop....i_Thermoskanne

I haven't compared yet to US prices - they have a wide range to choose from.

thanks, Bazonia.

some of them are cheaper, others look as if they are the same sort of price.

very smart though.

Annhig, I agree - it's not a bargain, but we can call it a souvenir of Germany. Any excuse will do. I might break down and buy one on ebay.

Mine is the Thermoskanne Kugel in a lemon yellow colour, which they don't have here; obviously it was the fashion colour at the time. I probably would never have picked the yellow, not my thing, but it has an excellent vacuum seal. We use it when we make filter coffee sometimes on the weekend and it keeps the coffee warm until the following day. It's been used with coffee too often to consider using it with any other drinks, the smell and flavour seems to get into it somehow. I too lust after the nice shiny ones, but I really have no justification for buying one.

Lavandula