Munich Money and Shopping

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Shopping on Maximilianstrasse

• Maximilianstrasse / Residenzstrasse / Theatinerstrasse — These streets around the Opera (Nationaltheater) in the city center are the place to go if you are looking for high end luxury goods. All of the usual international suspects and some local designers are present. A few art galleries are left despite the high rents.

• Kaufingerstrasse / Neuhauserstrasse — This pedestrian zone stretches from Karlsplatz/Stachus to Marienplatz and is the primary shopping zone for mid-priced goods. Numerous department stores, chain and a few remaining independent boutiques line the corridor. The side streets are less crowded and offer some less homogenized shopping. Plenty of restaurants, open air cafes and beer gardens offer the weary tourist a rest. Foot traffic is amongst of the highest of any shopping zone worldwide. Warning: during the summer and on Saturdays, this area will be jam packed with locals and tourists alike and can be unpleasantly crowded.

• Shopping Centers — For a collection of shops under one roof, go to the shopping centres 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 has a collection of clothes shops, such as: Mazel, Vero Moda and especially during the summer in the months approaching the Oktoberfest, numerous shops selling comparatively cheap traditional German clothing (Lederhos'n and Dirnd'l). You can reach it by getting out at the U2/U8 stop Hohenzollernstr and then walking in the direction of Münchner Freiheit (the locals will be able to tell you which direction that is,) or by going one stop on the 53 bus going towards Münchner Freiheit (that's the final stop, displayed on the front of the bus). From then on continue going in that direction, until you start seeing the shops. You can walk down there in about 15 minutes, and that then brings you to the next shopping zone.

• 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.