City Center Shopping Walk (Self Guided), Munich

Munich offers some of the most delightful shopping experiences in Europe, especially in its vast Fussgängerzone. Here you can browse and shop to your heart’s content in a 1.2-mile (2-kilometer) pedestrianized area that encompasses many major department stores as well as art and crafts stores, charming cafés and bistros.

If you are in the market for luxury goods and designer wear, explore the streets of Maximilianstrasse, Residenzstrasse and Theatinerstrasse. There are more exclusive shops in the Fünf Höfe or Five Courts. This beautiful arcade was built at the beginning of the millennium and features five courtyards of stores, each with their own character and connected by a network of passages. Outside, the building is all 19th-century stone, while inside there is lots of steel and glass as well as fountains, exotic plants and works of art. Between visits to the arcade’s stores, stop for a bite to eat in one of the delightful bistros.

For arts and crafts, visit the small street that leads from Marienplatz to the medieval city gate Sendlinger. Rummage through the shelves of these family-run enterprises for items related to your decorative hobby. When you've got food on your mind, stop by Viktualienmarkt, a busy market with more than 100 stalls selling exotic fruits, vegetables, meats and fresh dairy products. The market is a firm favorite with gourmet foodies.