10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Hannover

Lively Bahnhofstraße is packed with high-street stores and is massively popular with Hannover locals. It's sandwiched between the historic Kröpcke Clock Tower and Hannover Hauptbahnhof Station. Set on one end of the street, the Ernst-August-Galerie is a gleaming shopping mall with more than 100 luxury and high-street outlets.

Other big brands on Bahnhofstraße include H&M, Mango, Esprit, and a sleek Apple store selling the latest gadgets. The street is also home to Hugendubel, a 4-floor bookshop with a wide selection of titles and a cosy cafe. For more options, head south to bustling Georgstraße or Karmarschstraße.

Hannover Market Hall (Hannover Markthalle) is a covered market established in 1892. Its many old-school butchers, grocers and bakers offer various kinds of local delicacies. Visit Wurst Basar to choose from over 100 types of sausages or Meyer Cheese for aged cheeses imported from around Europe. The handmade truffles at Truffle Güse are must-buys in Hannover.

Restaurants at the Hannover Market Hall serve a variety of global dishes, including Danish, Italian, Turkish, Japanese and South African. Organic vegan food is also available for plant-based diners. Stop for a glass of German wine at Samy's Feine Weine, or a cocktail created by the owner at Franky's Cafe.

Manufactum Warenhaus is a department store across the road from the Hannover State Opera. It focuses on brands with outstanding design and craftsmanship, using natural materials and eco-friendly production methods. You can find virtually anything in its homeware department, from cutting-edge solar lamps and nesting blocks for bees to bar trolleys and indoor hammocks.

Especially notable is its range of leather goods, including handbags, pencil cases and leather folding chairs. The fresh food counter makes its own bread daily, as well as sells local cheeses, deli meats and speciality sausages. Frequent events include cooking workshops and tastings of new foods, coffee, and wine or gin.

Niki-de-Saint-Phalle-Promenade is an underground shopping arcade that runs below Bahnhofstraße in central Hannover. You'll find more small independent stores than big brands. Shop for trendy, youthful clothing at Deluxe, High Style, MyStyle or Top Girl, or pick up some unique tableware, vases picture frames and glass sculptures at Leonardo.

Head to Pfeifenstudio Mühlhausen for classic pipes, tobacco and smoking accessories, or Kräuter-Basar for specialist teas, herbs, spices and handmade soap. Stop for a quintessentially German kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake) at Balzac Coffee Company or Back-Factory. Access is via stairs and escalators at each end of the street or via a lift on Ernst August Square.

Bauernmarkt in der List is a farmers' market in the north Hannover neighbourhood of Vahrenwald-List. More than 20 market stalls sell meat, vegetables, eggs, cheeses, bread, pastries, and herbs from regional farms. Stalls are run by the farmers, who are always happy to chat about the origin of their food.

Visit Susanne Klemme for quail and guinea fowl eggs, Bauer Banse for cheese and buttermilk, Die Moorbäckerei for cakes and pastries, or Henner's for blueberry cake and dried blueberries. There are also vendors selling jam, honey, mead, fruit wines and advocaat. Bauernmarkt borders the leafy square of Moltkeplatz, which has a children's playground and coffee kiosk.

Kröpcke Passage in Hannover is a small, elegant shopping centre decorated with terracotta tiles and palm trees. Its vendors range from premium international brands like Mont Blanc to traditional family-owned businesses like silversmith Robbe & Berking. You can buy vintage watches at Lutz Huth, designer jewellery at Delius, or fine cigars at Mühlhausen Pfeifen-Studio.

The Kunsthaus Hannover and Lumas art galleries exhibit 20th-century and contemporary art and photography by national and international artists. You can grab a bite at Rotonda, an airy Italian restaurant with a seasonal menu and live music. Entrances to the passage are on Rathenaustraße and Luisenstraße, marked by 2 stylised metal sculptures by artist WP Eberhard Eggers.

GALERIA Hannover an der Marktkirche is a vast department store selling all manner of clothes, cosmetics, electronics, and home furnishings. Familiar brands include Calvin Klein, Esprit, Levi's, Bugatti, Tommy Hilfiger and Jack Wolfskin. There are also cosmetics counters representing Estée Lauder, Lancôme, and Dr Hauschka.

A huge section covers various household items, from Le Creuset tableware to DeLonghi coffee machines and Victorinox knives. Asian supermarket Go Asia stocks imported food you won't find elsewhere in Hannover. On the 3rd floor, Galeria Restaurant offers a sprawling buffet with steaks, salads, and frosted cupcakes.

Flohmarkt Hannover is a vibrant flea market that takes place along the banks of the Leine River, between the Leintorbrücke and Goethebrücke bridges. The usually peaceful river walkway is filled with stalls selling all kinds of bric-a-brac. Come here to shop for vintage jewellery, tableware, paintings, furniture, toys, board games, comics, vinyl records, and old gramophones.

Local artists also exhibit their work at the Hannover Flea Market. There are colourful public art installations, including one called Nanas by sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle. It's a short walk from the market to Hannover History Museum and Hannover Old Town Hall.

Kramerstraße is a small pedestrian street in Hannover's old town that's a mecca for antiques enthusiasts and collectors. Its pretty historical buildings date from the 17th to the 19th centuries, including some well-preserved half-timbered buildings. Inside, you'll find antique dealers, bookshops, vintage stores, as well as numerous bars and restaurants.

Start your shopping at Günther Lamers, which specialises in antique coins but also has paintings, clocks, lamps, military items and much more. Next door, Lamers Dienstleistungen sells antique furniture, while Uhren Albrecht has been making and repairing clocks for more than 100 years. Guelphen Kabinett, on the Holzmarkt end, has rare and antique books, old maps, and vintage autographs.

Galerie Luise is a high-end shopping centre tucked away behind Staatsoper Hannover in the city centre. The main entrance is on Luisenstraße, but take the Theaterstraße entrance for a chance to see the galleria's magnificent Art Nouveau facade. Standouts include Fendi, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren, as well as a glossy Mercedes showroom. Check out the silk scarves at GISY or luxury vintage handbags at Luxussachen.

Visit Galerie Luise during one of the 'moonlight shopping' nights, which lets you shop until midnight. Other events include art exhibitions, live music, and children's activities.