Berlin's Jumbo Shopping Experience

Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Berlin, Germany

Dear International Living Reader,

With 26 glass panorama elevators and 64 staircases, Berlin's Kaufhaus des Westens is one jumbo shopping experience. Known simply as KaDeWe, it offers shoppers 380,000 items.

Its changing art exhibits, paintings, and sculptures are museum-quality. Where else in the city can you find a cigar advisor? The store's motto is "Service is not a luxury."

There is also a beauty parlor and a children's day-care area. The new gourmet foods department is on floor six, a not-to-miss. Floor three is where you'll find the toy stores, and here kids are treated to a (free) puppet show.

KaDeWe is located in the Schoeneberg district of Berlin (the street address is Tauentzienstr. 21-24). Parking is available. The store is served by five city bus lines and three underground lines--the stop is called Wittenbergplatz.

For more information, go to: www.berlin.de and www.KaDeWe.de (where you can sign up for a free KaDeWe events calendar via e-mail). If you're visiting Berlin, do plan a shopping visit. Some 80,000 shoppers enter the doors of KaDeWe each day. A sales staff of 2,400 (plus puppeteers) is standing by for you.

Roberta Beach Jacobson
For International Living