The main shopping street is the traffic-free Hauptstrasse, which is filled with stores selling glass, crystal, handcrafts, and other items. Heidelberg is also known for its markets, including the one held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at Marktplatz and another held Tuesday and Friday mornings at Friedrich-Ebert-Platz. A giant flea market sprawls along Guteramtsstrasse near the Customs office one Saturday a month, but it has no designated week.

A city of this size has lots of stores to choose from. Michael Kienscherff, Hauptstrasse 177 (tel. 06221/2-42-55; tram: 1 or 5), offers a wide assortment of handcrafts from all over Germany: music boxes, nativity scenes, nutcrackers, and glass and crystal ornaments. The two branches of Gätschenberger, Hauptstrasse 6 and 42 (tel. 06221/1-44-80; tram: 1 or 5), share a telephone, but no. 42 is known for its array of fine linens and embroideries for bed, bathroom, and table, whereas no. 6 sells men's and women's undergarments.

Other shops of interest include Unholtz, Hauptstrasse 160 (tel. 06221/2-09-64; tram: 1 or 5), which carries Solingen cutlery, tableware, and scissors; and Spiess & Walther, Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 23a (tel. 06221/2-22-33; bus: 11 or 33), which features exclusive designs in contemporary furniture, antiques, and textiles. For all things leather, stop by Leder-Meid, Hauptstrasse 88 (tel. 06221/2-25-70; tram: 1 or 3), which sells the crafts of German and other manufacturers. Tischer, Hauptstrasse 73 (tel. 06221/1-48-00; tram: 1 or 5), carries high-quality cooking items.

If you want more variety under one roof, go to either branch of Heidelberg's best department store, Kaufhof, Hauptstrasse 30 (tel. 06221/50-40; tram: 1 or 5), or Bergheimerstrasse 1 (tel. 06221/91-60; tram: 1 or 5).