The Best Shopping

The best way to approach shopping here is to make it a part of your overall experience and not an end unto itself. Though Berlin and Munich are the major shopping centers in Germany, the rest of the country is okay -- neither a shopper's mecca nor the bargain basement of Europe. Still, you can find some good buys here, such as these:

• Porcelain: For centuries, Germany has been known for the quality of its porcelain. Names such as KPM, Rosenthal, and Meissen are household words. KPM, for example, has been a Berlin tradition for more than 2 centuries.

• Handicrafts: In the Bavarian Alps, woodcarvers still carry on their time-honored tradition. The best place to purchase woodcarvings is in the Alpine village of Oberammergau.

• Timepieces: Corny though they may be, carved Black Forest cuckoo clocks remain an enduring favorite.

• Cutlery: WMF (Württembergische-Metalwaren-Fabrik) and J. A. Henckels are two of the country's premier producers of fine cutlery. Their knives are expensive, but longtime users say they last forever. Both WMF and Henckels stores are found all over Germany.