Page 419 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

SHOPPING IN THE NE THERLANDS  417

La Vie in Utrecht where international collections
has a good range in particular are auctioned. The
of shops; in The Eland De Zon Loth Gijselman in
Hague, De Passage Diemen, deals in antiquities and
is the prime art and auctions furniture and
shopping centre. estates. Holbein in Rijssen sells
Batavia Stad Outlet art and antiques, the Veilinghuis
Shopping centre de Voorstraat in Zwolle
in Lelystad is a specializes in stamps and coins.
shopping village
built to resemble
a 17th-century Garden Centres
town. Here Dutch garden centres sell plants,
A trendy clothing boutique featuring the very latest in manufacturers of seeds, bulbs, soil, compost and
Dutch fashion expensive brands garden furniture. For more
sell end-of-line unusual plants go to specialist
Retail Stores and products, in particular clothes, growers, of which there are many
Shopping Centres
at heavy discounts. The designer in the Netherlands. Garden
The most upmarket retail store in outlet park in Roermond is a centres are usually on the edge of
the Netherlands is the Bijenkorf, similar place to find bargains. towns or just outside them. They
which offers contemporary are usually open for business on
furniture, the latest names in Furniture Sundays and public holidays.
fashion, a huge book
department and all major The Netherlands’ top furniture
cosmetics brands. The Vroom & designer, Jan des Bouvrie, has his
Dreesmann department stores own shop in a converted arsenal
are slightly smaller and offer in Naarden called Studio het
lower prices than the Bijenkorf. Arsenaal. At Van Til Interior in
One step lower on the prices Alkmaar you can buy designer
scale is Hema, which offers a furniture. In Amsterdam-Zuidoost,
wide and remarkably trendy you can spend a day viewing
range of things such as lighting furniture in the 75 shops of the
accessories and household Villa Arena. Woonthemacentrum
goods. At most shopping De Havenaer in Nijkerk and
centres you will find the same Palazzo Lelystad also offer An abundance of flowers at a Dutch
names, although some centres interesting collections. You will garden centre
are reserved for more exclusive find “meubelboulevards”,
shops. One of these is the shopping streets of furniture Chocolate
Magna Plaza in Amsterdam, stores, throughout the country.
where you will find upmarket Verkade and Droste are the
boutiques and jewellers’ shops. Netherlands’ best-known
De Groene Passage in Rotterdam Auction and chocolate makers, and you can
Sales Houses
is a covered shopping centre find their products everywhere.
dedicated to the environment, The famous British auction Many towns now have specia-
selling items ranging from houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s lized confectioners’ shops. The
organic meat to New Age books. have branches in Amsterdam, renowned Belgian confectioner
Leonidas has numerous outlets
in the country. Puccini Bomboni
produce exceptional chocolates,
sold individually.
Tea and Coffee
The Netherlands has been a tea
and coffee importer for centuries,
and you can find specialist tea
and coffee shops everywhere;
many still roast their own coffee.
In Amsterdam, Simon Levelt
always has at least 25 varieties
of coffee and 100 tea blends on
sale. Geels & Co Koffiebranderij,
an old family business, has a
Magna Plaza (see p94), open for Sunday shopping roasting house and museum.

416-417_EW_Netherlands.indd 417 16/01/17 12:08 pm