• About Us
  • Write For Us
  • Advertising
  • Support
  • Contact Us
November 28, 2023 10:31 am CST
Heartland Newsfeed
  • Illinois
    • Local
      • Capital Area
      • East Central Illinois
      • West Central Illinois
    • Regional
      • Chicagoland
      • Metro-East
      • Northern Illinois
      • Quad Cities
      • Southern Illinois
    • Obits
    • Executive Watch
    • Legislative Watch
    • Road Conditions
      • Illinois
    • Weather Closings
      • Central Illinois
  • Missouri
    • Regional
      • Northeastern Missouri
      • East Central Missouri
      • St. Louis Metro
      • Southeast Missouri
    • Executive Watch
    • Legislative Watch
    • Weather Closings
      • Greater STL Metro (IL/MO)
    • Road Conditions
      • Missouri
  • Weather
  • National
  • World
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • OPINION
  • Radio
    • Affiliates
    • Network Schedule
    • Network Streams
    • Podcasts
  • Features
    • Business Directory
    • Classifieds
      • Current Ads
      • Job Board
        • Job Listings
        • J2CTalroo
        • Post a Job
        • Receive Alerts
        • ZipSearch
    • Community Calendar
    • Live Video
    • Newsfeeds
    • Puzzles & More
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Calendar
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

Heartland Newsfeed
No Result
View All Result

Souvenir shopping in Europe? Lighten up

Rick Steves by Rick Steves
April 6, 2019 - Updated on August 16, 2023
in Business & Lifestyle, Columnists, Opinion, Travel News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Donate
0
Shopping in Europe can be fun, but don’t let it overwhelm your trip. On one guided tour of the British Houses of Parliament I saw half the group skip out on the tour to survey an enticing array of plastic “bobby” hats, Big Ben briefs, and Union Jack panties instead. Focus on local experiences, and don’t let your trip become a glorified shopping spree. As a fanatic about packing light, I used to wait until the end of my trip to shop, then go hog wild in the last country I visited (and flew home heavy). One summer I traveled with a 16-pound backpack and avoided shopping until the last week of my trip — when, in Spain and Morocco, I managed to accumulate two medieval chairs, two sets of bongos, swords, a mace, and a camelhair coat…most of which are now in my attic. Now I know better and shop light when it comes to souvenirs. Here are a few ideas for lightweight, packable souvenirs found in some of my favorite places in Europe. Christmas ornaments in Germany: Rothenburg is one of Germany’s best shopping towns. Figurines, wine glasses, and beer steins are easy to find, but if you want to shop light, consider a Christmas ornament. Rothenburg is the headquarters of the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas trinkets empire, which has spread across the half-timbered reaches of Europe. Tourists flock to the two biggest stores, just below Rothenburg’s Market Square, where they hungrily fill little woven shopping baskets with goodies to hang on their trees (items handmade in Germany are the most expensive). Museum gift shops in Amsterdam: Gift shops at major Dutch museums (such as the Rijksmuseumand the Van Gogh Museum) are a bonanza for shoppers. Consider picking up books, postcards, unusual posters, decorative items, or clever knickknacks featuring works by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, or Vermeer. These gift shops are also a good source for books you may not see elsewhere. Handmade paper in Sweden: The town of Lessebo in the Swedish Glass Country has a 300-year-old paper mill (handpappersbruket) that’s well worth a visit. Making handmade paper using strictly traditional methods (the newest piece of machinery is from the 1920s), Lessebo’s mill is a study in the way things used to be: Cotton fibers are soaked until they become pulp, packed into a frame, pressed, dried, glazed, and hand-torn into the perfect size and shape. This paper has long been coveted throughout Sweden for special purposes, and its excellent gift shop has artisanal watercolor paper, stationery, and cards that will last a lifetime. Ties in Croatia: Croatian soldiers who fought with the French in the Thirty Years’ War had a distinctive way of tying their scarves. The French found the look stylish, adopted it, and called it à la Croate — or eventually, cravate — thus creating the modern necktie. If you’re in the Adriatic port of Split, look for Croata, a boutique that sells neckties with traditional Croatian motifs, such as the checkerboard pattern from the flag or characters from Croatia’s ninth-century Glagolitic alphabet. Lace in Belgium: You can visit high-end stores in Brussels, but Bruges’ Kantcentrum (Lace Center) is a museum and school that teaches you about lacemaking while you shop. Exhibits explain the different ways to make lace, and a computer lets you try different techniques yourself — it ain’t easy. The payoff is upstairs in the demonstration room, where ladies chat merrily while making lace, usually using the bobbin technique perfected in Bruges. Observe as ladies toss bobbins: They follow mazelike patterns with a forest of pins to help guide their work. The result is on sale in the gift shop, along with materials for making lace on your own. Soccer swag in Barcelona: Sports fans love jerseys, scarves, and other gear associated with the wildly popular FC Barcelona (a.k.a. “Barça”) soccer team. You can find knockoffs at tourist shops, but for the real thing, visit Camp Nou Stadium — Europe’s biggest, with a capacity of over 99,000. A tour takes you into through the facility and a museum — and at the end, of course, there’s a big shop to buy official Barça gear. Leather in Florence: Florence’s long leatherworking tradition was born at Santa Croce Church, where Franciscan monks perfected the art of binding gorgeously illustrated manuscripts. Today, the venerable leather school at the church is the city’s most famous place to buy leather goods, but you’ll see leather for sale all over Florence. A wallet or belt is a nice, packable purchase. Wherever you go, avoid souvenir carts outside of big monuments, where the goods tend to be overpriced and cheesy. Do your shopping in places that offer a fun cultural experience. If you shop smart and local, a few well-chosen items can help you capture the essence of a place for years to come.
Rick Steves
Website | + posts

Rick Steves writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.

  • Rick Steves
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/ricksteves/
    Cultural treats in small-town Andalucía
  • Rick Steves
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/ricksteves/
    Güzelyurt: Turkey’s ‘Beautiful Land’
  • Rick Steves
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/ricksteves/
    Copenhagen’s Christiania: No cars, corporations, or dead fish
  • Rick Steves
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/ricksteves/
    STEVES: A romantic breeze in Rome
Share196Tweet123Share5Send
  • Workforce training center opens in Litchfield

    1498 shares
    Share 599 Tweet 375
  • Cougars, Salukis settle for tie

    1211 shares
    Share 484 Tweet 303
  • Missouri law to crack down on porch pirates

    981 shares
    Share 392 Tweet 245
  • Missouri Dems critical of proposed tax cut

    959 shares
    Share 384 Tweet 240
  • No management pay raises in UPS deal

    918 shares
    Share 367 Tweet 230

OPERATING HOURS

Online all the time 
Office Hours: 8 AM to 8 PM

Sitemap | Published Press | Privacy Policy
Staff Email | Independent Media | Buy traffic for your website

LIVE WEBSITE VIEWERS

Some rights reserved 2017-2023 by Heartland Newsfeed, a subsidiary partnership by Heartland Internet Media Networks and Heartland Media Group of Central Illinois LLC. Content published by Heartland Newsfeed staff is covered by the BipCot NoGov license. This allows use and re-use by anyone except governments and government agents. License on record. JNews theme designed and developed by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • World
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • Travel

Some rights reserved 2017-2023 by Heartland Newsfeed, a subsidiary partnership by Heartland Internet Media Networks and Heartland Media Group of Central Illinois LLC. Content published by Heartland Newsfeed staff is covered by the BipCot NoGov license. This allows use and re-use by anyone except governments and government agents. License on record. JNews theme designed and developed by Jegtheme.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

WP Radio
WP Radio
OFFLINE LIVE
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00