With the continuous increase of Gulf travellers to Germany recording 1.8 million overnight stays in 2018 compared to 770,000 in 2009, the vibrant city of ‘Heidelberg’ and luxury shopping destination ‘Breuninger’ have stepped up to the plate to attract Gulf visitors.
Heidelberg, a centuries-old but fun-loving city within the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, is a famed university city courting GCC travellers with its café-hopping, restaurant and confectionery culture combined with rich historic attractions. The city hosts the original Vetter’s Brauhaus inn, which has exported its culture of freshly brewed drinks, sausage and over-fresh pretzels worldwide. Considered a haven for foodies, Heidelberg visitors can ride the funicular up to the castle and dine in ‘Scharffs Schlossweinstube’, the elegant Michelin-starred restaurant in Heidelberg Castle with amazing views of the old town and the river.
To attract family visitors during the festive winter break, Heidelberg is underscored with an abundance of colourful season markets. Year-round, the city’s stunning, lush green landscapes are brought to life through funicular, balloon and boat rides, as well as trips to Heidelberg Zoo, which houses over 1,100 animals from 250 species.
“Heidelberg is also a member of Germany’s barrier-free concept, which has provided great access to attractions and activities for the physically challenged and the city has produced the HeidelbergCARD which offers a host of benefits and discounts to visitors,” added Nina Koch, Director Sales of Heidelberg Marketing. “For the visually impaired, we have tailor-made excursions in German and English, including the ‘Discover Heidelberg by ‘Sensing, Smelling, Feeling’ guided tour. This brings the city’s history to life by sensing the environment, feeling monuments and smelling the scents of the city.”
Luxury fashion & lifestyle shopping
Meanwhile, Breuninger one of Europe’s leading department stores, is anticipating its luxury retail experiences will attract high-end GCC shoppers to 11 stores throughout Germany. Knowing a thing or two about turning on the style for shoppers, Breuninger has been in the fashion and lifestyle business for over 135 years, offering an exclusive selection of international designer brands, aspiring new-to-market brands and outstanding services. High-end brands represented in Breuninger stores include Acqua di Parma, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Céline, Chloé, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Gucci, MCM, Sandro, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and many more.
Breuninger’s flagship Stuttgart store offers over 40,000 square metres of shopping area with fashion, kids' fashion, beauty, accessories, shoes, sports and home & living goods. “The Stuttgart store boasts the largest variety of shoes in the upscale and high-fashion segment across more than 2,000 square metres of dedicated retail space. Furthermore, it provides a private and exclusive personal shopping service with specially trained fashion and style consultants who put together a personal collection based on the size of the clothing, style and colour preferences of each guest,” added Christian Witt, Director Corporate Communications, Marketing Cooperations and Sponsoring".
Extraordinary culinary offerings are common in Breuninger, where the Sansibar by Breuninger serves up all kinds of specialties, while ‘(karls) kitchen’ is the home of regional delicacies and food from all over the world. Handmade sweets like macarons, chocolate and pastries, produced by the in-house confectionary are served in the several small cafés inside the store. Other tailored services, such as the Breuninger inhouse bespoke studio, the Mercedes-Benz limousine service, tax-free shopping and free Wi-Fi, complete the unique shopping experience.
In Stuttgart, the Breuninger experience is enhanced by its presence in the “Dorotheen Quartier”, which is rich with premium brand stores including Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Steiff, Diesel, Zadig & Voltaire as well as aspirational restaurants such as OhJulia and Enso Sushi & Grill. “Breuninger is very experienced in providing the luxury, quality and value that GCC travellers expect when they go shopping,” added Witt.
