Europe is home to numerous amazing shopping centres that tend to attract travelers and shoppers from all over the world. Here are some of the largest and most fascinating European malls.
Galeries Lafayette
This upmarket Parisian shopping centre is located in the 9th arrondissement of the French capital, on Haussman Boulevard. It was founded in 1912 and is considered by many architectural experts to be the most beautiful mall in Europe. The centre is ten floors tall and is one of the largest shopping venues in France. Galeries Lafayette is so popular throughout the world that several affiliated stores have been opened in different cities such as Berlin, Casablanca, Dubai, Beijing, Milan and Jakarta. In 2009, the shopping centre shocked the world by recording earnings of over one billion euro.
Departmentstore Quartier 206
This large shopping centre was opened in 1997 in Friedrichstraßa, a neighbourhood in Berlin, Germany. The interior of the mall was designed by the department store’s owner and founder Anne Marie Jagdfeld and is described by interior designers as elegant and cosmopolitan. The centre has a retail floor area of 2.500 square metres and housed numerous shops and boutiques that offer diverse merchandises to the store’s customers.
Las Arenas
Located in Barcelona, on Plaça Espanya this shopping centre faces the world renowned Palau Reial and Fire Montjuic. The store is housed in a former bullfighting ring which has been converted into a modern and stylish complex that contains over 60 commercial outlets, including high-end boutiques, restaurants and cafes. The most astonishing fact about the Las Arenas is that most of the original architectural features of the building have been incorporated into the contemporary interior design of the shopping centre, which makes it a truly unique mall.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Shortly known as The Gallerie this is perhaps the most famous European shopping centre in the world. It lies in the city of Milano and is known to its glass dome, large size, extraordinary design, famous cafes and luxurious boutiques. The Gallerie is also one of the oldest shopping malls in the world (founded in 1877) and one of the city’s most visited and recognisable landmarks. It is also one of Milan’s busiest shopping centres along with
· Via della Spiga
· Via Monte Napoleone
· Via Manzoni
· Via Sant`Andrea
· Via della Spiga
· Via Monte Napoleone
· Via Manzoni
· Via Sant`Andrea
The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
This shopping centre is considered by many to be the first on continental Europe as it was established during the mid-19th century. It is a covered gallery that has long narrow streets which are flanked with glittering shopfronts separated by pilasters. The centre is two storeys tall and was designed by renowned Belgian architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar.
St. George’s
St. George’s Shopping and Leisure Centre may not be the oldest or largest mall in Europe and the United Kingdom but it is one of the most popular and visited due to the numerous activities that it provides to its clients. Located in the London area of Harrow the centre has a total of 27 retail stores, a gym, a cinema, a hairdresser salon, several eateries, restaurants and bars and an award winning car park with a capacity of 640.
Vulcano Buono
Designed by Renzo Piano this shopping centre was created with the idea of becoming a local landmark both from a commercial and touristy point of view. It is located in the Italian city of Nola near the much largest city of Naples and was opened in 2007. The department store mimics the appearance of the highly popular volcano, Vesuvius and spreads over an area of 500.000 square meters, 150.000 of which are covered. The centre houses numerous stores, restaurants, bars, cafes and entertainment venues.
Harrods
London’s most famous shopping centre was founded in 1834 and is currently the biggest department store in Western Europe. It occupies an area of 20.000 square metres and has a retail space of 90.000 square metres. At the moment Harrods has a total of 12.000 employees and houses over 330 departments. The centre’s slogan is “Omnia Omnibus Ubique” which translated from Latin means “All Things for All People”.
Magna Plaza – Housed in one of Amsterdam’s most monumental buildings this shopping centre was opened in 1992. Prior of becoming a department store, it was the city’s main post office buildings. The edifice was built during the late years of the 19th century and is described by many to be one of the most remarkable buildings in the Dutch capital. The structure’s attic was converted into an office space while the remainder of the edifice was altered to accommodate numerous boutiques, cafes and restaurants.
The Gasometer – This incredible shopping mall is located in the capital of Austria, Vienna and is housed on the first floors of four 102 year old gas tanks. The project of transforming the four 75 metres tall gasometres into an urban complex commenced during the late 1990s. Today the department store has a total of 70 shops while the entire complex is comprised of 615 contemporary apartments and an event hall with a capacity of 4.200 seats.
The Zlote Tarasy – In English the name of this complex means “Golden Terraces” and it was opened in 2007. It houses commercial, office and entertainment establishments and is one of Poland’s largest multifunctional complexes. The Zlote Tarasy’s popularity has grown so much during the last couple of years that it has become one of Warsaw’s most visited and recognisable landmarks.
The Passage – The Passage is undoubtedly one of Russia’s most renowned shopping centres. It is also one of the oldest in Europe as it was founded during the 19th century. Situated on Nevsky Avenue in Saint Petersburg, the store department is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks due to its amazing exterior and interior architectural features. Throughout the years, the centre’s interior has been the subject of several modernisation projects but the architects responsible for these alterations have always managed to keep the old fashioned spirit of the edifice intact.