Travel & Culture> A Souvenir Guide for Europe

Image: Beer stein shopping in Germany
Image by: Sherrifmitchell

Text by: Tanya Munshi

If you plan on buying souvenirs from Europe, you need to either have enough space in your bag, or maybe take an empty foldable bag along, which you can use to bring back goodies. Wherever you touch base, you would most certainly like to pick up something to remember the place by. Now a souvenir need not be anything fancy or expensive, as long as it represents the place you have visited. As far as possible, stick to the most basic items like hand crafted, home made type of products. It should have the essence of the place of its origin. Of course, refrigerator magnets top the charts of souvenirs, but there’s no harm in looking beyond.

Here is a list of goodies that you can pick up, whatever catches your fancy and fits your pocket!

Note: If you wish to buy any jewelry ask for the authentication certificate. Check for terms and conditions for bringing spices/ food products back to your home country. Usually a government run souvenir store will help you in selecting items, in conformity with the travel regulations. Museum gift shops are also one of the best and the safest places to pick up souvenirs to bring back home.

Austria: Buy wine, traditional costume belts, beautifully embroidered scarves and linen. Porcelain, enamel jewelry and wool.

Czech Republic: Porcelains, crystals, reproductions of Art Nouvea Alfons Mucha and contemporary art work, hand crafted, detailed marionettes and puppets. Don’t miss the Dr. Stuart’s Botanicus chain of bath and beauty products.

England: You can pick up ceramics, the Royal Family memorabilia, splurge a little and pick up some Body Shop products if you like.

France: A visit to the Baccarat Museum should give you an idea how to choose and buy crystals. Keeping Lalique, Saint-Louis crystals as options, why not have a look at the scarves, ties, lingerie, wine, Krug champagne and perfumes.

Germany: There’s a wide variety to choose from wooden gift articles like cuckoo birds, soldiers, German Smokers, Nutcrackers, Christmas Pyramids, Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks. Don’t forget the beer steins.

Greece: Silver jewelry, leather bags, small pans and pots from kitchenware stores and flokati rugs. If you think pens and pencils can be souvenirs, then buy Bics from their local stationary stores. Try and get yourself some really nice lip balms if possible.

Ireland: Pick up Waterford crystals, Irish Figurines such as Leprechauns, Pixies, Gnomes and Fairies, silver jewelry, watches and rings. You can also add lace, linen, Belleek Pottery, Hummels, Donegal tweeds and woolens. If it fancies you, pick up a few CDs of traditional Irish music.

Italy: From miniature monuments like Bridge of Sighs, Bridge of Rialto, religious figurines are also popular choices like angels with flute. You can also pick up coffee pots, lampshades, art and ceramic ware. Leather from Florence and glasses and lace from Venice are also great for souvenir shopping.

Netherlands: Apart from the famous wooden shoes, you can also pick up reprints of Van Gogh’s work. Delftware ceramics, crystals from Leerdam and Maastricht, antiques to cheese and chocolates.

Scotland: Amongst the whisky, silver jewelry, woolens and tweeds, the Scottish thistle is just one of those things that catch your eye.

Spain: You can pick up sherry hailing from Jerez, south of Spain, ceramics, tiles, porcelain figures, art work and designer clothes.

Switzerland: A wide variety of Swiss cheese and chocolates to choose from, you can also pick up watches, clocks, bells, wood work, jackets and the Swiss Alps cap.

Note: Rail Pass and Rail Europe both have online booking for cheap point to point and select eurail passes.