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The Parfumo Travel Guide!

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The Parfumo Travel Guide! 12 years ago

Here at Parfumo International, we are people from all over the world. So, why not put together the places of interest that perfume lovers simply must see when traveling somewhere? You know those places in your country: perfume museums, shops or maybe perfume fairs. So, please tell us all the where-to-goes!

Berlin, Germany 12 years ago
Berlin is the capital of Germany, and it has lots to offer for perfume addicts:

KaDeWe, Tauentzienstraße (Berlin-Schöneberg)

Famous luxury department store with a very big perfume department. They have niche as well as mainstream and I cannot list all their brands. It is noisy, at times crowded and it's where all the tourists go!

I like going there because I can test lots of fumes that I would otherwise have to order samples for. And if you look closely, you find one or two shelves with classics from the past: "Ma Griffe", "Oscar de la Renta pour Lui", "Coriandre", "Tamango" and some more.

Galleries Lafayette, Friedrichstaße (Berlin-Mitte)

Berlin dépendence of the famous store from Paris. The perfume department is a little bit smaller than KaDeWe's. But since their product lineups are not completely the same, it is just as well worth seeing.

The Department Store, Friedrichstraße (Berlin-Mitte)

Less noisy than KaDeWe and Galleries Lafayette, its big perfume department is more boutique style. The staff is friendly, and they have niche only.

Maison Guerlain at Douglas, Kurfürstendamm (Berlin-Charlottenburg)

Douglas is the leading perfume chain store in Germany (like Marionnaud in Switzerland and France), and they are altogether not so recommendable. As far as I know, 30 % of it is owned by LVMH, and this is probably the reason the Maison Guerlain's in Germany are always situated in a Douglas store. Guerlain plays hard-to-get with some of their more expensive fragrances which are available exclusively at the very few Maison Guerlain stores. Go there if you run out of "Arsène Lupin"!

And now, the real insider's tips:

The Different Scent, Krausnickstraße (Berlin-Mitte)

Just round the corner of the popular Hackescher Markt, there is this small niche perfume shop. They also run one of the three leading German online shops for niche perfumery.

The small shop is worth seeing. You will have to go down a few steps into a basement and mind your head. There are two rooms packed with best of niche. The shop owner is a perfume enthusiast just like we are, and you can spend hours discussing and sampling fragrances! A special sight is the backroom which is dedicated to Barber Shop style: bay rums and lavender waters, and men can buy precious shaving equipment there as well.

1000&1 Seife, Rosenthaler Straße (Berlin-Mitte)

This shop is all about soaps which they sell to the tourists at the Hackesche Höfe. They even have a small collection of historical soaps. The owner, Mr. Kormann is a hobby perfumer, and you will always find at least one of his own limited edition fragrances. He is happy if people are interested in his perfumes and whenever I am there, I always spend lots of time.

The English Scent, Goethestraße (Berlin-Charlottenburg)

Charlottenburg is worth seeing – just stroll through the dapper neighborhoods with their patrician houses from around 1900. In one of those houses, you find The English Scent – a small shop that has specialized in English perfumery. They have all the traditional brands: D.R. Harris, Anglia Perfumery, Bronnley, Yardley and many others. Often, the Germans are very exhaustive in what they are doing, and so you will hardly find a perfume shop in London that is more English than The English Scent in Berlin!

Heinz Schlicht - ParfumSalon Berlin, Uhlandstraße (Berlin Charlottenburg)

The salon is all about grooming. The way they do niche perfumes owes to that and is as exquisite as it is passionate. Well worth a visit.

Harry Lehmann, Kantstraße (Berlin-Charlottenburg)

Harry Lehmann is the oddest place of all. This small perfume company was founded in the 1920s, and they still produce some of the traditional perfumes of that time. If you want to know how a traditional "Fougère", "Russisch Juchten" or "Reines Kölnisch Wasser" smells like – this is the place to go! Their rather inexpensive fragrances are not so artificial but fine craftsmanship.

The shop is a must see: It's design dates back to the 1950's and hasn't changed since then. The place is full of flowers – silk flowers, which is their other business pillar. The perfumes are sold from big bottles, and you can bring your own flacons for fillings.
Southern Germany - Stuttgart 12 years ago
If you ever come to visit the region around Stuttgart (about 2-3h drive away from Munich) you should stop by at :

BREUNINGER
Address : Marktstr.
It´s a big department store similar to Neiman Marcus with a huge parfumerie offering both mainstream and exclusive/niche lines such
as Guerlain Exclusives, CHANEL Exclusives, Tom Ford Private Blend, Armani Privé, Creed, Bond No.9, Annick Goutal, Serge Lutens...just to name a few.
Besides there is a small Hermès boutique where you can buy their exclusive perfumes as well.
Fashion victims will also find nice things at Dior, Fendi, Burberry and Chloé (house-in-house-boutiques).

SCHLOSSPARFUMERIE
Address : Koenigstr. (close to Rotebuehlplatz)
Small but fine cosmetics/perfume boutique offering brands such as
Amouage, Molinard, Profumi Del Forte etc.
Last edited by PontNeuf on 13.01.2012, 08:26; edited 1 time in total
Southern Germany - Munich 12 years ago
In Munich there are very nice addresses to shop perfumes which are not available everywhere.

DOUGLAS
Address : Theatinerstr.
Offers the Guerlain Exclusives, Tom Ford Private Blend, Bond No.9 and more exclusive brands/lines along with their regular mainstream range.

BRUECKNER & BUBLITZ
Address : Marienplatz + Rindermarkt
Small but very fine boutiques offering Montale, Molinard, Bond No.9 and more.
Here I tried my first Montale, it was White Aoud Smile

LUDWIG BECK
Address : Marienplatz
Medium-sized department store with a very nice perfume boutique.
Brands such as Serge Lutens, Annick Goutal, Jo Malone, Nasomatto, Boadicea the Victorius, Clive Christian, Frederic Malle, Amouage and many more are represented there. Gorgeous variety !
Besides, I highly recommend their music department (specialized in jazz, classical, world music and electro/lounge).

OBERPOLLINGER
Address : Neuhauser Str. (is a central pedestrian precinct lined with shops)
Another medium-sized department store offering many designer brands. I think it´s a small version of Breuninger.
Nice perfume area with niche brands such as Micallef, Tom Ford Private Blend, Armani Exclusives etc.

SUENDHAFT
Address : Reichenbachstr.
Very fine niche boutique offering perfumes, cosmetics and tea.
Brands such as Sonoma Scent Studio (the only shop in Germany where you can buy Laurie Ericksons perfumes), Juozas Statkevicius, Damian Bash, Aftelier and many many more really "niche-y" perfumes.
Zurich, Switzerland 12 years ago
Parfümerie Osswald
Bahnhofstrasse 17, Paradeplatz, 8001 Zurich
Fabulous niche selection! (But not quite as charming as Süskind, Spitzenhaus and LeMaroc, see below)

Süskind
Scheitergasse 10, 8001 Zurich
Niche perfumes, e.g., Aedes de Venustas, Apothia, Puredistance, Vero Profumo

Spitzenhaus
Börsenstrasse 14, 8001 Zurich
Niche perfumes, e.g., Dusita, Mona di Orio, Serge Lutens, YS UZAC

LeMaroc
Spiegelgasse 29, 8001 Zurich
Exclusively Tauer Perfumes and Tableau de Parfums

Jelmoli - House of Brands
Seidengasse 1, 8001 Zurich
Designer perfumes, niche and exclusives, e.g., Guerlain, Chanel, Bond No. 9, Etat Libre d'Orange, Tom Ford

Globus
Schweizergasse 11, 8001 Zurich
Designer and niche, e.g., Byredo, Kilian, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Penhaligon's

Designer Exclusives - shop till you drop:
Along the southern part of Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich's premier shopping promenade, or just off it are designer boutiques galore, basically any renowned name you can possibly think of, e.g., Armani, Chanel, Dior, Hermès, Prada, ..

Oh, and whilst you are at it, when visiting Osswald at Paradeplatz, do pop over to Srüngli - the quintessential Swiss chocolatier and pure bliss.
And since we are venturing into non-fragrant delights and if upgrading your hipster style is on your list, visit the Freitag flagship store at Geroldstrasse 17, Zurich 8005. Great bags to be have and the store itself is soo cool.

Nov. 2017: edited & updated by MiaTrost, an ardent fan of fragrant Zurich .. Smile
Bucharest, Romania 12 years ago
Madison Perfumery
6, Dorobanţi Square
Lots of niche - Annick Goutal, By Kilian, Comme des Garcons, Clive Christian, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Creed, Nez a Nez, etc.

Beautik Haute Parfumerie
9, Radu Beller
Again lots of niche (different from those at Madison) - Caron, Etat Libre d'Orange, Il Profvmo, Juliette Has a Gun, Molinard, Balmain, Robert Piguet, etc.

Elysee Concept
56th, Victoriei Avenue
More niche - Amouage, Etro, Keiko Mecheri, MDCI, Penhaligon's, Montale, etc.

Also at Douglas (1, Unirii Square) they sell a lot of designer perfumes and some niche (Sisley, M.Micallef).
Germany, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn 12 years ago
I would like to continue this travel guide with the Rhineland area: Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn. While most tourists come to Cologne to visit the famous Cologne Cathedral, it is the neighboring city of Düsseldorf which can be called Germany's perfume capital!

Cologne

Farina Gegenüber, Cologne, City Centre
The Farina house is a must see for every perfume lover! Farina stands for the classic Eau de Cologne, and they claim to be the first who have invented this fragrance under this denomination. They are one of the oldest perfume houses, and they still are owned by the predecessors of Johann Baptist Farina, who settled down in Cologne in 1709.

The Farina house is in the old town of Cologne, near the cathedral. It contains a perfume museum and a shop in the basement where they sell their own perfume. Next to their famous "Original Eau de Cologne" and their "Russisch Leder", they have another 24 perfumes that are named after the zodiac: 12 ladies' and 12 men's fragrances.

4711, Cologne, City Centre
It isn't Farina, it was 4711 who became really successful with their version of "Echt Kölnisch Wasser". Their company shop is also located in the cologne city centre, near the opera house.

Düsseldorf

Schnitzler, Düsseldorf, Kö
Düsseldorf is a posh place, and at least on Saturdays, you can see people cruising the Königsallee (called "Kö") with their Bentleys and Lamborghinis. It is the Kö, where Frank Schnitzler, a dedicated perfume enthusiast, opened his perfume store in 1970. His ambition was to have the best shop in Germany, and the sound audience at the Kö made this dream come true. For many years, Schnitzler was the place where you simply could get "all".

Mr. Schnitzler retired some years ago and sold his shops to Douglas, Germanys leading perfume chain store. Inevitably, the quality has decreased. They reconstructed the shops. Schnitzler was always stuffed like an antique bookshop, with perfumes covering all walls. Douglas threw out a big part of the portfolio - you could get incredible snips! Now, it looks much less chaotic, so the customer might feel a little bit more at home.

Actually, Schnitzler is three shops around the Kö: at Schadow Arcaden, at the Seven's and at the Breidenbacher Hof hotel. They all have different perfumes, so it is advisable to visit all three of them. The shop at the Breidenbacher Hof is highly recommendable since they have a Maison Guerlain and - despite Douglas - competent staff.

Beauty Affair, Düsseldorf, Kö
Inspite his retirement, Frank Schnitzler is still on the scene, now acting as a consultant. Apparently, he is behind the small perfume shop Beauty Affair that you shouldn't miss when you stroll along the Kö. It is a bit hidden in the Kö-Center (Königsallee 30), so you will have to look out for it.

Beauty Affair is small but with an excellent product lineup. They have brands like Frédéric Malle, the Pierre Guillaume brands, Grossmith, Aqaba - as well as single rareties and hard-to-finds. Service is excellent and very friendly. Beauty Affair is the thorn in the flesh of Douglas-Schnitzler!

Parfümerie Förster, Düsseldorf, Oststraße
A little bit off the beaten track but only a short walk from the Kö is Parfümerie Förster. Förster is a very typical traditional German Parfümerie and run by the owner. It has two big rooms and a respectable portfolio. What I like about those old perfume shops is that you can find true gems if look closely at the boards. Among to the very popular and contemporary stuff you can still find discontinued rareties. The owner is friendly and glad to share his knowledge.

Bonn

Parfümerie Vollmar, Bonn, Sternstraße
Nearby Cologne, there is Bonn, birthplace of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, and the Beethoven house is the reason that many tourists come to Bonn for - especially the Japanese. Bonn is my hometown, so this travel guide would not be complete if I wouldn't mention the Bonn perfume shops.

In Sternstraße, opposite the baroque town hall, you can find Parfümerie Vollmar. They have a respectable amount of higher priced perfumes, and Vollmar is the place to go if you are looking for by Kilian, Montale, Amouage, Creed or Etro. Their antique wardrobes where they keep parts of their fragrances behind glass panes is worth seeing. It gives the place a cosy appeal as long as you don't go there on Saturdays, when it is overcrowded.

Parfümerie Michels, Bonn, Remigiusplatz
Also near the market with the historic town hall there is Parfümerie Michels. It is a traditional perfume shop. There are no open windows, so the perfumes are a hidden from direct sunlight. The small shop is packed with perfumes from the floor to the ceiling. While most of it is mainstream, you might discover rare fragrances here and there in between the ordinary.

Taiba Shop, Bonn, Kölnstraße
One wouldn't expect an Arab perfume shop in a German city - but there it is! Taiba shop is one station with tram No.61 from the city centre, at Kölnstraße near Wilhelmsplatz. It is situated at the brink of Bonn's old town where many Turkish and Arab people live.

Next to perfume, they sell Arab clothing, food, cosmetics and islamic literature. You can also get bakhoor. They sell their perfume oils out of big ornamented bottles that stand in a glass cabinet behind the bar. Their no-name perfume oils come from an Arab perfumer or trader that they are acquainted with. Besides that, they have numerous fragrances of the less exclusive Arab brands such as Al Rehab.

The staff is very friendly, and they appreciate any Non-Arab visitor who wants to have a look. They will let you try all different sorts of Arab fragrances. With prices of about 10 or 15 € for 3 ml perfume oil, it is a good place to get to know the Arab way of perfumery.
12 years ago
I don't know that there's anything worth writing about here in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, US. We have the standard department stores that are in many other US cities. Rolling Eyes

But I love what the rest of you are writing & hope I get a chance to use your good information some time! Thank you for writing it!!!
12 years ago
Yeah, the Mall of America... Rolling Eyes
Seriously, how can there be such a gigantic shopping mall & so little perfume there? (sigh...)

Good point about the customs issue, Sunshine! Very Happy
US - Maryland 11 years ago
Recently I tested and loved Voluspa Jasmine Brown Sugar. I found it at:

Shoemaker Country
8095 Main St.
Historic Ellicott City, MD 21043

I also found Tokyo Milk Excess locally at:

Vintage Bliss Boutique
8086 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 21043
US - West Coast 11 years ago
Los Angeles, California

Scent Bar Hollywood
7405 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90036

Scent Bar DTLA
777 S. Alameda St.
Suite 150
Los Angeles CA 90021

On Abbott-Kinney Blvd., Venice Beach, in the 10 or so city block stretch, you will find: Le Labo Boutique, Strange Invisible Perfumes Boutique, and then by exploring each and every shop I found niche fragrances in every store from the kitchen supply shop to the luxury fashion shops. The complete lines of Escentric Molecules, CB I HATE Perfume, EBBA (Miss Marissa, Miss Danielle, etc.), Lubin L'eau Neuve Series, Penhaligon's, Trance Essence, Maison De La Vanille, and Many Comme Des Garcons Fragrances. I spent a week - I could have stayed another!

Seattle, Washington

Essenza
615 N 35th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
A lovely boutique in the Freemont Area with full range of Serge Lutens, Houbigant, Acca Kappa, Diptyque, Santa Maria Novella, Atelier, Ineke and L'Artisan lines also many special soaps, luxury men's grooming supplies and I think I saw jewelry, candles & clothes there too, but I was so busy with the fragrance section....
11 years ago
What a wonderful topic! Can we put up links to other sites and people's findings? Or will it be considered infringement?
11 years ago
Ooh, Flavorite - now I see why there seem to be a lot of sniffing parties in L.A.

ChapeauClack - I don't see a problem with posting links - it gives the writer full credit and no one's making a profit off of someone else's work.
US - New York City 11 years ago
Hey, folks, Here's a handy list for New York City. Some highlights are:

Uptown Manhattan (above 59th St.)

Barneys New York
660 Madison Avenue

Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums
898 Madison Ave

On (upper) Madison Ave you can also find the likes of Armani, Creed, Dyptique, Etro, Hermès, Jo Malone, Lancôme, Tom Ford ..

Midtown Manhattan

Arabian Oud
1584 Broadway

Bergdorf Goodman
754 Fifth Avenue
The do Guerlain exclusives and apparently also JAR

Caron Boutique
One Grand Central Place
60 E 42 St, 54th Floor

Henri Bendel Flagship
712 Fifth Avenue

Norma Kamali
11 W 56th Street

Lots of designers to be found on Lexington Ave, (lower) Madison Ave and 57th Street.

Greenwich Village

Aedes de Venustas
7 Greenwich Avenue

Diptyque
377 Bleecker Street

Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums
94 Greenwich Avenue

Soho & Nolita

Bond no. 9 Flagship
9 Bond Street

MiN New York
117 Crosby Street

Osswald NYC
311 West Broadway
Excellent range of niche fragrances

Brooklyn

CB I Hate Perfume
318 Maujer Street, 3rd Floor

Twisted Lily
360 Atlantic Avenue
Fabulous niche selection!
US - Chicago, Illinois 11 years ago
I live near Chicago, and I don't think there are too many perfume places that stand out other than the department stores. I do want to someday visit Smallflower Apothecary, aka Merz as it sounds like a cozy place.

Merz Apothecary & Q Brothers
4716 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625

Merz Downtown
Palmer House Hilton
17 E Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60602

Also, there is Aroma Workshop, where you can make your perfumes and aromatherapy items. I have never been here either, but it looks fun.

Aroma Workshop
2050 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614

Not Illinois but Delaware:
I have never been, but I have ordered from Penny Lane Perfumes and would also like to visit it some day. The owner is kind and sent me decants based on what I liked. I purchased E. Coudray from there and the prices are reasonable for niche. The store is located in Rethoboth Beach, DE.
US - Minnesota 11 years ago
PBullFriend:
I don't know that there's anything worth writing about here in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, US. We have the standard department stores that are in many other US cities. Rolling Eyes

Garden of Eden
792 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105

It's been about 10 years since I moved from St. Paul, MN. But I do remember one or two really cute boutiques on Grand Avenue that I discovered Votivo Room sprays and the now defunct "Smell This" fragrance line. At Garden of Eden, Victoria, they have the Mistral Line, Thymes and Pre de Provence at least. Also, I found the Voluspa Linden Blond Tabac, Cocoa Tamarind, Mimosa Martini and Jasmine Brown sugar group at the grocery store off of Grand- Kowalski's- not sure if they still carry these after all these years, but I am sure there are some hidden gems around Grand Ave - it was always very hip. Good luck!
11 years ago
Hey, Flavorite! Good mention - yes, Garden of Eden is still there and I believe they do at least carry all of the Votivos and all of the Thymes. (Thymeses???)

Did you ever go to the Thymes Warehouse Sale in the fall? Sadly for us/good for them, they stopped holding those a couple of years ago. Their inventory control has improved to where they don't have enough overstock to hold a sale any more.

It has never occurred to me to search Grand Ave. specifically for perfume, but I should. And, meanwhile, do PM me if you ever come back to visit, OK? I'll do my best to find something worth smelling.
11 years ago
PBullFriend:
Did you ever go to the Thymes Warehouse Sale in the fall? Sadly for us/good for them, they stopped holding those a couple of years ago. Their inventory control has improved to where they don't have enough overstock to hold a sale any more.

Coincidentally, an ad came up for Thymes while I was over at Fragrantica, and I clicked on it and found ... a sale! It's not huge, but they have some candles and other stuff at more than half off...

Smile
11 years ago
Thanks, Sherapop. Good to know!
France - Lorraine 10 years ago
I have a tip for you if you should travel to the Lorraine region in France.

In Rozelieures there is the Maison de la Mirabeille, a family business who mainly produce mirabelle plum eau de vie. They also offer 3 perfumes. The fragrances are produced in Grasse and focus on the mirabelle plum. Here are the opening times.

The perfumes come under the brand name "Anne-Marie Grallet".
US - Scranton, Northeast Pennsylvania 10 years ago
Should anyone ever visit the Poconos in Northeast Pennsylvania (USA), there is a boutique perfumery in a town called Scranton. It is called NOTE and is run by a woman who used to work with Firmenich. She creates perfumes now on her own, along with matching candles. But the best part of her shop is this. You can create your own perfume. You sit at a table where she has these little bottles of fragrance notes. You dip little paper strips into the bottles finding your favorite scents. You bundle them, wave the bundle in front of you and it creates the new scent. Eventually, you create your own perfect perfume unique to you. She then makes the perfume for you. So, for example, if you like vanilla, incense, myrhh, leather and tonka bean, she'll put these notes together in a perfume created just for you. She'll save the formula so you can re-order, too. What a fun place.

NOTE Fragrances
401 Spruce St.
Scranton, PA 18503
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