Berlin’s annual Antique Mile in Charlottenburg

For the past 14 years Suarezstrasse in Charlottenburg has held its annual “Antique Mile” street fair on the first Saturday of September. Suarezstrasse has been synonymous with antiques since the 1970’s, an era when people were unwittingly disposing of all kinds of valuable period furniture and objects in an ill-advised attempt to keep up with the times. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, and subsequently those astute enough to realise established their business enterprises by profiting on this windfall. Today, over 30 antique shops are situated in Suarezstrasse, attracting collectors from all over the world.

An additional 100 selected dealers and specialists in restoration, gilding and repair take part in the fair. For many, it is an opportunity to display items that ordinarily would not be on view for reasons of space; for others it’s simply an excuse to dress up in period costume. The event attracts up to 30,000 visitors each year, with collectors and antique lovers mingling with locals and the curious who have come for the spectacle and the surprise entertainment events held in the afternoon.

If the Bauhaus desk on sale at Zeitlos won’t pass as hand baggage on the flight home, one of the beautiful Jugendstil tiles at Neumann’s Antiquitäten certainly will. To add some glamour to your wardrobe, head to Spitze, whose vintage clothing and accessories for men and women date from 1860 to 1960. Historisches, with their antique anatomical models, vintage leather suitcases and globes cater to more eclectic tastes, whilst few could dispute the elegance of the exquisite Jugendstil and Art Deco glassware on display at Schöne alte Gläser.

Paintings, porcelain, ornaments, furniture, jewellery, lighting, clocks, clothing, glass; from 19th Century Biedermeier and Jugendstil to Art Deco, Bauhaus and mid-century modern pieces of the 20th Century, you’ll be sure to make a new discovery for your collection or home in Suarezstrasse.