Nowhere is the sparkle and spirit of the holiday season more visible than in Kraków, Poland's cultural capital. Many of the visitors who travel to this southern metropolis around Christmas time come to enjoy the fairy-light lit stalls in the main market square, the hearty food and the inspiring artsy vibe that reverberates across harmonious rows of classical, gothic and baroque façades. Those who choose to explore the city's retail offerings - and get a head start on ticking off the must-get gift list - discover a diverse mix of antique, modern, budget, lavish and everything in between.

Contrary to what some might think, Kraków's historic centre isn't loaded with glitzy souvenir outlets on every street corner, but there are just enough shops to supply one's wants. Among them is Este Curiosities Gallery (Galeria Osobliwości Este), a pavement-level shop inside a fancy townhouse that deals in a cavalcade of curios, from antique furniture to fossils, Polish figurative art to fine jewellery. Beyond all the wondrous objects, this petite place - launched in 1994 by the art-loving couple Katarzyna and Zbylut Grzywczów -, also plays host to thematic and individual exhibitions of local contemporary artists, including the graphic works of Adam Hoffmann, Tadeusz Jackowski and Jerzy Skarzynski.

Want to add some glitz to your home but not break your budget? Go to Miejsce, a zany interior design store specialising in furniture and accessories inspired by the '50s, '60s and '70s. Colourful prints and thickset materials such as leather, plastic and wood dominate the wild array of chairs, tables, lamps and clocks (amongst others) at this bohemian den. If you get dizzy from all the wild designs, take a seat at the bar and refuel with a cup of coffee and a home-made vegetarian sandwich. While relaxing, take advantage of the free Wi-Fi and check out the offerings of a Crème de la Crème, an online style hub with a pick-up point near the city centre, carrying a sizable selection of domestic and international chic and environmentally-friendly furnishings, accessories and knick-knacks , ranging from billboard-made bags from Ho.Lo to Kama Sutra cosmetics.

The Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter of the city, also has a handful of nifty shops worth seeking out. Akcent Gallery, just off the spry Nowy Square, is a new nest of contemporary fashion featuring amber-heavy jewellery collections, clothes and accessories designed by up-and-coming Polish talents. High-quality jewellery of sassier stripe can be found at Błażko Jewellery, a store chock-full of glittery rings,  bracelets and earrings all united by the award-winning designer, Grzegorz Błażko's signature style which he calls 'black and white chessboard with a rusty dot in the middle of every square'.

Capital Cool

Whether you are on a whistle-stop weekend tour of Warsaw or a lengthier sojourn in the ever-expanding capital, you will find plenty of places of commercial interest. The inner-city shopping malls, including Złote Tarasy, Arkadia, Galeria Mokotów are gift-dense marketplaces filled with everything from tech toys for the gadget lover to high-end fashion labels. Built right behind the central railway station is the latest state-of-the-art shopping arcade, Złote Tarasy (which means Golden Terraces). Under a glass dome - one that looks like giant waves on the surface of the ocean - this sprawling new conglomerate gives home to 200 some-odd stores on five levels. It is the ultimate ladies-who-lunch shopping destination hip fashion outlets such as Zara, Mexx, and Hugo Boss as well as family-oriented shops like Petit Patapon, Smyk, Games World and Forget-Me-Not Gifts. The facility also features a number of débuts to Poland, including the Stradivarious clothing chain, French fashion emporium Naf Naf, The Body Shop, van Graf and the American rock-themed restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe.

Warsaw has enjoyed a strong design-centred awakening in recent years as upscale international and homebred interior and homeware designers and style setters are rushing to meet the rising demand of homeowners across burgeoning 'New Europe' markets. A shining example of this trend is Magazyn Praga, an industrial-style design store set up by art historian Łukasz Drgas in a corner pocket of the red-brick Koneser Vodka Factory. At the heart of Warsaw's hipster hotbed, this jack-in-the-box boutique continually springs up avant-garde creations by bright young design talents from Czech Qubus studio, British Black+Blum and the French Lexon and Atypyk brands, to name but a few.

One of the latest go-to places for furnishing that achieve the ideal synthesis of aesthetics, functionality and creative edginess is Indivi. Part design boutique, part art gallery, this streamline split-level space adjacent the leafy Rydza-Śmigłego Park was opened a few months back by a group of Polish art-lovers. They carry furniture, contemporary lighting solutions and home design apparel by big-name brands such as Naughtone, Established & Sons, Zero, Vitra and Artemide, alongside works by many up and coming domestic designers.

Spacestation is another popular gallery-like design store where funky forms, innovation and eccentric creativity hang out on a daily basis. Tucked away in the capacious rooms of an old armoury in Warsaw's Żoliborz neighbourhood, this high-spirited showroom is a one-stop spot as far as fashion-forward European interior design goes. The owner's trend-sniffing nose is visible in each hand-picked item, from the transparent bubble chairs by Eero Aarnio to the green tree-shaped tables by Eero Koivisto and bright-hued lounge chairs incorporating geometric and organic themes fabricated by Danish designer Leif Jørgensen.

Still stumped by what to get for that unconventional fashionista in your family? Pay a visit to the showroom of Green Establishment, a gallery-meets-boutique space in Praga, Warsaw's evolving artist district that boasts authentic-looking apparel designed by Kamila Kancelrz and Kinga Kowalska, a budding designer duo. One-of-kind items of a more retro ilk can be found at Mufka, a split-level space closer to the centre that was set up by two young mothers in 2006. On the bottom floor, clothes hounds can buy statement-making handbags, worn-once stilettos, hit-or-miss vintage clothes and eccentric necklaces, while the minute mezzanine packs whimsical storybooks, furniture and fun games for the wee ones.

Treasures All Around

Not to be out-done, Gdańsk and the Tri-City area also takes on a holiday look with large ornamented trees, twinkling lights and marvelous window displays. For versatile lighting fixtures that add pizzazz to the dining room visit Koma, an interior design store with several outlets in the area. The sizable home-goods store Strzecha in Gdynia presents a larger variety of stocking-stuffers for kooky aunts and brother-in-laws that live on a different continent, including hand-made boxes, kitchen utensils, and picture frames. If there is an environmentalists or health-nut on your list, opt for Tajemniczy Ogród, a green-minded gallery-cum-boutique focused on beauty products, books and various massages.

While Poznań does not appear to offer much in terms of yuletide decorations and festive programmes, it more than makes up for in retail prowess, boasting some of the largest shopping malls in the country. A prime example of commercial success and urban renewal is Stary Browar (Old Brewery), a massive arcade occupying a formerly derelict 19th century brewery. Since 2003, the complex has given home to dozens of stores, from street fashion labels like Alta Moda, Cropp Town and Diesel to interior design outlets such as Almi Decor, Duka and Details Home. A 2009 addition to the roster of new-age shopping arcades is Galeria Malta, a 54,000 square meter megastore near Malta Lake - hence the name-  which is situated in an outlying part of Poznań. A glass and steel structure with a squeaky-clean aesthetic, this sleek new shopping facility boasts over 170 commercial and entertainment venues: big-name brands such as Nike, Big Star, Zara and United Colors of Benetton.

Shop Till You Drop

Este Curiosities Gallery

ulica Sławkowska 16, Kraków

+48 12 429 1984

Miejsce

ulica Zegadłowicza 2, Kraków

+48 691 361 121

www.miejsce.sklep.pl

Creme de la Creme

ulica Mostowa 14, Kraków

+48 12 430 0519

www.lifestory.pl

Akcent Gallery

ulica Olszanicka 12, Kraków

+48 12 623 8151

www.akcent-galeria.com

Blazko Jewellery

ulica Józefa 11, Kraków

+48 12 430 6731

www.blazko.pl

Złote Tarasy

ulica Złota 59, Warsaw

+48 22 222 2200

www.zlotetarasy.pl

Magazyn Praga

ulica Ząbkowska 27/31, Warsaw

+48 22 670 1185

www.magazynpraga.pl

Indivi Design Store

ulica Kruczkowskiego 6, Warsaw

+48 22 42 4096

www.indivi.pl

Spacestation

ulica Filtrowa 68/49, Warsaw

+48 604 456 104

www.spacestation.pl

Green Establishment

ulica Wilenska 13, Warsaw

+48 22 670 2076

www.greenestablishment.pl

Mufka

ulica Solec 101, Warsaw

www.mufka.blox.pl

Koma

ulica Piastowska 13, Gdańsk

+48 58 520 9890

www.koma.lux.pl

Strzecha

ulica Świętojańska 18, Gdynia

58 661 84 79

Tajemniczy Ogród

ulica Świętojańska 100, Gdynia

+48 58 733 0811

www.tajemniczyogrod.net.pl

Stary Browar

ul. Półwiejska 42, Poznań

+48 61 859 6050

www.starybrowar5050.com

Galeria Malta

ulica Abpa A. Baraniaka 8,  Poznań

+48 61 658 1022

www.galeriamalta.pl

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