Utrecht's shopping has two distinct characters. The modern side is anchored by Hoog Catharijne, the large indoor mall connected directly to the station, and the Lange Viestraat pedestrian street that runs into the old centre. The interesting side is in the Twijnstraat and the streets around the Oudegracht, where independent shops sell vintage clothing, ceramics, second-hand books, and locally designed objects.
The Lapjesmarkt on Breedstraat (Saturdays from 9am) is one of the oldest markets in the Netherlands — a fabric and haberdashery market that has been running since 1597. On the same Saturday, a general market runs on the Vredenburg and a flower market on the Janskerkhof.
For Dutch design and homeware, the Steenweg near Museum Speelklok has a concentration of independent shops. The Utrecht branch of HEMA and all the major Dutch chains are in Hoog Catharijne.