The impressive Chic Outlet Shopping brand has two villages in Germany, perfectly located in the historic Bavaria region and surrounded by several key tourist destinations 

Large shopping villages and centres are highly popular destinations for group visits. Everything in one place, convenient facilities and undemanding in terms of GTO planning … the best retail destinations realise what they have to offer to the group travel market.

Chic Outlet Shopping® has a collection of luxury outlet shopping villages in Europe, with a new one also opening soon in China. The brand is defined by the attractive open-air ‘village’ settings, luxury brands at outlet prices, superior service and a calendar of events. World-leading brands offer authentic previous seasons’ collections with savings of up to 60% (and sometimes more) on the recommended retail price, in their own luxuriously appointed boutiques, all year round. Currently, Chic Outlet Shopping® has Bicester Village near Oxford in the UK, Kildare Village near Dublin in Ireland, La Vallée Village near Paris in France, Las Rozas Village half an hour from Madrid in Spain, Fidenza Village midway between Milan and Bologna in Italy, Maasmechelen Village in Belgium, Wertheim Village close to Nuremberg and Frankfurt in Germany and Ingolstadt Village near Munich also in Germany. All offer the same levels of luxury goods, great facilities and various services and packages including travel, visits to local attractions, gift cards and dining, but each with individual and locally-sympathetic architecture and design.

Wertheim Village has outlet stores ranging from Barbour to Diesel to Versace, interspersed with restaurants and cafes for taking a well-earned break. The neat L-shaped Ingolstadt Village is also packed with key international brands and can be reached by using the regular ‘Shopping Express’ bus from central Nuremberg and Munich. Both these villages offer great services to shoppers, including a play area, dog kennels, personal shopper and tourist information centres. GTOs should place an enquiry using the online form in order to get the best possible service ahead of group visits.

In the area…

Ingolstadt is a city in the centre of Bavaria, midway between Nuremberg and Munich. Ancient streets, gabled houses and impressive fortifications in the Old Town offset the cutting edge industries and world-famous manufacturers who occupy the outskirts, including the Audi Forum. The earliest mention of Ingolstadt dates back to 806 in a document compiled by Charlemagne detailing his empire; the city’s position on the Danube was strategic and important for trade, which led to the fortifications that sprung up at various points in history. Ingolstadt has many Gothic buildings, such as the Herzogskasten (the old ducal castle) and the New Castle, built from 1418 onwards. Several Gothic churches, the Gothic city hall and an imposing gate from the old city wall can all be visited along with a host of other significant buildings and sights. Ingolstadt University was one of the most influential and powerful institutes of higher learning in Europe and played key roles in the Reformation and aftermath; the legacy of learning continues today as the Ingolstadt School of Management is a leading German business school. The infamous Illuminati were founded in Ingolstadt in 1776 and among many other important connections, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a chapter set in the city. With many museums to explore too, Ingolstadt has a vast amount for visitors to enjoy. Guided tours and themed walks are readily available for groups wanting to see all that the city has to offer. For something completely different, yet still linked to the city’s past as important for trade and the economy, the state-of-the-art Audi Forum is an incredible museum on multiple levels, exploring the history and technology of the automobile and the Audi brand in particular. Ingolstadt has more than 40 hotels including the ideally-located ARA Comfort Hotel, which offers spacious bedrooms and a stylish bar and restaurant. Visitors will find plenty of shops selling everything from traditional crafts to modern souvenirs and a whole host of dining options; for traditional, delicious, ample Bavarian cuisine the cosy ‘Schanzer Rutschn’ restaurant is an excellent choice.

Nuremberg has much in common with Ingolstadt, including a strategic and ancient past, significance in trade, an impressive array of famous sons and several important museums. Its history is significantly more tumultuous and bloody than that of Ingolstadt however, including many massacres of Jews dating back to 1298, multiple outbreaks of plague, the Nuremberg Nazi rallies, severe damage from Allied bombing (including the destruction of 90% of the medieval centre in a single hour in January 1945) and the Nuremberg Trials in 1945 and 1946. Despite the massive damage to the Nuremberg’s historical buildings during the war, the city was rebuilt and was greatly restored to its pre-war appearance including the reconstruction of some of its medieval buildings. Visitors can therefore enjoy many splendid and notable sights, including three castles, many churches, the 1332 ‘Hospital of the Holy Spirit’ and Nuremberg's famous Gothic ‘Schöner Brunnen’ (Beautiful Fountain). The central square hosts the world-famous Christkindlesmarkt every December, including plenty of stalls selling the Nuremberg speciality lebkuchen. Visitors should not leave without also sampling Nürnberger bratwurst, which is shorter and thinner than other bratwurst sausages; the dark wood panelled ‘Bratwurst Glöcklein’ restaurant is a great choice for this, serving the traditional charcoal-grilled sausages with sauerkraut, potato salad and horseradish on bell-shaped tin plates.

Info: www.chicoutletshopping.com