City Shopping: Brussels
Once thought of as dull and grey, Brussels is fast shedding this image and gaining itself a reputation as one of Europe’s must-do destinations, with its small town charm, trendy barsand restaurants,fabulous food, great nightlife, fantastic shopping, numerousmuseums, and other attractionsincluding the diverse and interesting exhibitions and festivalsorganized there every year.
Brussels is also becoming known as a mecca of style, art, and design. While attracting more and more big names in international fashion to its growing shopping districts, homegrown Belgian designers are rapidly gaining global notoriety. The streets of Brussels feature artand architecturecreated from an unmistakably Belgian point of view that cannot be replicated. This beautiful city is a center for fashion, art, and Belgian culture.
| Brussels Must Sees | |
| Grand Place: A unique mix of beautiful 17th century architecture and modern social life | |
| Town Hall: This Gothic-style tower remains one of Belgium’s finest civic buildings | |
| The Royal Palace: A stunning palace in the heart of Brussels that is open for public visits | |
| Manneken Pis: The infamous statue serves as an symbol of the spirit and humor of Brussels | |
| Coudenberg: Archaeological remains of a prestigious palace dating back to the Middle Ages | |
| The Royal Saint Hubert Galleries: Home to lively cafes and one-of-a-kind boutiques | |
| Atomium: Built for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels, now the city’s most popular attraction | |
| Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula: A beautiful Cathedral at the center of Brussels | |
| Place du Grand Sablon: Classic European architecture, now houses high-class antiques stores, restaurants, and chocolate shops |
Brussels has much more to offer than you possibly expect.
Suggested Hotels in Brussels
The Hotel Amigo
The Hilton Conrad
Odette En Ville
The Dominican
Hotel Be Manos
Bed & Brussels
| Brussels Shopping |
| Store hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00am – 6:00pm. Stores are closed on Sundays except in Brussels at the Gallerie St Hubert and gift shops near the Grand Place. |
| Antique and flea markets are generally open on Saturdays and Sundays. |
| Tax is always included in price. |
| Flea Market Place du Jeu de Balle
Here you can find an extraordinary mix of household items, vintage clothes, Crockery and furniture. Ask for the marché aux puces! |
| Place du Grand Sablon
Antique lovers beware, this is paradise! This antique market is considered one of Europe’s best. It’s the thing to do in Brussels on a weekend; both the Grand Sablon Square itself and the spider web of streets that emanate from it. |
| Antiques Sablon
Famous for furniture and objects from the 1900’s, 1920’s and 1930’s. |
| Annual Antique Dealers Fair
This event, organized by the Royal Chamber of Belgian Antiques, is the largest Antiques fair in Belgium. Dates: January 23 to February 1, 2009. |
| Brussels Ancient Art Fair
Dealers in classical, Egyptian and Near EasternAntiquities come to Brussels from all over the world to put their treasures on
display in leading galleries at the Sablon quarter. Dates: June 4-9, 2009. |
| Charleroi |
| Lusine
An antiques center of more than 9000 m². You will find provincial, Belgian Art Deco and French period furniture as well as decorative items. |
| Second-Hand Market
Every Sunday. |
| Liege and Vicinity |
| La Batte
Famous Sunday street market, stretching over 2 miles, perpetuating the tradition of the old medieval fairs. The people of Liege have been going to La Batte for generations. Today, some 500 vendors commandeer the wharves of the river Meuse every Sunday morning. From end to end, this represents more than 2 miles of stalls where the most diverse international products are on offer. |
| Flea Market
Les Petites Puces de Saint Gilles is held every Saturday morning at Bld. Louis-Hillier and the Brocante de Saint-Pholien every Friday morning at the Bld. de la Constitution and Place Jehan-le-Bel. |
| Antique Dealers
Grouped around the Old City and near the Cathedral. |
| Namur and Vicinity |
| Antica
National antique fair gathering over 150 Belgian and foreign antique dealers. High-quality pieces. Accent on traditional furniture. Dates: November 2009. |
| Belfry Market
A beautiful and typical antique market. |
| Bonnine Market
Traditional food market held weekly. Wednesdays: 2 pm to 7 pm. |
| Brocante Fair in Ciney
This small agricultural town hosts a yearly flea market fair in its large covered market hall. Mid to end July. 15 miles from Namur. |
| Flea Market in Jambes
Along the river Meuse every Sunday: 8 am to 1 pm. |
| Grognon Flea Market
Held in the pedestrian streets. |
| Market of Namur Station
Traditional food market, all year round. Wednesdays: 12 pm to 7:30 pm. |
| Market of Salzinnes
Small traditional market. Tuesdays: 8 am to 1 pm. |
| Namur Market
Traditional market held in the center of Namur. Saturdays: 8 am to 1 pm. |
| Antique Fair and Flea Market |
| Flea Market
On Place St. Pierre and Rue du Cygne. Sunday mornings. |
| Fashion/Shopping |
| In Brussels
Take a walk along Rue Antoine Dansaert Straat and the surrounding area to discover the hub and heart of Brussels’ fashion and design world with the best concentration of avant guard designers and fashion boutiques. The Avenue Louise is one long catwalk of famous fashion brands, including big international names like Chanel, Vuitton, Hermes, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace and Christian Dior. The first section is one of the most attractive shopping districts in the city, with prestigious as well as more affordable shops clustered around the large department store Innovation. If you are looking for bargains, then go shopping in the lower city around Rue Neuve in the city center. It is one of the most bustling of Brussels’ shopping areas that stretches all the way up to Rue des Fripiers. Built in 1847, Gallerie St Hubert is a gorgeous, glass roofed arcade in the center of town, lined with cafes, theaters and luxury stores and has the distinction of being the first shopping arcade in Europe. It houses a number of well-known shops with wonderful window displays. Founded in 1829 in Brussels, Delvaux is the oldest fine leather luxury goods company in the world |
| Belgian designers boutiques in Brussels:
Annemie Verbeke-Rue Antoine Dansaert 64 Christophe Coppens-Rue Leon Lepage 2 Isabelle Baines-Rue du Pepin 48 Just in Case-Rue Leon Lepage 63 Jean-Paul Knot-Boulevard Barthelemy 20 Louise Assomo-Rue des Chartreux 64 Maison Martin Margiela-Rue Rempart des Moines 40 Valerie Berckmans-Rue Van Artevelde 8 Elvis Pompilio-67 rue Lebeau |
| Multibrands boutiques
In Brussels: Charlotte aux pommes – Rue de Rollebeek 29 Francis Ferent Store – Avenue Louise 60 Hunting & Collecting – Rue des Chartreux, 17 Icon – Place du Marche aux Grains So!-Rue de Livourne 127 Stijl-Rue Antoine Dansaert 74 In Namur: Hotels Particuliers – Rue Pepin 2 In Liege: Irina Kha – Rue du Pot d’Or 12 |
| Vintage Boutiques in Brussels
Gabriele Vintage – Rue des Chatreux 27 Vintage Today – Chaussee de Waterloo 800
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| Shop In Brussels
This website gives you complete infromation on shopping in Brussels. |
| QuartiersCommercants
A great shopping website covering all shopping regions in Brussels with clickable maps and store listings |
| Brussels Creativity
This website takes you on a virtual tour through Brussels, to discover the “art of living” through Brussels’ monuments, restaurants, designers, and most importantly – shopping. Great information and clickable maps for all the best shopping districts in Brussels. |
| Itineraires
Belgian tour operator offering visitors the history of costume revealed by the collections from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, and the trends of avant-garde fashion via the modern stylists. |
| Modobruxellae
Everything you want to know about Belgian fashion, stores, special events and more in Brussels. |
| Ardennes Outlet
What’s better than treating yourself to the wonderful pleasure of being swept away by a fine and growing collection of designer labels at the Ardennes Outlet Center in the French speaking region of Belgium? Go crazy! |
| Belgian Specialties: Tapestries, Lace & Chrystal | |||
| Belgian Tapestries
For over six centuries, Belgian tapestry has been a highly prized luxury craft. Tapestry designs involve weaver and artists working closely together. Painters including Rubens, produced drawings for a series of weavings of six or more on grand themes. Prized by the nobility, tapestries were portable and could be moved with the court as rulers traveled their estates. As trade grew, techniques were refined; real gold and silver were threaded into the fine wool, again increasing the value. Classical myths were popular themes for tapestry series. |
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Crystal Company of Val Saint Lambert Walking through the Crystal Company, alone or in-group, you can see the different crafts that are necessary for the production of crystal and the secret of their creation. Val Saint Lambert is the official supplier to H.M. the King of Belgium and they also supply 40 kingdoms and head of states. Located in Seraing near Liege. |
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| Another Point of Interest |
| Redu Book Village
This small village situated in the heart of the Ardennes welcomes you all year long! You can find numerous books on the most miscellaneous topics in the 22 bookshops of this picturesque village. The bookshops are usually open on weekends, holidays, and vacations. |
Gourmet Corner
Belgium is a genuine paradise for gourmet lovers. If you have ever had a chance to read Asterix and the Belgians, you would already know one of the most obvious truths of our weird and wonderful country: Belgian cuisine is as good as the French one, and as generous as the German one. At least we hope it is not the other way round!
And another fact about Belgium and food: you do not need to go to a 3 starred restaurant to really enjoy a delicious and original meal. The list enclosed on the right hand side sub-menu will tell you about some of the finest, oddest and most amazing places where you can enjoy something different, and so good, that you will not forget it for the rest of your life: from the internationally acclaimed restaurants to the most unlikely places.
When it is about Gastronomy, in Southern Belgium, just expect the unexpected and don’t be surprised to meet people who have travelled for miles to join the experience!
Sweet Leisure: Food, travel, entertaining and other pleasures of the good life – Belgium : food specialties by Susan Manlin Katzman
Chocolate Lovers
Belgian chocolate has been the food of champions, a lure for lovers, the indulgence of the rich and later, the favorite of the masses.
Visiting Belgium? Craving for quality chocolate? Unlike wine, beers and other fluids, Airlines have not yet regulated the amount of chocolate you wish to bring back state side.
The Sablon – Zavel Square was always famous for Antiques shopping, fancy florist, porcelain stores and great restaurants. In recent years, the Royal Household supplier House of Wittamer was joined by Haut Chocolatier Pierre Marcolini and by Belgium’s most famous and traditional chocolate shops: Neuhaus, Godiva and finally Cote d’Or celebrating 125 years of chocolate manufacturing in their first shop where you will find the entire collection.
Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year with more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country. Pralines in Belgium are sublime chocolate confections. A beautifully sculpted chocolate shell conceals a center of filling which explodes with a surprising texture and flavor in your mouth. Many chocolatiers still make their pralines by hand. Every town and even small villages have chocolate stores with luxurious pralines.
Beer Lovers
In Belgium, beer is more than just a frothy beverage – it is a culture. With over 450 different varieties, many Belgian beers have personalized beer glasses in which only that beer may be served. The shape of each glass enhances the flavor of the beer for which it is designed. This tradition may seem like behavior reserved for wine snobbery, but Belgians take their beer seriously – and with good reason. The country has enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for specialty beers since the Middle Ages. Connoisseurs favor Belgian beers for their variety, real flavor and character.
It is easy to see the depth to which beer has become one with Belgium’s culture. What other country has a driving tour through the countryside called the Beer Route? After a day of castle hopping, visitors can stop by one of the local cafés to enjoy some chocolate with their beer, as their worries melt away. Whether you were visiting a brewery, sitting in a café or attending a festival, visitors will remember the first time they tasted their favorite brew.
