Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

86 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION

SHOPPING IN BRUSSELS

U

pmarket stores in
Brussels have high-
quality goods, elegant
wrappings and professional

service. International haute
couture labels and top-brand

chocolate shops radiate a sense of
luxury, while the boutiques of up-and-

coming designers have an off-hand
nonchalance or an edgy intensity.

However, all Belgians also have

a well-tuned sense of value for

money, and prices are keen at

the high-street chain shops

and supermarkets, for clothes,

beers and biscuits. Bargain

hunters in search of antiques and bric-

a-brac stand a good chance of success,

and will certainly enjoy Brussels’s

vibrant antiques and flea markets.

WHERE TO SHOP

Brussels’s Grand Place is
surrounded by lace vendors,
chocolate shops and souvenir
outlets. The most impressive
collection of shops nearby is
Galéries St-Hubert (see p62),
an opulent arcade housing
upmarket outlets. Northwest
of the Grand Place is Rue
Antoine Dansaert, centre of
the Bruxellois’ contemporary
fashion scene. For all major
high-street chains, there is the
pedestrianized Rue Neuve near
the Grand Place. Between the
Lower and Upper towns is the
antiques district of Rue Haute
and Rue Blaes. Close by is the
Place du Grand Sablon where
exquisite chocolate shops can
be found alongside high-end
florists and antique shops.
South of the Palais de Justice
lie Boulevard de Waterloo
and Avenue Louise, with top
boutiques such as Gucci.

Hema, a Dutch low-cost

store, selling everything from

clothes to kitchen utensils.

FASHION

Downtown’s Rue Antoine

Dansaert is at the heart of

Brussels’s thriving fashion

industry. Its principal outlet

Stijl has sold the work of

fashion graduates from the

Antwerp Art Academy since

1984, and still offers the best

wares produced by domestic

talent. Further down the street

are the dresses and womens-

wear of Nicolas Woit and the

beautiful knitwear of Annemie

Verbeke. In the nearby Rue du

Flandre is the shop of Martin

Margiela, one of Belgium’s

most talked about designers.

MARKETS AND ANTIQUES

On most weekends, visitors

will find a brocante (a glorified

car boot sale combined with

street party) somewhere in

the city. These are listed in

most of the free events

magazines, as are the various

farmers’ markets found across

the city. The latter often have

some remarkable local breads

and cheeses. Cheapest and

most extensive of the tradi-

tional markets is the Marché

du Midi (6am–1pm Sundays)

that reflects the tastes of the

area’s North African commu-

nity. The eclectic Marolles

Marché aux Puces, a flea

market (7am–2pm daily, but

best on weekends), dates from

1873 and is the starting point

for any antiques hunter. It can

take time to sort through the

various boxes of items, but

there are definitely bargains

to be found. For pre-sorted

antiques, it is best to head for

the more expensive weekend

market (9am–6pm Saturday,

9am–2pm Sunday) in front of

the Notre-Dame du Sablon.

DEPARTMENT STORES

City 2, at the northern end
of Rue Neuve, is the largest
urban shopping centre in
Belgium and hosts the depart-
ment store Inno. Further
south on the same street lies

CHOCOLATES

There are 81 chocolatiers

listed in the Brussels phone

book (not including franchise

shops), almost all of high

quality. The three biggest

chains in Belgium are Godiva,

Neuhaus and Leonidas. Galler

and Corné Port-Royal are also

excellent. All have numerous

outlets throughout the city.

The area around the Grand

Belgian chocolates

Window display at a designer fashion boutique on the Rue Neuve

Shoppers browsing through the

wares at the Marolles flea market