Brussels Monday!
Monday I will be in Brussels!!
Below is the information for the event.
Monday 17th May
Book Signing
Chic Outlet Village
Maasmechelen Village, Belgium
4PM till 6PM
Below is the information for the event.
Monday 17th May
Book Signing
Chic Outlet Village
Maasmechelen Village, Belgium
4PM till 6PM
It's my first time there so I am very excited.
Any suggestions on what I shouldn't miss?
Wednesday Frankfurt!
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post a commentDo you have any plans to visit Warsaw in Poland?
Amsterdam? :)
When will you be in Denmark? :-)
Brussels is a beautiful city. Do not miss the antique districts with all fun antique stores, love the chocolate shops. I last was there in December and it was brutally cold, and I walked everywhere, just loved discovering the small streets, the plazas. Enjoy!!
Belgium is the country, Brussels is its capital, and Maasmechelen village is some sort of outlet shopping mall.
There isn't much to see in Maasmechelen village, except for the outlet stores. Hope you're going to visit some other palces as well, as Belgium has great food (not only beer, fries and chocolate) fashion, and art as well
Please try to visit one of the excellent, beautifully designed houses/buidings by Victor Horta from the Art Nouveau era.
You shouldn't miss Cherry beer (Kriek), old city center, and chocolate shops. I used to live there!
Musee Rene Magritte or Delirium Café, both are worth to visit.
Depends on if you like belgian comic strips,
especially Gaston Lagaffe (Franquin).
In this case I highly recommand the Gaston Lagaffe museum ^^
I am soooo excited! I wish I could come, I have been waiting for you to come to Belgium ever since the release of your book, I'd really want it signed, but I have a presentation for my master's dissertation tomorrow... The Sablon and its surroundings is my favorite place, where you can have amazing patisserie in Witamer. Also, You should really take a walk in the neighbourhood ofyLa Bourse and the Rue Antoine Dansaert, where the best store in Belgian fashion (for both men and women) is located, called Stijl. I hope you enjoy our country! I'm so sorry to miss it :(
Ow and the the Galérie du Roi, you cannot miss that one neither, it's close to the Rue A. Dansaert. Enjoy!
You should visit Lisbon aswell, lot's of interesting things to see and great food! Plus, lot's of excited fans to meet you! :D
xx,
Dimogonda blog
Beautiful places :
- Rue Dansaert ("belgian fashion street") ;
- Le Sablon (Antiques & Pierre Marcolini = best chocolate of Belgium !) ;
- BOZAR (Palais des Beaux-Arts) ;
- Galeries royales (near "Grand Place")...
Where in Frankfurt??
And Munich? Although I already bought the book at Colette...
Horta Museum
Magritte museum, haing a Liegoise waffle and one from Brussels, so you can decide which one is your favourite. Of couse you must see the Grand place, la galerie de la Reine. Worth having the best fish soup and moussles at "noordzee" in front of Sainte Catherine...no words!
Enjoy it!
Dolores
St Catherine is a great area for exploring cute, interesting boutiques - especially Rue de Flandres and Rue des Chartreux (and Rue Antoine Dansaert of course).
The only problem is that Maasmechelen is about an hour out of Brussels...
Maasmechelen is one hour drive from Brussels...
If you're in Brussels City, visit the daily flea market at the Place du Jeu de Balle. There's also a small but interesting vintage clothing shop called Mode.
Where you are going is 100 km off Brussels in a little village where there isn't much to do.. you'd better come to Antwerp, there you'll see more.. Have fun anyway!
Beers with flavours
You miss out eating on the market of gare de midi and watching stylish people around there and the fleamarket at place jeu de balle on sunday but nevertheless: quartier des marolles, taking the elevator from the palais de justice and having a tea "à la mente fraîche" on top of the musée des instruments de la musique. And of course grand place by night when nobody else is there, Pierre Marcolini chocolates, la botanique is beautiful as well as les galériés royales St. Hubert...
Have a nice stay
Patisserie from Witamer, on the Sablon! Great neighbourhood as well. And Stijl, in the Rue A. Dansaert, best in Belgian fashion. Have fun!
I hope you have fun in Belgium. It's a lovely country that is often overlooked. Check out this post that lists some great things to do. Safe travels! xoxo
http://skirtproject.blogspot.com/2010/04/visitors.html
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for the start of the Cjic Tour of Europe!! Hopefully we'll have time for some fabulous designer shopping as well as book signings and all the wonderful things you'll be doing!
http://bit.ly/90a9Ej.
We shall be tweeting live from www.twitter.com/thechicbuzz, #chictours but
I was planning to have my book signed, but can't because of exams. désolé! but i've got two must-visit-boutiques for you to:
First: Elvis Pompilio:
he makes custom hats and is world famous.
address: place sablon
second: Café Costume:
they rock custom made suits. at quite democratic prices (from 500€). You can pick everything yourself: the seaming, buttons, model etc .... And they're not stuck up or anything. enjoy their warm welcome! address: rue Dansaert.
site: www.cafecostume.be
Nx
How fun! I never though you'd do a book signing in Belgium! I can't wait!
Things you should do while your in Brussels:
-eat a wafle, preferably a brussels one topped with icecream and chocolatsauce
-buy tons of chocolats( all different kinds)
-try some of our famous Belgian beers.
-act like a tourist, that's the best way to blend in :p
-pick up a few words in dutch and french, we love a foreigner making an effort !
You should try "Delirium" - they have 3000 beer brands from all-over the world www.deliriumcafe.be
My favorite in Brussels was the courthouse :)
Ah, there is sooo much! I LOVE Brussels. Here is my top 4:
1) Since it is the 50 year anniversary of Congo Independence will there be many interesting exhibitions. I would go to the Royal Museum for Central Africa since it is a crazy old fashion museum with an even older and not always PC- approach to the Colonial History. And an amazing Park.
http://www.africamuseum.be/
2) I would also follow Hortas footsteps if you like Art Nouveau. It is so beautiful.
3) Rue Blaes is amazing with the best antique and vintage shopping.
4) I also like rue de Flandre where I found a really sweet Fish restaurant where the Old locals go. I ended up next to a woman in her 90s that talked to me in French all lunch. I do not understand any French and of what I said I think the only she understood "Belle Ville".
Enjoy!
Malin
when hamburg then?
I agree...Amsterdam ;)
Gorgeous!
www.lipsandpoppies.blogspot.com
come to antwerp!! (it is at equal distance from the Maasmechelen Village then brussels - 100 km) it is the new fashion capital of europe!! :)
- lot's of cool characters on the street
- shopping paradise
- the famous antwerp fashion academy
- the fashion museum
- Dries van Noten hometown + store
- Ra boutiek in the kloosterstraat: very nice fashion store with lots of young upcoming designers
store is from former students of the fashion academy
- yohi yamamoto store
- harbour area with new museum (not open yet)
- concept stores Clinic, Hospital, Your
- ann de meulemeester hometown + store
- boutique Louis with belgian designers Margiela, raf simons,...+ new acne store
- shoestore Coccodrillo
- shuttershofstraat (essentiel men + women store)
- kloosterstraat
- cammenstraat
- the south area with lots of nice buildings restaurants and bars (next to museum of fine arts)
- princess blue store
- coffee bar caffenation
- bookstore Copyright (next to fashion museum)
- shall I continue? ;)
you CANNOT not go there, being the sartorialist!
You will be more in the neighbourhood of Hasselt, and you should definitely visit 'Ultra Mega Lore', the exhibition of Belgian topmodel Hannelore Knuts in the Fashion Museum of Hasselt. Or visit Maastricht - my home town - which is only 20 minutes away! I would be happy to show you around town...
Wish I could come, but have to miss it too. I have a project presentation and afterwards I'm going to see Lady Gaga in Antwerp.
Hope you enjoy your visit to our small country!
You have to go to the "Grand Place" in Brussel and see everything around it!
There's a great café called ; "le théatre de Toones" http://www.toone.be/
it's a puppet theatre but also a café where you can drink good Belgian beers!
You have to taste Belgian wafels and also the Belgian Fries "chez Antoine" Place Jourdan in Brussel too.
My favourite place; le mont des arts, up near the grand place with a nice sigtseeing....
And if you can taste "cuberdons" or "hopjes"....delicious sweets!
I left Belgium 20 years ago but when I go back i love to see those places...
Enjoy!
amazing post!
the best shops are to be found in and near the dansaertstraat. for drinks i would go to "de markten"
if you like to party, k-nal is the place. delicious pastry and chocolates are made by "wittamer"
and i believe it would be really nice if you could visit the workshops of Delvaux, a brand that has been making leather bags and accessories since 1829.
welcom in Belgium, hope you have a great visit!
Forget about Brussels and go to Antwerp! ;)
As most fellow Belgians already said, you should go to Dansaertstraat (Rue Dansaert in French). Lots of good shopping there; upcoming designers & some unexpected brands.
As for the Grand Place, I'd say stay away from it. You could go to see the buildings, which are very beautiful, but don't go for drinks. There are much better and more authentic places to do so.
Chocolates is a difficult one. There is so much to choose from, and to be honest, most of it is crap. There are only a few good 'chocolatiers' out there. (A hint, Marcolini is not one of them! In general, most big names don't sell the best chocolates...)
Other stuff like fries & waffles are typically Belgian too, so indulge!
Have fun!
I can't believe you are coming to Brussels the only time of the year I am travelling away!
I hope you are just going to Maachelen for the book signing! And I agree Antwerp is the place to visit for fashion lovers (and not only!).
Here some personal tips on what's going in Brussels (some places have been already mentioned by the other readers):
Festival des Arts just kicked off (dedicated to new creations, intended for artists with a personal outlook on the world and spectators willing to question their own views). Here the programme (venue: different places in town): http://www.kfda.be/en/home
Fashion - While all the main brands are disseminated in the Avenue Louise area, just a couple minutes away on foot from the heart of Brussels city center - the beautiful Grand Place - rue Dansaert and surroundings are the place for independent designer boutiques. Everything (shops, resto, café) about Brussels Creativity Area (Dansaert) here: http://www.brusselscreativity.be/en/brussels/dansaert
And Bruxelles Modo http://www.modobruxellae.be/index_uk.htm is the blog for promoting Brussels fashion to the general public, the Media and fashion professionals.
While in the center it’s worth taking a walk through the Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert, a 19th century shopping arcade under a handsome glass roof filled with attractive boutiques, chocolatiers, cafés, and even a cinema. Grand Sablon and Marolles District will introduce you to some of the best chocolatiers, luxury antiques, and second hand treasures on the continent. The streets around Place Jeu-de-Balle (home to the daily antique market) are filled with antique dealers and second-hand shops.
Best (luxury) chocolate shop and unique style: Pierre Marcolini (1, Rue des Minimes). Almost in front best stop for a sweet treatment: WITTAMERCAFE - Place du Grand Sablon 6
Favourite pub in the city centre: A la Morte Subite: 7, Rue Montagne-aux-Herbes Potagères.
Home to the famous Geuze beers flavored with cherry and raspberry. It’s very popular among locals and visitors alike plus Jacques Brel used to hang out here. Not far away, my fav contemporary Belgian restaurant (plus oyster bar, cigar lounge bar, beer bar): Belga Queen (in a former 19th century bank): http://www.belgaqueen.be/visit.asp?Lang=1&City=1
Same concept (in case you are stuck in Midi Railway Station): Midi Station http://www.midistation.eu/news_en.html
If you like to eat fish, go to Place Sainte Cathérine (look for the big cathedral in the Dansaert shopping district).
From the Central Railway Station walk to amazing Galerie Ravenstein then to the nearby Bozar - Museum of Fine Arts (nice café and brasserie inside, design shop) – if you have time stop at the Museum of Instruments (another Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta Museum as Bozar) to take the wrought-iron lift to the sixth floor café whose terrace offers a spectacular view over the town centre and the Grand-Place. Continue your walk to the newly designed Monts des Arts square. Here you find also Kwint, a stunning venue (restaurant with excellent food and lounge bar) designed by celebrated conceptual artist Arne Quinze.
Enjoy it!
Best,
Elena ;-)
P.S.And I love the parks! But with this weather...mmmh!
P.P.S. Hidden secret: Espace Catastrophe http://www.catastrophe.be/
Arts du Cirque Arts de la Rue Arts clownesques
Rue de la Glacière, 18
Gutted, I live in Brussels but study at university in the UK... Honestly I never thought you would make it there and am insanely excited at seeing what has been my home for the past 6 years through your camera's lens!
As people have recommended, you should definitely go to the Sablon neighbourhood, it will be lovely now in spring; Horta left Art Nouveau trademark buildings all over Brussels much like Gaudi in Barcelona; if you are interested in arts/music/theatre head to the Beaux Arts (or "Bozar" as they phonetically spell it in their current campaign).
Have fun!
The thing about Belgium, as many foreigners who visit it in a blizz say, is that you need to know someone to take you around and break trough Belgian's -at first sight- attitude of cold distance..
Most American tourists skip it in favor of Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin etc..
There is not much to see in Maasmechelen...so do come to Brussels, it is 100 km away..
As several already pointed out, it is worth your while to come to Brussels !
I would recommend you have a coffee or tea at MoKafé located in Galerie du Roi 9, (fabulous bookstore!) admire this wonderful covered shopping area and pedestrian street, I can assure you that you's love it. You can see what it looks like if you google it. Afterwards, walk to the Grand Place and admire the wonderful architecture... you should NOT miss this under no circumstances.. some people have called it the most beautiful square in the world!!
Walk (only 5 mins) to rue Dansaert...you will like the stores..
Brussels is the seat of the European Headquarters (Commission and Council), you should swing by it in a car... just to have seen it.
I doubt whether you will have any time left if you do this before your Maasmechelen performance. There are wonderful restaurants in Brussels, truly the widest choice in the world !
I would be MORE than happy to be your guide and to invite you at my home for dinner ! (we are a Belgo- American family) and live in an Art Deco House which you would love, I know.
After a career as a civil servant I have decicated the second part of my life to photography, am a photography student (!) and a visitor to your blog..would love to meet you !
Ahh enfin en Belgique(Ahh finally in Belgium). If you can leave Maasmechelen - which is absolutely NOT Brussels- you must definitively go to the Grand Place and to Rue Dansaert for the shops (my lovely boyfriend offered me some beautiful lingerie from Underwear), drink a beer in the Delirium café, eat a "crêpe" (sort of pancake) in La Maison des Crêpes and last but not least, visit the Brussels Parliament (just for me to have a chance to see you :) ) Hope you'll enjoy our city...
brussels is beautifull and verry multi cultural , antwerp has the best street fashion.
love and rainbows to all of you
eat loads and loads and loads of belgian waffles! all varieties if possible! :D
hey, I live in Belgium, I wish I could make it to Maasmechellen, but it's quite far from my town. Uhm, ... there's a Marlies deckers outlet over there ...
Xo Xo-Axelle
www.ax-elle.blogspot.com
Brussels is so beautiful! If you have some time, I would totally go into the touristy areas, visit all the chocolate stores and look at everything like you're inspecting it. Most people will offer you free chocolates for trial that way. We used to do that when I visited Brussels 2 years ago and tell the chocolate sellers that we had just started exploring the center of town and that we'll be back later. I am not really sure whether this is a "do" or a "don't" but it definitely gave us the chance to find out where the chocolates taste best!
Brussels really has some great places if you want to eat out. The most famous one being Rue Jordan, but beware, the waiters are sort of like Turkish jewelry sellers, everyone wants to pull you into his restaurant! You need to try some Belgian fries, though, and waffles of course!
One place I particularly loved, was the so-called Drug Opera, a Café/Restaurant and they served the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my entire life.
http://www.drugopera.be/
If you like antiques, vintage, furniture and art, you might want to check out "Le Quartier des Sablons" which is really famous for that. It's not far from 'Le grand place' which is the heart of Brussels.
If garance is with you and she wants to shop, the 'Sint Hubertusgalerijen' is a recommendable place. It is a gorgeous shopping center with a lot of nice stores and it is very close to the grand place, so if you ask people in stores, they should be able to show you the way.
I hope you enjoy your trip!
as you travel so much you probably already tasted one of the wonderful "le pain quotidien"- brownies. shouldn't that be the case...try them!!!
www.painquotidien.com
and although you find this brasserie in every guidebook its a nice place to drink their "homemade" beer. http://www.alamortsubite.com/
rue Montagne-aux-Herbes Potagères 7
You should visit the shops near the Radisson Hotel, they're nice. 'De Munt' the operahouse is also very beautiful. 'Het muziekinstrumentenmuseum' a museum for musicinstruments is also magnificent! Have a nice time in Belgium!
Amazing city, I'm born there and don't want to leave it.Go visit the " Grand'place ", the weather is gonna be nice this week. Enjoy it, and keep going like this, it makes my day when I see you've posted news things !
Hahaha! I know we have some political problems in Belgium but please, don't say you are in Brussels if you are in Maasmechelen. It's next to the Netherlands borderline :-) It's not far from Brussels (one hour drive) but to us, Belgians, inhabitants of a very small country, it's not the same area at all. Maasmechelen is a kind of artificial village made of outlet shops. Don't hope being next to the Grand Place or la rue Blanche. Yet, you can visit Liège which is a very funny city where we love partying and people are very welcoming. Hope I'll be able to come tomorrow afternoon and that I improved a little bit your knowledge of tiny Belgium geography :-)
I will be at Maasmechelen Village too tomorrow!
I'll be there at the meeting with bloggers,
so I guess I'll see you there then!
I visited your expo at Maasmechelen Village just about an hour ago, and I've made a post about it on my blog. (It's just a teaser, though... Didn't want to give too much away for tomorrow!)
P.S.: If you have the time, you should go and eat a pizza at Cellini in Maasmechelen Village. They're the best!
See you tomorrow!
x Krizia
www.krizia-shark-attack.blogspot.com
Hi,
Hope you are really goin to Brussels and not stayin in Maasmechelen.
Fun you're goin there, most people talkin of belgian fashion would choose Antwerp, but i do think there is something in Brussels
Have 10 min around Grand Place (too much tourists !!!!) and go Sainte Catherine area (I like DeMarkten café because here is also photography exhibitions there!) + Rue Danseart + Sablon (antics, fleas)
If you have time, go lookin for Art Nouveau places
Spend some times in cafés, where the true soul of Brussels is.
Have fun (take pictures)
In Maasmechelen you will be quite far from Brussels - but you will be close to Maastricht. It is a quiet little university town on the Maas river and is actually in Holland but you will hardly notice when you cross the border! The shopping is wonderful: Maastricht is so small that the bigger commercial stores and the smaller, experimental stores and studios are side by side. Brussels, on the other hand, is a big city and keeps its secrets hidden - but this means also that you get nice surprises. You should start in the centre - at De Munt theatre, please go inside - and just walk and walk and walk.
You could start your day by enjoying the view of the Downtown Brussels at Place Poelaert then walk on the Rue de la Regence to aim for the beautiful Place du Grand Sablon (where you can get the Marcolini chocolates yum yum) and further on Rue de la Regence you'll find Le Mont des Arts, then head downhill to sneak peack at La Grand Place and go further to La Bourse and into the trendy St. Catherine area (Dansaert street have some belgian designers shops).
On this walk you'll find design shops, contemporary art galleries, cafés, beautiful architecture and views of the city... enjoy!
http://maps.google.be/maps?hl=fr&client=firefox-a&hs=2M0&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&q=place+poelaert+brussels&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Place+Poelaert,+1000+Bruxelles&gl=be&ei=dAfwS7mFHsSXOMXShJcI&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ8gEwAA
And if you’re still around on Tuesday, go to Antwerpen! (Anvers in french, it’s the same city) and apart from enjoying the lovely city and its trendy inhabitants you have to go see the Museum of Fashion and the expo about Black colour through history.
A couple of adresses in Brussels:
BOZAR (contemporary art) :
http://www.bozar.be/home.php?lng=en
MARCOLINI chocolates:
http://www.marcolini.be/
STIJL SHOP (Belgian designers Brussels shop):
74, rue Antoine Dansaert 1000 Brussels
L'IDIOT DU VILLAGE restaurant:
Rue Blaes 19, 1000 Bruxelles
http://www.sensum.be/en/resto/show/l-idiot-du-village/
and in Antwerpen:
Mode Museum in Antwerpen (closed on monday) for the current expo Master of Black in Fashion & Costume
http://www.momu.be/en/
the female manneken pis!
Brussels is great. Visit the amazing 15th century Grand Place at the center of the city. It is probably the most beautiful square in Europe. Go to Le Grand Sablon, the nearby square surrounded by amazing antique shops and all the best chocolatiers: Wittamer, Pierre Marcolini, Mary's. Even Leonidas is good. Make sure you eat at Au Vieux Saint Martin, a wonderful bistro on the square. Nearby, you can find Avenue Louise where many fashion houses are located.
Other cities that are amazing and esily accessed by train are Antwerp (it's worth going just to see the incredible train station), Ghent (loaded with 15th century buildings) and the romanesque Bruges (which is wonderful despite the film). Antwerp's main street is loaded with mimes and performance artists on the weekends.
Also, in Brussels, there are many chic, hip clubs. You might like "Majestic."
I say I'm going to Brussels because that is where I am sleeping. The event is Maasmechelen Village
Brussels is really great I hope you enjoy it..the must see spot is 'manneken pis' and the things you have to eat is Belgian chocolate,beer and fries oh and you should also walk trough the Queen Gallery
XX from a belgian girl!
http://loresfashion.blogspot.com
Wish I could be there since it's your first (and probably last?) time in belgium.
I have no idea if you'll have enough time in Brussels, but don't miss out on the museums. They're amazing, especially the Natural Science Museum. Too bad you won't visit Ghent, I could give you a million tips about it.
Enjoy your stay in Belgium !
you should try the waterzooi fish stew scott, and if you don't get a chance remind me and i will make it for you the next time we are together... I got the recipe in brugge at a little restaurant there. Or if it is mussel season try the mussels absolutely to die for - done in dark Belgium beer.
I do agree about the antique stores, accidentally ran across them and they were wonderful..
You're very close to Amsterdam!
Wish you could stay a little longer, there is so much more to see here in Belgium, Brussels only a small part, and not the most fashionable part!
Antwerp and Ghent are both filled with fashion and originality. Bruges is simply beautiful itself.
I hope that you will come back and see the rest of our small country
You HAVE to have mussels in Brussels. My husband and I indulged in the Belgian waffles, beer, and chocolate. However, we found their mussels to be a delightful and delicious surprise.
Also, most restaurants have a person standing outside attempting to reel you in to try their food. They speak several different languages for this very purpose. If you find yourself on a long street where these very people are wearing suits, I recommend you actually listen to them as I find their food is usually the most delicious.
Let's make something clear; Maasmechelen itself is a real village with a population of about 36000. "Maasmechelen Village" is the name of the outlet shopping center over there.
This center is built where there used to be coal mines and cetera. Maybe this information adds something to your view of Maasmechelen. Also because of the former coal mines, there are a lot of different nationalities in Maasmechelen.
Hope this comment is usefull for you and other readers :)
Leave Maasmechelen as soon as you can, and go to Brussels, Antwerp or Maastricht !
I co-sign what Antwerp guy said,: You can not come to Belgium and not visit Antwerp , being The Sartorialist : Home of Dries VanNoten, Ann Demeulemeester , Walter Beirendonck, Christophe Wijnants, Dirk Bikkembergs, and many others..fashion capital with lots of inspiring people to shoot.
Too bad i can't make it all the way to maasmechelen village for the booksigning! would love to buy a signed copy !!
Enjoy your stay in our little cosy country
Do NOT buy chocolate around the Grand Place, most off the chocolate you find there is not good. Instead, follow the suggestions of your visitors and go to place Sablon for Marcolini, Wittamer, ...
Another nice street: Rue Chartreux (near rue Dansaert), with lots of galleries, shops with design, gadgets, fashion, art,...
For a nice view over the city: start at Place Royale (near the palace and Bozar), and walk down on the Kunstberg (Mountain of Arts), a nice place to watch people.
Have fun in Brussels!
Yay, Frankfuuuurt!:)
indeed, you should go to Antwerp..or, Hasselt, really nice shops there!!
and let us know sooner if you come to Belgium again, so we can take the time to come over there :)
you shoud visit Antwerp for sure...go to HUNGRY HENRIETTA for a lovely dinner!!,ñam,ñam,ñam..and don't forget to visit thisismapp.com in Brussels, new in the city!!
A pity you have not been in Brussels when I had a stopover on my train ride to London- it was a train ride as the planes didn't go due to the ash of Eyjafjallajökull ;)
You should visit the Magritte museum and you should it in Lola (sur la palce de Chablon).
Brussels is great and very vivid city.
Maasmechelen Village, its the place for fashionistas in the know, well done for hunting it out!
What will you be doing in Frankfurt?
Oh, it's lovely! My husband & I took our honeymoon in Brussels and Brugges (<-- Le Pand Hotel Romantik).
Grande Place should be gorgeous in the spring, with flowers galore!
If you want to be a tourist, go see the Manneken Pis, grab some frites from a stand, and (if you are a fan of Art Nouveau/architecture) see the Horta Museum (http://www.hortamuseum.be/), dining at the restaurant atop the Musical Instruments Museum (http://www.mim.be). The only down side to the Horta Museum is - no photography allowed! :(
It is an enjoyable experience to go shopping at Galeries Saint-Hubert (oldest indoor shopping center in the world, apparently).
I really enjoyed Teddy L's patisserie - every day. :)
Enjoy your trip!
Why don't you come to Lille?! It's in France and very close to from Brussel!
It could be so great!
:D
Oh dear, who booked you there? Maasmechelen outlet village is a hideous place! I really hope you have time to hit at least one of the larger cities, Brussels, Antwerp, Liege even...
there's a metro station called after you...just kidding :)
no, seriously there's actually a Schuman metro stop in Brussels.
And if you pass by there, maybe my dream of being photographed by you will become true...
you do a great job.
ciao,
Luisa
You have to go to a little book and postcard shop called "Plaizier" near Le Sablo, 50 rue des Eperonniers. If you like old photo, ... I think that you gonna love it! It's my favourite shop in Brussels :)There's also a beautiful librairy Taschen au Sablon, but it's less typical.
Have a great time and don't forget to eat belgium fries!
You must have a Delirium Nocturnum on tap at the Delerium Cafe. Look for the Pink Elephant...
http://www.deliriumcafe.be/
It's the best beer in the world!
In all honesty, it's the only reason to go to Brussels. Antwerp is a far more interesting city as far as Belgium goes.
I hope you have a lovely time. Belgians are super friendly people... Eats some frites for me!
Amy
I would leave Maasmechelen as soon as possible and go to Brussels or Antwerp (all the suggestions above are good + Essentiel, which is a Belgian fashion brand/store). In addition, and if you are interested in Arne Quinze's work, go to:
Leuvenseweg, Brussels (The Sequence)
Museum of Fine Arts and the Royal Palace, Brussels
LaDeuzePlein, Leuven
Margarida.
i was so amazed and thrilled to read your headline, but even bigger was my disappointment to read you will hold your book signing in maasmechelen.
getting out of the office at 5 i could have made it to catch a signature or just see you once in person. but from downtown bxl to maasmechelen...that will be a hard one.
if you happen to stop in brussels during daytime my first recommendation would be the chatelain area near avenue louise.
if you are planning to visit some nice restaurants or bars in the evening in brussels, ixelles area, please note it upon sart.com.
anyway have a good trip and bienvenue á belgique!
oh :( I'm so disappointed, I live in Belgium, but in Brussels, and I won't be able to make it to Maasmechelen because of school..
Please come to Brussels some time, I have your book and I'm an avid reader of your blog & I actually saw you on a program about picasso tonight - so come to brussels soon!
the Sablon, particularly Pierre Marcolini for chocolate.
Place de Catherine for sites and cafes.
Grand Place, obviously, but the you must have a beer at Roi d'Espagne, a centuries old pub.
The Amigo is the best hotel, imho. the Hotel Barsey, second.
Have a great time, eager to hear your thoughts and your report.
Eat waterzooi (creamed chicken dish) and the frites, of course!
Oh, and Mannekin Pis and the museum that has all his outfits.
Maasmechelen is over 1 hour drive away from Brussel and thus absolutely not in Brussels at all!!!
It's on the border with Holland/Germany/Belgium.
It's an awfull outlet village - as Woodburry Commons is to NYC.
Brussels has lots to offer but difficult to make a selection as we do not know how long you will be ther or not?
Definately La Grande Place, Manneken Piss, Place du Grand Sablon, The Magritte Museum, enjoy an opera at La Monnaie Theatre, and cocktails at L'archiduque in the Dansaert Straat. Definately have dinner at Bon Bon.
But most of all come to Antwerp for a second time!!!!
great event, heard about the beer, love it
You should go to the tremens pub! The pub with the most kind of beer of the world! It's 2 minutes from the grand place! Impasse de la Fidélité, 4A
http://www.deliriumcafe.be/
and of course you have to eat the french fries!
You have to go to ghent! It's an amazing small city!
You can find very stylish people at the tango scene, which is very vibrant in Brussels. Tangueros, as they are called, cultivate a special style--everyone dresses with care, men and women alike. Some opt for retro, but most wear very interesting takes on what's on the street. There's often something with flow--for a while, all the women were doing swishy pants. This isn't Antwerp designer fashion, but a strong showing of personal style.
See El Dorado (it's an American-style burger joint, and you slip through a door behind the bar to get into the ballroom) (www.giselaysergio.com) or la Roseraie, hosted by the gorgeous couple Marisa & Oliver (www.marisayoliver.com). Everybody is multilingual.
I just noticed that Jan Fabre's name is missing in my post.
Margarida.
If you have a bit of spare time, there is a small town called Hasselt, which has two menswear shops called Stijn Helsen. This man designed costumes for pirates of the caribbean, as well as the spiderman suit, and his style is terrific. Worth the detour if you have the time! Otherwise, as others have recommended; the Grande Place, Delirium Cafe, Sablons, etc.
de Bruselas no tengo idea... pero otra vez Latinoamérica? Buenos Aires, x favor? jajajaj
In th avenue Louisa in Brussells there is a nice vintage shop of Chanel and Delvaux...amazing...The name Time less (Tusday is open)..There is another vintange shop in Chausse de Waterloo called Egoistë, special and plenty of beutifull things. Open every day.
In Place du Sablon there are the most trandy people I never saw before..also in Antwerpen. Rue Danssart area -in Brussells- is also very fashion.
Don´t forget The food, not only chocolats but all fruits de mer!..Lola andvieux saint martin in place sablon..nice place, and excellent food for lunch or dinner.
Enjoy my town!.
You shouldn't miss the train to Amsterdam of course!
In Sablon you have to try "Mama Roma"!
beautiful city
Why Mechelen? It's in the middle of nowhere :( Anyways I think you would really enjoy downtown Brussels, that is where the "fashion district" is. You can find famous brands as well as some really cute and varied vintage shops. The area is nice to have lunch or to have a drink.
Have fun !!!
For great belgian food, go to "Fin de Siecle" (end of the century). The interior and the waiters haven't changed a bit since last century and the menu hasn't changed either I guess. But brilliant food! Don't expect a fancy dining-spot, expect big plates full of honest and local vegetables and meats. Don't forget to order dessert!
Your also close to the fashionable Dansaertstraat. Cool shops and nice, but small, art galleries.(like other people here said!)
For some more art, go to de Canvascollectie/La Collection RTBF in Bozar. (Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels) Just €1 for an exhibition of lots of young and talented artists.
Get a drink late at night in the neighbourhood of De Beurs. And last of all, like other people mentioned here, don't forget to wander around a bit, you cannot be lost for a long time, 'cause Brussels isn't that big.
Nice to see you coming to Brussels. I went to Sydney a few weeks ago and liked to see some pictures of it when I came home. Looking forward to see some Belgian pictures as well.
Enjoy!
Le Grand Sablon is one of the most beautiful parts of the city - go to Le Pain Quotidien there - such a beautiful cafe, also look in the cathedral, and pick up some chocolates in Pierre Marcolini! Enjoy! The Ave Louise and the park is also wonderful! If you are in the mood for culture, go to the Museum of Musical Instruments, or to the Royal Gallery, which has wonderful pieces by Chagall and Bacon!
The antiques market at Place du Grand Sablon makes for interesting browsing.. or for a bit of an escape you could go head to Bois de la Cambre, with its faded hippodrome, where you can wander or picnic for hours through the forests south of the city.
For more info check out the Globalista Guide to Brussels - we have lots of great info on where to eat, drink, sleep and what to see and avoid whilst you're there:
www.globalista.co.uk/destinations/brussels
I loved.
- the Victor Horta Museum and others Art Nouveau buildings
- the Comic Museum
- and some littles hidden gardens.
Not forget chocolate.C'est si bon!
Welcome in Belgium, but you should go to brussels to take some nice pictures of people, eat in some good restaurant or see all the nice boutique of belgium designer... Antwerp is also good.... Take care
Brussels is a nice city. For something about fashion go to a disctrict of local designers rue Antoine Dansaerts http://www.brusselsinternational.be/wabxlint/en/organizer/organize/visit/official-guided-tours/9344/fashion-trail.act?affback=1&c=1 Check out Annemie Verbeke, for example, one of my favourites, but there are others as well.
Eat strawberries in chocolate and shrimp crockette - very good
9 et Voisin
1 rue Van Arteveldestraat
fantastic neighborhood restaurant-judging from my last visit, you'll see plenty of sartorialisti there
I've been to Brussels once, and it is indeed a beautiful city! I do not know much about the city to recommend anything, but I'm sure you'll nonetheless visit some amazing places. Enjoy! :)
The whole area opposite la Borse is very laid back. Lovely little bohemian bars etc. Lived in Brussels whilst doing an internship at the European Parliament and loved it. Bit difficult to like at first but it grows on you - I think!
Belgium is awesome ;)
you should definitly.. eat fries and chocolat.
and walk trough little streets no one knows.
You should go to Maastricht. It's a 15 minute drive from where your book signing was.
Maastricht speaks for itself.
GORGE yourself with food. Its the best in the world!!! Kriek (cherry lambic)is to DIE FOR and the peach lambic is wonderful too (I suggest La Morte Subite for its old-feel to get a good Kriek). Waffles from any street vendor with nutella. The Drug Opera for their crepes. Close to Le Grand Place is a little side street with Thai food places-- so amazing. Pita street (in the other direction from the Thai places off Le Grand Place) for yummy pitas. The frites are just like American french fries, but they are great nonetheless. One thing I noticed is that the service there isn't very good in general if you're used to American service-- its a Belgian culture thing.
Also, watch your wallet-- my friend's purse got stolen at a pub on Le Grand Place at a restaurant a few months ago. The police were awful to deal with.
you should visit Antwerp, town of many fashion students.
Hi, I don't think you had my last comment so I'll just repeat it in short. You should stay in Limburg (=the province where you're in now) there IS much to do. Really. The people of Limburg are really welcoming and we are maybe not as famous as Antwerp or Brussels but we do stand for true Belgium hospitality. So, if you're still there, I advise you to go to Hasselt (a town in Limburg) where it's really nice. Great places to eat are de groene Hendrickx and de geletterde mens. You can also go to Maaseik (which is still in Limburg, and about 15 minutes away from Maasmechelen.) Hubert and Jan Van Eyck are born there. You can also go to Bree where you can eat really really good at the croon, which is a cafe there. Like I said, it's maybe not so 'famous' and there aren't a lot of tourists, but that's maybe just the reason why you should go/stay.
I realize this is the third comment I'm writing. But I forgot to say that Leuven is worth while as well. If you go there you should go and eat at domus.
oh dear! maasmechelen is a hideous place! why there and not at bozar-shop in brussels of copyright in antwerp?
anyways, tonight have a dinner at kika (177 boulevard Anspach), tomorrow morning coffee at chaff (Place du Jeu de Balle (Vosseplein) 21) at the brussels daily fleamarket, drop by modes - it's an antique clothing shop and you'll see more interesting stuff there than in archives of any fashion museum. then you'll be right on time for downtown 'fashion district' visit - mapp on rue leon lepage 5 opens at 11, hunting&collecting on rue des chartreux 17 opens at noon, have a lunch at cafe modele(rue Antoine Dansaert, 208) and off you go to frankfurt;)
but next time, visit antwerp!
brussles is new berlin;), but antwerp has always been a fashion capital! i cover brussels for a shaded view on fashion, but i really wish there would be just a little bit more going on 'round here:)
have a lovely evening!
Lena of origamimonami.blogspot.com
When will you be visiting Helsinki this summer? :-)
Must visit the Jean-Philippe Darcis Chocolatier just off the Grand Place, especially for their tea, flower and herb infused pralines. My favorite in Brussels!!
I've been trying to get you to come to Brussels for years!
The sartorial sense of the average 30-100 year old man is unmatched anywhere in the world. Very classic, not flamboyant - almost a walk back into time. Be sure to pay attention to the footwear there. I could talk about the younger crowd's fashion but I don't want to take up too much space.
Drink a Triple Karmeliet beer - the best in the world.
The chocolates at Mary's are fantastic. The antique stores in the Sabalon district are worth a visit. And the food is AMAZING!
OMG Maasmechelen! Do what you have to do there and leave as soon as you can!
are you coming to Amsterdam too??????????????? please!!!!!!! I think you 'd live and love it!!!!!
You'll be busy driving to Maasmechelen and back so take it easy and hang out in the Dansaertstraat. Have a coffee at the Walvis (the whale), a café at the back end of the Dansaertstraat. Then come back and do Antwerp.
Hope my comment isn't too late? Scott, it is ESSENTIAL TO TREAT YOURSELF TO FRESH BELGIAN CHOCOLATES. Your tastebuds will be most grateful. Hope you find a solution to your elegant razor problem
Hello, a very nice place to eat is Bonsoir Clara in Brussels. Perfect combination of great food (french style mix), music, place, atmosphere without trying too hard to be chic. Laid back but elegant. Have a good trip. Kind regards
I dont believe I just read you were coming to Brussels...booo anyways if you are still here and you read this email then here is what you should def see and visit:
1. Les Marolles (antiques market)
2. Sablon for some marcolini chocolates (devine!)
3. Chatelain square (especially the vintage shop on 81 rue du Page-lady dandy)for some bobo looks
4. rue antoine d'ansaert for some shopping
5. Dine at Le cuisine on rue lebroussart or Le Gaudron on Place Bruggmann (amazing trataire!) or for something fancier visit Belga Queen for some out of this world oysters!)
6. Also on Place St Catherine you can have some oysters on the open air oyster bar
7. And visit also flagey area for some boheme looks
Brussels is an interesting place, with a great sense of fashion but not at all mainstream; Also what I would reccommend is to visit Anvers which is the place for Fashion here in Belgium. Hope you had a great time and hopefully meet you next time you are around
You got to visit the lovely seaside town of Knokke- Heist. More specifically 'Zoute' district.
Some of the best shops in europe imo. Kustlaan is the name of the Shopping Street. A must!
Skip Brussels, go straight to Bruges (Brugge).
coming to LA or Southern Cal anytime soon?
I hope you had a Belgium waffle from the street vendor! I was there over ten years ago and remember it being a beautiful city- but that treat remains in the top three things I have ever tasted!
I would probably say Kriek bier (Kriek beer), cherry flavoured beer which I think is originally from Belgium. Great city Brussels, nice people good city to walk through and taste the culture and atmosphere. Have fun.
I cannot tell you just how disappointed I am that I missed you! I had no idea until it was too late :( I realize that you will probably not be back any time soon, but I do hope that we will have the opportunity to host you in Belgium once again. I love your book and your blog! All the best.
Antwerp girl says:
I agree with Antwerp guy... :)
Go and see Antwerp, it's worth 'a fashionable explorer visit' without any doubt!
Hooray Antwerp Girl & Antwerp Guy! Definitely visit Antwerp - fashion forward ànd fun at the same time!
Love the composition of this photo and the gray in shoes, steps, bag.