72 hours in Belgium

Situated in Brussels’ renowned Kartuizerstraat is the equally well-known concept store Hunting and Collecting (17 Kartuizerstraat, 1000 Brussels; +32 2 512 74 77). Fashion lovers can shop to their heart’s content, choosing from over 30 different brands for men, women and children, spread out over almost 1,000 square feet of retail space. Plus, you can purchase accessories, magazines, books and design objects, and Hunting and Collecting also boasts its very own art gallery.

In Antwerp’s theater district lies an address that is ingrained in the memory of every single foodie and fashionista in town: 13 Graanmarkt (13 Graanmarkt, 2000 Antwerp; +32 3 337 79 92). This is where the high-end concept store Graanmarkt 13 is located, as well as an eponymous vegetarian restaurant, an art gallery and a luxury loft, which can be rented out for a short city break. The boutique itself is home to exclusive fashion brands, unique design objects and collectibles. 

In Antwerp’s notorious Nationalestraat, the Olyslager brothers—both in their early thirties—sell their own knitwear. In their boutique, Morrison, Patrick and Jan (20 Nationalestraat, 2000 Antwerp; +32 3 322 18 51) offer their own designed garments, branded Morrison and Howlin’, but they also sell other clothing, shoes, bags, ties, socks, hats and scarves by premium brands.

Last year, Belgian dandies added a new name to their shopping shortlist: Sculpt & Victory (7 Rabotstraat, 9000 Ghent; +32 477 52 50 87). This ‘private’ shop (scheduled appointments only) is a clothing store and barber shop rolled into one. Sculpt & Victory only sells items manufactured from the finest quality wool and cashmere, and their shirts are made from Italian crease-proof cotton. 

In Hasselt, capital of the easternmost of the five Dutch-speaking provinces, Limburg, you can find one of the fixtures in the world of Belgian interior design: Donum (31/33 Havermarkt, 3500 Hasselt; 011 22 83 36). This genuine classic welcomed a new member to its family in Antwerp a couple of years back (Donum Antwerp, 64-68 Frankrijklei, 2000 Antwerp, +32 3 231 39 18). Besides high-quality furniture and fun interior design objects, Donum also offers professional interior design consulting.

Design store Wattitude in Liège (7 Rue Souverain-Pont, 4000 Liège; +32 4 221 44 76) claims to feature items “100 % Made in Wallonia.” The brains behind this playful concept store is Emanuelle Wégria, who aims to support local and eco-friendly designers and manufacturers. You can get everything from furniture to music, fashion and food under one roof.

Lilola (47b Langestraat, 8000 Bruges; +32 50 33 66 02), in the center of Bruges, immediately draws you in with its cozy interior. Brands such as Manila Grace, Set, Des Petits Hauts, My Sunday Morning, Malene Birger are on sale, but you can also discover original and different shoe and handbag collections as well as a wide range of accessories from Belgium and abroad.

In the Kloosterstraat, home to all things vintage, YOUR premium store (90 Kloosterstraat, 2000 Antwerp; +32 3 33 77 110) serves both local hipsters and enthusiastic tourists. With its collections spread out over two floors, YOUR is a paradise for lovers of fashion and accessories. It comes as no surprise then, that YOUR was awarded with the “Best Fashion Retailer of the World Award” by WeAr Global Magazine.

Eat! Brussels (September 8-11), the annual three-day culinary festival in the Belgian capital, turns five this year. To commemorate the occasion, a new concept has been introduced: Dozens of acclaimed chefs will take turns treating visitors to their restaurants’ signature dishes in the Warandepark in Brussels (opposite the Royal Palace). During the festival you can have a taste of specialties from all over the world.

Every year more than 100,000 revelers visit the center of Brussels to immerse themselves in contemporary art deep into the night. Nuit Blanche is a free event lasting a full night that this year takes place in the capital’s European quarter on October 1. Artists transform and put their unique spin on locations that are usually inaccessible to the public, including abandoned buildings, far-removed places in the banlieus and sites that belong to the city’s historical patrimonium.

Three full days of catwalk shows, exhibitions, workshops, fashion talks, shopping and trend-watching—welcome to Brussels Fashion Days (October 16-18), the largest event in Belgium’s fashion industry, and the perfect occasion to rub shoulders with stylists, fashion designers, graphic designers, fabric designers, leatherworkers and more.

This year the popular Antwerp dance festival Laundry Day (September 3) is going “back to basics”. Twelve stages near the usually calm Middenvijver will cater to over 50,000 dance music aficionados. One of the main showstoppers will be Belgium’s own DJ Netsky, who, after not appearing at the festival for five years, will make his glorious comeback.

Festival of Flanders’ OdeGand (September 17) in Gent traditionally kickstarts Belgium’s cultural season. Gent’s idyllic medieval center, with its stunning historic facades, fairytale canals and numerous hidden cozy corners, is the background to a day filled with musical surprises. In just about every concert hall, theatre and street in the city you will be able to enjoy the talents of national and international musicians. The river Leie will serve as a concert venue in its own right, and little boats will take you from one performance to the next. Divine. 

On the first Saturday of October, discover Liège’s alleys, gardens, staircases, terraces, walkways, meadows and orchards—after hours—with La Nocturne. Moreover, this discovery route is organized ‘by night’ during La Nocturne des Coteaux de la Citadelle. The ‘Coteaux de la Citadelle’ consists of 60 listed monuments, and five protected sites that are all typical of the Liège of yesteryear. Discover the hidden trails, lit by over 22,000 candles, on a gentle October evening.

‘Woodstock in the Walloon woods’ is how you could probably best describe ecologically minded festival Deep in the Woods (September 2-4). The sixth edition of this friendly ‘green’ festival in Massembre, a holiday centre in Heer-Sur-Meuse, remains small-scale and combines music, film and art in enchanting surroundings.