Page 162 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

160  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS
SHOPPING

Brussels may traditionally be known for its chocolate. Throw in department stores
high-quality chocolate shops, but this great selling lux ury goods and street mar kets for
shopping city has much more to offer. It bargain-hunters and you have a city that
is fast gaining on fashion capital Antwerp for caters for all shopping styles and budgets.
its own col lection of cutting-edge designers, Bruges boasts chocolatiers galore, Ghent
and the city also happens to be the world offers vibrant music and clothes shops and
capital of comic books, with almost as many Antwerp is renowned for its diamond
shops selling comics as there are vending and fashion outlets.

Opening Hours
Most shops open from around
10am to 6pm, but at a few of
the arcades, and in the Rue
Neuve area, there is late-night
shopping on Fridays until
8pm. Apart from the “night
shops” (or corner stores) and
small Carrefour and Delhaize
supermarkets, almost all shops
are closed on Sundays (except
for the shops in the Quartier
Marolles) and many also on
Rue Neuve crowded with shoppers Mondays. The night shop chain
White Nights is good for late-
Where to Shop to Avenue Louise is Rue du night convenience shopping.
Brussels’ Grand Place is Bailli, with its art boutiques,
surrounded by lace vendors, game shops and tea importers.
chocolate shops and souvenir To the west of the Avenue How to Pay
outlets, but just one street lies the Matonge, the There is a noticeable lack of
south is Rue des Éperonniers, city’s most multi-cultural ATMs in and around the Grand
with shops selling vintage area, where street markets Place, and a number of the
clothing, posters and specialist are held on some weekends, smaller shops, newsagents,
teas. For all the major high- and where you can find supermarkets, cafés, and even
street chains, head to Rue skatewear, rare vinyl and some restaurants do not accept
Neuve, a short walk from the vintage denim in the St debit or credit cards. It is wise,
Grand Place. North-west of the Boniface area. It is a pleasant therefore, to ensure that you
Grand Place is Rue Antoine district to wander around always take out sufficient cash
Dansaert, centre of the on a Sunday afternoon. if you are planning to spend the
Bruxellois fashion scene. day in the city centre.
To the south-west of the Visitors from outside the EU
Grand Place is the Rue du are entitled to a refund on VAT
Midi, where you can find of purchases of more than €125
shops selling second-hand in one store. As the sales tax on
records, clothing, comic books, items can be as much as 21 per
stamps and coins. Between cent, this can be a considerable
the Lower and Upper Towns saving. Look out for the “Tax-
lies the antiques district of Free Shopping” logo on a shop
Rue Haute and Rue Blaes in door and request a tax-free
the Quartier Marolles, leading cheque, which you can redeem
into the Place du Grand at customs on your way out
Sablon, where exquisite of the EU.
chocolate shops can be found
alongside high-end florists
and antique shops. Department Stores
and Arcades
South of the Palais du
Justice lies Avenue Louise Brussels has a selection of
and Boulevard de Waterloo, shopping malls, though they
where you can find top differ little from those found in
boutiques such as Gucci Renowned Dandoy biscuit shop on Rue other cities. However City 2, at
and Louis Vuitton. Perpendicular au Beurre the northern end of Rue Neuve, is

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