Brussels Shopping
Brussels is a fairly expensive city, but those who can afford the prices can shop at internationally renowned antiques
dealers, and from young fashion designers alike.
The area around Grand Place has a good selection of shops. Galeries Royales St-Huberg on Rue de la Madeleine is the
world's oldest shopping centre, opened in 1847. In addition to luxury shopping, it houses bookshops and two theatres. Rue Antoine Danseart, Rue de Fripiers and Place Saint Géry are fashion shopping destinations in the trendy part of Brussels.
Rue Antoine Danseart is home to fashion veterans Stijl, Annemie Verbeke and Nicolas Woit. Rue Chârtreux and Rue Léon Lepage are getting increasingly popular.
The main shopping areas:
Designer shops and boutiques can be found in the Avenue Louise and Boulevard de Waterloo area, Place Stephanie, Place du Grand Sablon and on Rue Antoine Dansaert. Specialty shops are at Rue Haute and Rue Blaes.
The main pedestrian shopping street, the longest one in Brussels, is the Rue Neuve. This street has mainly international chain stores. More original smaller shops can be found between the Grand Place and the Rue Lemonnier.
Shopping areas outside the city centre are located at Uccle, St Gilles and Ixelles.
Opening hours:
Generally, shops are open from 10 am -5 pm.
Shops in arcades, the malls and around the area of Rue Neuve are usually open from 9.30 am - 6 pm
Markets:
Place du Grand Sablon, from 9 am Saturdays and Sundays (antiques),
Place du Jeu de Balle, the Marolles district, daily 7 am- 1 pm (flea market), along with the shops of Rue Blaes and Rue Haute.
Gare du Midi, Sundays 6 am- 1 pm (a huge market of oriental delicacies).
Department stores:
City 2, 123 Rue Neuve, Place Rogier, (+322) 219 18 76;
Inno , Rue Neuve 111 or Avenue Louise 12.
Wiltshire shopping complex, Place Louise.
Shopping arcades :
Anspach , Boulevard Anspach - a shopping mall.
Monnaie Centre , Place de la Monnaie.
Galeries de Ixelles , Chaussée de Ixelles.
Galeire Bortier , Rue de la Madeleine17-19.