Chimay beer

Almost everyone knows about Munich’s Oktoberfest, the king of all beer festivals, however not a lot is publicized about the Belgian Beer Festivals. Yet Belgium has a tradition of beer making and produces 450 different varieties of beer, including some world famous brands.

Looking at their annual calendar of events, there’s a major event or beer festival almost every month of the year and below is just a sampling of them. 

(Note: Please check the beer festival websites closer to the event date as many of the dates are not yet confirmed and may change.)

Some Belgian Beer Festivals 2012

Brugs Bier Festival 2012 (Bruges)
From February 4 – 5, 2012:  After missing a festival last year, the organizers of the Brugs Bier Festival are counting down to the 5th Bruges Beer Festival in February 2012.  This festival features 278 beers from 67 breweries.  Apart from beer tasting, you can watch 8 top chefs cooking their gastronomic delights with beer, and you can taste the food as well.  The Beer Festival is at the Historic Rooms of the Belfry complex in the market at Bruges and operates at these times: Saturday from 12.00 till 22.00 – Sunday from 11.00 till 21.00.
Address:  Belfry, Grote Markt, Bruges
Website:  www.brugsbierfestival.be/
Bruges Hotels:  See here.

Special Beer Festival 2012 (Sohier)
February 24 – 26, 2012:  Those who like traditional beers will enjoy Sohier’s 3-day beer festival.  Set in the town of Wellin, Sohier has more than 130 different beers, many of which are from traditional production and also some “exotic” beers.
Address:  Rue Basse, 6920 Sohier (Wellin)
Website:   www.sohier-village.be/

Alvinne Craft Beer Festival 2012 (Moen)
March 3 – 4, 2012:  Enjoy 120 craft beers from 16 breweries at the 5th Alvinne Craft Beer Festival at the De Kasteelhoeve in Avelgem.
Address:  Brouwerij Alvinne, Vaartstraat 4a, Moen, West-Vlaanderen
Website:  www.alvinne.be/

Gambrinus Beer Truck Festival 2012 (Philippeville)
April 13 – 15, 2012:  This unique event which celebrates brewery trucks and drivers takes place in Philippeville. The name Gambrinus owes its origin to the Duke of Brabant, Jan Primus, who was known as “the King of Beer” and “King of the Road”. This museum is in former maltings-brewery-farm buildings of the 19th century and its contains some 20 vehicles and 75 themed displays.
Address:  2A Fontaine St. Pierre, B 5600 Romedenne, Philippeville
Website:  www.gambrinus-drivers-museum.be/

De Nacht van de Grote Dorst 2012 (Eizeringen)
April 27, 2012:  This one-evening event includes Lambic breweries and Gueuze blenders of the Payottenland and the Senne Valley.  The Night of the Large Thirst is a smallish event offering naturally fermented Lambic and Gueuze beers.
Address:  Frans Baetensstraat 45, 1750 Eizeringen
Website:  www.dorst.be/

The Zythos Beer Festival – ZBF 2012 ( Leuven)
April 28 – 29, 2012:  This great beer festival has moved from St-Niklaas to the very modern Brabanthal event centre in Leuven due to the need for a larger venue. The new Leuven venue is twice the size of the St-Niklaas site so there’s plenty of room for brewers and drinkers. There are approximately 200 beers from the 60 breweries featured. This year’s colour is wine red, the colour of the city of Leuven.  There is no entry fee and no pre-booking is required.
Address:  Brabanthal, Brabantlaan 1, 3001 Leuven
Website:  www.zbf.be/
Leuven Hotels: See here.

Beer Festival of Bouillon 2012 (Bouillon)
April 2012 (tbc):  Bouillon shopkeepers display all beer products, including local producers of specialty beers. There are tasting sessions.

Beer Festival of Mons 2012 (Mons)
From May 12 – 14, 2012: This is an annual event where the Party Service and tradesmen of the Grand-Place organize a weekend dedicated to beer. Visitors can taste traditional beers from the numerous stalls which includes the big brands that made Belgium famous as the World Center of Beer.
Address:  Grand-Place, 7000 Mons
Website:  www.mons.be/

Beer Passion Weekend, Groenplats Square 2012 (Antwerp)
June 29-30 and July 1, 2012:  The 13th Beer Passion Weekend will be held in Groenplats Square.  This summer festival offers over 200 beers and more beers are added each year.
Address:  Groenplaats, Antwerp
Website:  www.beerpassion.com/

Festival of International Special Beers 2012 (Stembert)
July 19 – 24, 2012:   Now in its 22nd year, there are more than 200 Belgian and foreign beers to discover here!
Address: Salle Chanteloup, rue des Champs 9, 4801 Stembert
Website: www.ftpl.be/

Meeting of the Breweries in Belgian 2012 (Luxembourg)
July 2012 (tbc) : The breweries of the province of Luxembourg gather in Hotton for beer tastings, explanation of different brewing methods, music, raffle for a basket with regional products, and street animations.

La Grande Choufferie 2012 (Wibrin)
August 10 – 12, 2012:  An event to celebrate the birth of the famous La Chouffe Belgian beer.
Address:  Brasserie d’Achouffe, Rue du Village 21, 6666 Wibrin
Website:  www.achouffe.be/

Festival of 100 Beers 2012 (Anvaing)
August 15 – 19, 2012:  This is like a “Beer Games” with bike races, card games, culminating in the tasting of 100 beers. There’s also a family day with barbeque, entertainment for children and music.
Address:  Petit château “Norbert”, Drève d’Anvaing, 7910 Anvaing
Website:  www.100bieres.beer-events.be/

Arch’en Biers 2012 (Archennes)
August 26, 2012:  Held in the town of Grez-Doiceau, the aim of this festival is to acquaint people with lesser-known beers in Walloon Brabant. Each year, the organizers endeavour to present new products to visitors and there will be numerous tasting throughout the weekend.
Address:  Maison Coullemont, Rue des Moulins 10, 1390 Archennes
Website:  www.archenbieres.be/

Brussels Beer Weekend 2012 (Brussels)
From August 30 – September 2, 2012:  Brussels’ Grand’Place – Grote Markt hosts a multitude of stands offering the opportunity to discover some of their best Belgian beers. Many small, medium-sized and large Belgian breweries will present their best selections of beers. Entrance is free and beer prices are very reasonable! Entertainment such as jazz bands, brass bands, activities for children will accompany your beer tasting.
Address:  Grand-Place, 1000 Bruxelles
Website:  www.weekenddelabiere.be/

Beer, Bread and Cheese Festival 2012 (Durbuy)
From September 16 – 17, 2012:  An all weekend event when you can go on a sampling trail and discover regional beers, breads and cheese.
Address:  Place aux Foires 25, 6940 Durbuy
Website:  durbuyinfo.be/

Hop Festival in Val de Sambre 2012 (Erquelinnes)
From September 7 – 9, 2012:  Great hops festivity in the town of Erquelinnes, with amazing entertainment throughout the weekend including music, guided tours of the brewery, hot-air balloon rides, and craft exhibitions.
Address:  Microbrasserie d’Erquelinnes, Rue de Maubeuge 197, 6560 Erquelinnes
Website:  www.bierenaturelle.be/

Belgian Beer Festival / Beer Collectors’ and Exchange Market 2012 (Lustin)
Oct 2, 2012: This beer event takes place in the town of Lustin (Profondeville) with displays of beer glasses, bottles, labels, coasters, old ads, clocks, mirrors, pints, jugs and other collector’s items. It claims to have available 850 varieties of beer (that’s what they’re claiming!), including meals cooked with beer.

BLES Bierhappening 2012 (Zottegem)
October 2012 (tbc):  This festival takes place from 2 p.m. on the second Saturday in October and features 23 brewers who will present more than 100 beers.  Beer connoisseurs will have to opportunity to meet the beer makers and discuss their favourite brews.  A special BLES beer is brewed for the festival each year and this is matched to a cheese that is also specially made.  The BLES Bierhappening location is within walking distance to the train station  and is wheelchair accessible.
Address:  Sporthal Bevegemse Vijvers, Bevegemsevijvers 1, Zottegem
Website:  www.bles.be/

Brussels Oktoberfest 2012 – Beer Festival (Etterbeek)
From October 2012(tbc):  Oktoberfest is in Brussels as well, which says a lot about Belgium’s reputation as a beer centre.  This festival follows the tradition of the famous München beer festival.  There’ll be a big marquee with 1500 seats and typical oom-pah-pah music. Beer lovers cannot miss this event!

Brassigaume – The International Festival of Small Breweries 2012 (Rulles)
From October 14 – 15, 2012:  This takes place in Rulles where you can visit different stands and meet 23 Master-Brewers and taste their products consisting of more than 80 different beers. Also, enjoy local cuisine made from Belgian beer.
Address:  Complexe du bois des Isles, Marbehan
Website:  www.brassigaume.be/

Karakterbier Festival 2012 (Poperinge)
October 2012 (tbc):  This festival of very special beers is an annual event in Poperinge and features 60 local Flemish beers, mainly brewed in small quantities, but with special aromas.

Weekend Der Belgische Bieren 2012 (Limburg)
November 9 – 11, 2012 (tbc):  This beer weekend by De Limburgse Biervrienden offers a careful selection of 140 Belgian beers to beer lovers.

Christmas Beer Festival 2011 (Stembert)
From November 26 – 30, 2011:  Enjoy 70 Belgian beers whilst you look around at the Christmas cribs of about 20 exhibitors.
Address:  Salle Chanteloup, rue des Champs 9, 4801 Stembert
Website:  www.ftpl.be/

OBER Kerstbierfestival Christmas Beer Festival 2011 (Essen)

December 17 – 18, 2011 – For two days visitors can taste more than 150 Belgian Christmas and winter beers in the small village of Essen, near the Dutch border.
Address:  Heuvelhal, Kapelstraat 7, B-2910 Essen
Website: www.kerstbierfestival.be/

Poperinge Hop and Beer Festival 2014 (Poperinge)
September 13-15, 2014:  (triennial festival – the last one was 2011). Poperinge is the charming hop metropolis in the southwest of West Flanders and has a triennial hop and beer festival.

So, if you love a good brew, Belgium may be a good stop for your next holiday itinerary.

Search, read hotel reviews and book Belgium hotels here.>

Salle Henri Le Boeuf © BOZAR/Jérôme Latteur

Playing a key role in the cultural life of Brussels for over 70 year, the Palais des Beaux-Arts is a mecca for the city’s music and dance and also the home to the Belgian National Orchestra.

The Palais des Beaux-Arts owes its existence to Henri Le Boeuf, a music-loving financier. He commissioned the architect Victor Horta to design a centre that would bring together multiple artistic disciplines under the one roof.   Horta’s brief was to design a centre that would house concert halls and exhibition space that would cater for music, theatre, cinema and art.  The design had to make art accessible to as many people as possible, but without compromising on standards.

Several challenges were faced by Horta in his design, not least of which was the sloping land he had to work with. The location’s close proximity to the Palais Royale also meant that his building was not to allowed to obstruct the palace’s line of view down to the city. Horta had therefore to look underground to find his space.   It took seven years  (1922-1929) for the art deco complex to be completed, requiring him to alter his plans six times.

On arriving at the Centre for Fine Arts, the long vestibule leads to the central, marble hall. In this Great Sculpture Hall – which today has been renamed the Victor Horta Hall – a monumental staircase brings visitors to the exhibition circuit located upstairs.

There are three concert halls: The Henry Le Boeuf Hall seats 2,200 concertgoers and its oval shape is a delight to both the ear and the eye. The 476-seat Chamber Music Room is located under the Great Sculpture Hall. And, there’s the Studio which seats 210. (See what’s on and book concerts online here.)

In 1962 the Musee du Cinema was set up. Apart from its fine archive and exhibition of old cameras and lenses, it also screens classic films.

There’s a range of music, expo, theatre and dance events taking place at the Palais des Beaux-Arts daily (See what’s on at www.bozar.be).

Public Transport to Palais des Beaux Arts:

• Train Gare Centrale 2 minutes on foot via the Galerie Ravenstein
• Tram Palais 92 – 94
• Underground 1 & 5 Gare Centrale or Parc – 1 & 2 & 5 & 6 Arts-Loi
• Bus Beaux-Arts 38 – 71

Address:
Palais des Beaux Arts
23 Rue Ravenstein
1000 Bruxelles

Galeries Saint-Hubert - © Brussels International/M. Van Hulst

Sitting high up, in the same class of grand arcades as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and The Passage in St. Petersburg, is the Saint-Hubertus Royal Gallery (Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen in Dutch).  However, St Hubertus has the distinction of being the first shopping arcade in Europe and is one of the most elegant covered galleries.

The idea for this grand arcade of St Hubertus was born of one young architect’s determination to clear away a seedy space in town and replace it with a covered shopping arcade of more than 200 m in length.

The site on which St Hubertus stands was previously a warren of ill-lit alleyways, an area where the bourgeoisie scarcely dared to venture to. Although Jean-Pierre Cloysenaer’s idea was conceived in 1836, it was only finally authorized in February 1845.  Construction of St Hubertus began in May 1846 and it was inaugurated in 1847 by Leopold I, the first King of Belgium.

The gallery consists of two major sections, each more than 100 meters in length, respectively called Galerie du Roi (King’s Gallery) and Galerie de la Reine (Queen’s Gallery), and a smaller side gallery, Galerie des Princes (Gallery of the Princes) which branches off Galerie du Roi.  The main sections (King’s and Queen’s Galleries) are separated by a colonnade at the point where the Rue des Bouchers (Beenhouwersstraat) crosses the gallery complex. Like Galleria Vittoria Emanuele and The Passage, this glazed shopping arcade has twin regular facades.

The Saint-Hubertus Royal Gallery is a listed monument and under its beautiful glass roof it houses apartments, offices and shops.  For the visitor looking to do some Brussels shopping, there’s a unique mix of upmarket boutiques, a high concentration of jewellers, leather goods and specialist shops such as a cutlery shop, a glove shop, a hat and umbrella shop.  The big chocolate brands are here as are a couple of glorious delicatessens and some quality restaurants.

Displayed in the front of its palace-like façade is the St Hubertus arcades’s motto “Omnibus omnia” (All things to all men).   Even if you didn’t have the budget to shop here, Galeries St-Hubertus is still worthwhile visiting to feast your eyes on this beautiful arcade, window-shop or have a break at one of the cafés.

There is also a theatre inside the arcade – the Théâtre des Galeries Saint-Hubert, which is one of three royal theaters of Brussels, playing operetta and revues. Ever since the 1850s, the Gallery has been a favourite promenade location and place where all types of artists and intellectuals mingle.

Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes
1000 BRUXELLES

If you’re travelling to Brussels on budget carriers like Ryanair, Wizz Air, Jetairfly, etc., you will land at Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Charleroi Airport is in Charleroi which is approximately 46 kilometres (29 miles) from the centre of Brussels.

By Bus

The local TEC buses (Bus A) transfer passengers between the airport and Charleroi train station. These buses leave the airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and every hour on weekends and the journey time is approximately 18 minutes. From Charleroi train station you can reach any of the stations in Belgium.

By train

A shuttle coach leaves Charleroi Airport every 30 minutes to take passengers to the main Brussels south railway station (Brussels Midi).  With 22 tracks Brussels Midi is the biggest station of the Belgian rail network and from here you can connect to international train networks such as the Eurostar, TGV, Thalys, etc.

Shuttle tickets are sold inside the airport terminal. You can also buy tickets at website: www.voyages-lelan.be.  The shuttle coach stop is at the intersection of rue de France and rue de l’Instruction.  Travel time is approximately one hour.  For indicative timetable see www.charleroi-airport.com.

Pre-book your Rental Car

If securing the right car model at the right price is important, you can pre-book your rental car through Auto-Europe. Auto-Europe also provides airport transfers and chauffeur services.

Shuttle Transfers

The following companies provide door-to-door services:

www.charleroitransfer.com – Tel: +32 2 888 84 60
www.mini-bus-services.be  – Mob: +32 (0)478 73 80 80

By Taxi

Taxis are available 24/7 outside the passenger terminal. You can ask for a fixed rate fare to your destination.

By car

The airport is accessible by the highway from Brussels, Liège or Lille.  Short and long-term car parking spaces are available.

Airport GPS Address:

rue d’Heppignies
6043 Ransart

Belgium International Airport is the gateway to Belgium for travellers arriving by air.  The airport is located approximately 13 km (8 miles) northeast of the city center.  Brussels’ other airport, the Brussels South Charleroi Airport, caters to charter flights only.  South Charleroi Airport is one hour from the city.

Brussels has an efficient transport network making public travel accessible to all.  STIB (Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles), is the main public transport operator in Brussels.  STIB trams, buses and metros all form the one network, so you can switch easily from one to the other with the same ticket.

By Train

On the lower level of the airport is the airport train station and the airport train shuttle transfers passengers to stations in the north, south and centre of Brussels.  The shuttles runs every 20 minutes and travel time is about 20 minutes.

Services times:
- From the airport – 05:30 – 00:20
- From the city    – 04:45 – 23:10

Note:  Buy your ticket before getting on the train to avoid a surcharge fee.

By Bus

STIB runs two airport express services as follows:

• Line 12 – Operates from Monday to Friday before 20:00.  This express line does not serve every bus stop.
• Line 21 – Serves Brussels Airport from Monday to Friday only after 20:00.  On Saturday, Sunday and public holidays this service operates for the whole day.

The bus station is located one floor down from the arrivals hall on Level 0. Centrally located on the bus station there are three platforms. All STIB buses depart from platform C. Before boarding the bus, purchase a ticket from the GO vending machine located on platform C of the bus station. The airport GO vending machines accept Maestro bank cards, coins and credit cards.

Car rentals

Many of the major car rental companies have offices in Brussels Airport, including Alamo, Avis, Budget Rent-a-car, Eurodollar, Europcar and Hertz .

Pre-Book your Rental Car

If getting the right model rental car and the right deal is important to you, you can  pre-book your rental car through Auto Europe. Auto Europe also provides private airport transfers and chauffeur services.

Airport Taxis

Taxis are available at Brussels Airport 24/7. The cost of a taxi ride from the airport to the city center is approximately 30 Euro, and for a round-trip discount rates are available.

If you want to phone someone’s house, business or mobile (cell) phone in Belgium, you won’t have a problem finding the telephone number or code. There are several online Belgium phone books to choose from, in a choice of languages.

From outside Belgium, you dial the international call prefix followed by 32 (the telephone country code for Belgium), and then the area code minus the “0″. All Belgian telephone numbers dialled within Belgium must use the leading “0″ and the area phone code, even when calling locally.

Free telephone number search

Truvo Belgium provides the top online Belgian white and yellow pages telephone directory, in French, Dutch and English; you can also find businesses and people on their zoomable map system.

White Pages Belgium
http://whitepages.truvo.be/: Alphabetic directory (white pages) for people and businesses in Belgium. Reverse search (search by number) available. Includes local maps. In English

Golden Pages Belgium
http://goldenpages.truvo.be/: Yellow pages directory of businesses in Belgium.

14-14
http://www.1414.be/: Belgian white pages for people and businesses. Also yellow pages with companies by classification. Includes reverse search (search by number), and map links.

Skynet Pages Blanches
http://www.skynet.be/services/pages-blanches: White pages for people and businesses in Belgium. Includes reverse search (Recherche par numéro). In French.

Infobel
http://www.infobel.com/en/belgium/default.aspx: Telephone directory of residential and business addresses in Belgium. find addresses and telephone numbers for private individuals and professionals in Belgium. Search by telephone number, family name, town/city, district or professional category. Also Infobel : Belgium – France – Spain – Italy – UK – Netherlands – Luxembourg.

Maasmechelen Village, Belgium

You don’t have to do an overland track to get to a Designer discount outlet in Belgium. Although Maasmechelen Village is set in the beautiful Belgium countryside it is is easily reached by road from across Belgium, northwest Germany and the Netherlands. The Village is only 20 minutes from Maastricht or an hour from Antwerp, Brussels, Düsseldorf and Cologne.

Maasmechelen Village is a part of the Chic Outlet Shopping Group and discerning shoppers know that Chic Shopping Outlets in Europe are places to go to find leading designer labels at exceptional prices. Maasmechelen Village is home to more than 95 boutiques selling leading local and international brands at discounted prices all year round.

Shopping at the Village is a relaxing and pleasurable experience thanks to the spacious 21st century village-style setting.  Here, you’re not jostling with the masses or diving into piles of clothes hoping to find something that you might like.

And if you’d like to have a longer stay in the region to explore the beautiful countryside, visit picturesque villages, historic cities and taste the fine gastronomic heritage,  some nearby attractions include the towns of Hasselt, Maaseik and Maastricht. The wine castle Genoels Elderen (Belgium’s largest winery), the Sunday antique market in Tongeren, SnowWorld Landgraaf and the Open Air Museum Bokrijk Park are other attractions to build in your itinerary.

Practical Information

Shuttle Service:

There is no shuttle services to Maasmechelen Village, however there are regular train services from Brussels to Genk, Hasselt and Maastricht, with direct public bus connections to the Village.

Train:

A regular SNCB train service operates to Genk station in Belgium, from where it is only a 15-minute taxi ride to the Village.

Bus:

De Lijn runs regular hourly bus services from Genk or Hasselt train stations (No. 45 at 55 minutes past the hour) and Maastricht (No. 63 at 35 minutes past the hour) to Maasmechelen Village, with both journeys taking around an hour. A day pass costs just €5 and allows you unlimited travel on the De Lijn network.
For more information, please contact De Lijn customer services department on +32 70 220 200.

Car:

Take exit 33 off the E314 and follow the signs to “Leisure Valley”. At the roundabout, follow the signed access road to Leisure Valley and Maasmechelen Village. There is free parking for 16,000 cars, including 36 disabled spaces. Car-parking attendants will help you to find a space.

Address:
Maasmechelen Village
Zetellaan 100
3630 Maasmechelen
Belgium

Free information numbers:
Belgium: 0800 40236
Netherlands: 0800 0204651
Germany: 0800 1011771

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun : 10.00 – 18.00

Public holidays:
The Village is closed on Mon. June 1, Tue July 21, Sat. Aug 15

For more Designer Discount Outlets in other cities in Europe and the UK , see our Designer Outlet Directory.

Brussels' Grand Place

You don’t have to be a chocoholic to know that Belgian chocolates taste really good and in this country, you can’t escape chocolates! There are more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout Belgium and this small country produces 172,000 tons of chocolate each year.

If you’re interested in chocolate walking tours, this is the place to do it, but are you fit enough to enjoy four hours of chocolate indulgence?

When in Brussels, you can do a private walking tour of the city where your guide will show you the sights in town and explain to you why Belgium is famous for mouth watering chocolates.  You’ll visit some of the most luxurious chocolate shops the city has to offer and sample some of the best pralines and truffles in the world.  The highlight of the tour is watching a demonstration by a master chocolatier and then you can try your hand at making your own real Belgian pralines to take home with you.

Famous Chocolate names

The famous names you’ll see around the country are Leonidas, Neuhaus, Marcolini, Godiva and Galler. In Brussels, look out for are La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal, Wittamer, Mary Chocolatier, Chocolat Manon, Debailleul and Planete Chocolat.  The Belgians are famous for their Pralines and many chocolatiers still make their pralines by hand. Every town and even small villages have chocolate stores with luxurious pralines.

Private chocolate walking tour
Chocolate museums and demonstrations
Other chocolate tours

Brussels Mini-Europe

Where can you have a whistle-stop tour of Europe in a few hours, that costs only a few Euros per person and without boarding any planes, buses or trains?  The answer is – at Brussels’ Mini-Europe.

Mini-Europe is a fun, family interactive attraction where the most famous monuments in Europe are replicated in miniature models.  Visitors can go on an animated tour with visual and sound effects of 350 miniatures and attractions that you won’t find anywhere else.

Located at the foot of Brussels’ famous Atomium, Mini-Europe is a unique park that allows families to experience the typical ambience of the most beautiful towns of the European continent.  The familiar chimes of Big Ben will welcome you to the heart of London, the gondolas and mandolins in front of the Doge’s Palace invite you to discover the charms of Venice and then follow the T.G.V. from Paris to the furthest end of France.

Visitors can make Vesuvius erupt and feel the explosion, cause the fall of the Berlin Wall and in Seville watch a bullfight, and many more.  There are over 350 models and sites such as the Grand Place in Brussels, the Acropolis, all involving amazing craftsmanship. And for those who enjoy interactive multimedia games, don’t forget to visit the European Space.

Mini-Europe is not just the folly of a fun-park operator. In 1987 a few art historians selected over one hundred buildings from various parts of the EU. Selection of the buildings were based on the following criteria:

• socio-cultural and architectural value
• symbolic European beauty of the site
• technical challenges involved in putting together a replica on a scale of 1/25

The scale of 1/25 and the tremendous precision demanded of the model-makers required detailed on-site research, accurate scale drawings and thousands of photographs of details.

Every Saturday from July 19 – August 16th, Mini-Europe is open in the evenings for a magical light show.

To join a tour to Mini-Europe, CLICK HERE
To make your own way to Mini-Europe, CLICK HERE

Shopping in Brussels

Belgium has made a reputation for itself in a number of products and some of these you don’t even have to travel to Belgium to enjoy. Belgian chocolate for example is world famous, not to mention Belgian beers. Other famous products include:

Artwork
It’s an important center of the art world and has been for centuries. There is an incredible wealth of antiques here and you have a choice of museum-quality stores in the major cities to the antique markets in smaller towns. Browse around the shops and you’ll also see Art Deco objects, old books, fine crystals and lots of other interesting artifacts.

Diamonds
Shoppers looking for that special diamond ring should head for Antwerp. This city is one of the biggest and most important diamond centers in the world. Antwerp has played an important role in the diamond trade since the 15th century. More than 85% of the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of cut diamonds and 40% of industrial diamonds are traded here.

Lace
Belgium owes it lace reputation to Emperor Charles V who decreed that lace-making should be a compulsory skill for girls in convents and beguinages throughout Flanders. Today Bruges and Brussels are centers of bobbin lace and hundreds of craftswomen still work in centers creating intricate work by hand.

Tapestries
If looking for tapestries, Belgian tapestry has been a highly prized luxury craft for over six centuries. Tapestries were prized by the nobility in the past as they were portable. When the kings traveled to their estates, these tapestries could be moved with the court.

Where to Shop?

Brussels, as capital city and the headquarters of the European Community and NATO naturally has all the upmarket shops to meet the needs of its high profile residents. The Avenue Louise is described as one long catwalk of famous fashion brands, including the all too familiar names like Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Christian Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton.

Designer shops and boutiques can be also be found in the Boulevard de Waterloo area, Place Stephanie, Place du Grand Sablon and on Rue Antoine Dansaert. Specialty shops can be found on Rue Haute and Rue Blaes.

If you are looking for bargains, then head for the lower city around Rue Neuve. This main pedestrian shopping street is the longest one in Brussels. This street has mainly international chain stores whereas the smaller and more original shops can be found between the Grand’Place and the Rue Lemonnier.

Outside the city center, shopping districts are located at Uccle, St Gilles and Ixelles.

Outlet Shopping

If you’ve got a few days in Belgium and want to do some serious retail therapy, it’s worthwhile heading out to Maasmechelen Village which is the largest outlet shopping center in Belgium. Those who’ve been to La Vallée in Paris, Bicester Village in London or Fidenza Village in Milan, will see similarity with the Maasmechelen Village setup. It is managed by the same Chic Outlet Shopping group which has nine same concept villages in Europe. Shoppers will find a wide range of international and local designer names here at 33% less than the previous year’s prices.

Maasmechelen is ideally located at the crossroads of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is easily accessible via the E314 motorway, exit 33. Twenty minutes from Maastricht and just one hour from each of Antwerp, Brussels, Düsseldorf and Cologne.

Christmas Markets

Every winter, the center of Brussels tranforms into a “Winter Wonderland”.The Christmas Market features approximately 240 wooden stalls selling Christmas ornaments, handicraft items and lots of Christmas and other seasonal gastronomic treats. Choirs, processions, troupes of wandering artists, bands and concerts contribute to the holiday atmosphere.