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Photograph: Mireia Rodriguez

72 hours in Belgium

Visiting Belgium for the Grand Prix? Discover the coolest bars, best restaurants, trendiest shops and buzziest events this tiny yet charming country has to offer.

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The sultry summer months, when outdoor living is at its best, are perfect for visiting Belgium: popular music festivals, vibrant summer bars perfect for the aperitivo hour and cozy high streets lined with designer boutiques. But what to do when you only have three days to explore the entire country? Let Time Out handle that! With our expert 72-hour guide to Belgium, you are guaranteed to get the most out of the time you have. Whether you’re on the lookout for a gorgeous patio to sip on a much-deserved Martini & Tonic, the coolest concept stores or unique festivals, you can count on our list of recommendations to have the time of your life.

Restaurants and bars

Café Luxembourg
Photograph: Courtesy Café Luxembourg

Café Luxembourg

Situated right in the middle of Brussels’ European quarters is a true industrial gem, Café Luxembourg (10 Place du Luxembourg, 1050 Ixelles; +32 2 721 57 15). This gorgeous café features a 50 foot-long bar, and the bottles and glasses are stored in chic scaffolding. The café’s centerpiece is an enormous copper-colored beer-pump providing you with a high-quality amber brew. It is also worth checking out for their delicious cocktails, homemade juices, a refreshing Martini & Tonic, excellent coffee, plus breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch.

Bocadero
Photograph: Martimax

Bocadero

It is hard to believe that Antwerp’s number one place-to-be in summer started out as a tiny beach bar next to the river Scheldt just eight years ago. At Bocadero’s (150 Rijnkaai, 2000 Antwerp; +32 3 246 48 48) you can lounge on the beach, gorge on great food in one of four restaurants, network in the summer bar Divin and be spoiled in The Wellness Room. After dark, Bocadero turns into a cozy beach club where you can enjoy the sunset during the aperitivo hour. Open until September 4.

Photograph: Martimax
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Le BeauBourg Bistro
Photograph: Courtesy Le BeauBourg Bistro

Le BeauBourg Bistro

Just a stone’s throw away from Liège and a little over 30 miles from the Spa-Francorchamps racing circuit, lies the charming bistro, Le Beaubourg (160 Voie de l’Ardenne, 4053 Embourg; +32 4277 94 07). Whether you are looking for a cozy place to have a drink with friends or somewhere to have a business dinner, Le Beaubourg has just the right atmosphere. Be sure to check out the terrace on warm nights. 

Café des Miracles
Photograph: Courtesy Café des miracles

Café des Miracles

In the heart of Liège’s nightlife district, Le Carré, your eyes (and ears) will immediately be drawn to Café des Miracles (11 Rue des Célestines , 4000 Liège; +32 4 250 27 00)—one of just a few wine bars around. Why does it stand out? The interior is impossibly stylish, plus there’s a piano and usually someone masterful behind it. The menu also includes a great range of tapas. The café regularly hosts concerts, exhibitions and wine tastings.

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Monroe Beach
Photograph: Courtesy Monroe Beach

Monroe Beach

There’s nowhere better to soak in the glitz and glam of Knokke-Le-Zoute than Monroe Beach (711 Zeedijk, 8300 Knokke-Heist; + 32 471 17 88 50). The people behind this trendy beach club in Côte d’Azur-style want their clientele to “feel the vibe of a real luxury beach”—like a five-star resort holiday, without having to leave the country.

Ipanema
Photograph: Courtesy Ipanema

Ipanema

A pool, a trendy beach bar and a stunning terrace where you can get your ‘lounge’ on: those are all the ingredients you need to conjure up a sultry Brazilian vibe in the middle of Hasselt. The Ipanema summer bar (Trichterheideweg, 3500 Hasselt; +32 11 22 26 95) is back to cater to those who love the sun, sea and sand. If you want to treat your taste buds, why not try the street food? They serve gourmet burgers, patatas bravas, Mexican nachos and much more.

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Barza 2.0
Photograph: Courtesy Barza

Barza 2.0

Owners Rik and Stéphanie felt so inspired by their trips to Berlin and Paris, that they transformed their Barza 2.0 (4 Heilig Hartplein, 3800 Sint-Truiden; +32 11 70 28 50) in Sint-Truiden into a vibrant cocktail, wine and coffee bar. Barza 2.0 is one of just 20 bars in Belgium that offer infamous coffee cocktails. Bonus: Your ears won’t be assaulted by pounding techno beats here—it’s all about soothing lounge and pop tunes, perfect for good conversation.

La Bodega
Photograph: Courtesy La Bodega

La Bodega

Delicious tapas, an oh-so-trendy look and friendly well-informed staff: that combination is what  makes La Bodega (37 Place du Marché 37, 4000 Liège; +32 496 25 00 90) worth a visit. Look out for the best drinks in the whole of Liège.

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Moment
Photograph: Courtesy Moment

Moment

In the shadow of Liège’s St Paul’s Cathedral lies bistro/wine bar Moment (17 Rue Bonne Fortune, 4000 Liège; +32 4 267 41 91). The sophisticated interior—modern meets baroque—pairs well with the unique location; Moment is located in a beautiful old mansion on a quiet pedestrian street next to the Place Saint-Paul. The dishes are prepared with local, seasonal produce, and marked by both Belgian and Mediterranean influences. 

IKKI
Photograph: Courtesy IKKI

IKKI

No mere “bar” or “restaurant”, IKKI (19-21 Rives de Clausen, 2165 Luxembourg; +352 49 69 40) is a complete catering concept. In summer you can enjoy one of the most beautiful terraces in Luxembourg, just two hours from Brussels, overlooking lush green surroundings and the Alzette river—kick back with a Martini & Tonic as the sun sets. IKKI is also home to one of the best afterwork get-togethers in the country.

Shopping and style

Hunting and Collecting
Photograph: Tine Claerhout and Guillaume Bokiau

Hunting and Collecting

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.

Photograph: Tine Claerhout and Guillaume Bokiau
Graanmarkt 13
Photograph: Courtesy Graanmarkt 13

Graanmarkt 13

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. 

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Morrison
Photograph: Courtesy Morrison

Morrison

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.

Sculpt & Victory
Photograph: Courtesy Sculpt & Victory

Sculpt & Victory

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. 

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Donum
Photograph: Courtesy Donum

Donum

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.

Wattitude
Photograph: E. Wégria

Wattitude

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.

Photograph: E. Wégria
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Lilola
Photograph: Courtesy Lilola

Lilola

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.

YOUR premium store
Photograph: Courtesy YOUR premium store

YOUR premium store

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.

Festivities

Eat! Brussels
Photograph: Courtesy Eat Brussels

Eat! Brussels

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.

Nuit Blanche
Photograph: Eric Danhier

Nuit Blanche

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.

Photograph: Eric Danhier
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Brussels Fashion Days
Photograph: Courtesy Brussels Fashion Days

Brussels Fashion Days

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.

Laundry Day
Photograph: Fille Roelants

Laundry Day

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.

Photograph: Fille Roelants
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OdeGand
Photograph: Courtesy OdeGand

OdeGand

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. 

La Nocturne
Photograph: Courtesy La Nocturne

La Nocturne

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.

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Deep in the Woods Festival
Photograph: Courtesy Deep in the Woods Festival

Deep in the Woods Festival

‘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.

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