There so much marketing and shopping options are available in Brussels that each day there looks like a shopping festival in Brussels. There is too much for a shopper in Brussels like he can enjoy his entire day without being bored. There is shopping mall, shopping streets, markets and above all is famous Belgian chocolate and beer that you can encounter during Brussels shopping.

Shopping Arcades (Malls)

Brussels is also known for the oldest shopping arcades and malls of the world and it also has many other offerings too. Different to ordinary shopping malls, galeries or arcades offer high quality brands and luxury items. Among the shopping malls in Brussels there are places like Galeries St Hubert, built in 1847, is one of the first shopping arcades in Europe. Galeries Louise and Toison d’Or is more affordable shopping mall among Brussels’ arcades. Galeries Agora, across the street from the entrance of the Galeries St Hubert is Galeries Agora.

Shopping Streets

The shopping streets in Brussels are rather picturesque and have goods with shown up for beautiful window displays. There are markets being like as the high-powered Boulevard de Waterloo, where hardly any price tags are attached and next there is Rue Neuve for the daily shopper looking at for the latest Mango, Zara or Innovation mall. Some of the popular shopping streets in Brussels are:

• Boulevard de Waterloo: It is one of the popular shopping streets in Brussels. That lies around Avenue Louise area. There you will get Louise Vuitton next to Gucci and other famous fashion brands.

• Rue Antoine Dansaert: This Street is even known for rather classical designer stores like one at Rue Antoine Dansaert. This street runs along the Boulevard du Nieuport to the Bourse (stock exchange) building. Along Rue Antoine Dansaert one can get boutique selling out the latest and most modern Belgian designs. On the side of street there are lined high buildings with beautiful facades.

• Rue Neuve: One of the longest shopping streets in Brussels, the Rue Neuve is bustling with activity on Saturday afternoons when shoppers are free from their offices to shop to their hearts content. This street is where you will find the favourite brands of Europe – Espirit, Zara, Mango, Celio, Morgan and many more. You will also find the giant Media Markt here for all your electronic needs at bargain prices.

Brussels Markets

For the residents of Brussels, the Brussels markets are indeed are great place to having shopping at any day of the week. There are around hundreds of open markets there in Brussels that operates through out the small squares of the city. These small markets serve up fresh vegetables, handmade cheese, freshly chopped meat and utensils and articles for the home. Some popular markets of Brussels are:

• Gare du Midi: It is a huge market situated along the exit of Gare du Midi which operates on Sundays during 6am to 1pm. The market is entirely filled with delicacies from around the European region. Here you get fresh vegetables, olives, roasts, and fresh cheeses. There crowds of people walk slowly, browsing the vegetables and fruits, getting free samples and carrying their shop trolleys along them.

• Marolles: Generally, Marolles is known for the working class citizens of Brussels and it holds out the charm and character of the city. There a flea market is too situated there at Place du Jeu de Balle which opens daily from 7am to 1pm.

• Sablon: This area is not only recognized for its huge church but also for its antique shops and weekend markets that there stores some hidden gems. There on can watch out beautiful displays of antiques and finish off with some treasure hunting at the markets.

• Chatelain: This market opens during the afternoon and early evening on Wednesday nights. This is the market precisely for office goers that come there to after office to procure goods and items. The main items as being sold out at this place are fresh delicacies, meats, cheeses and flowers.

Buying Belgian Chocolate: One of the exciting shopping experiences in Belgium is buying its Belgian chocolate that is next to Swiss chocolates. They are rated as some of the best chocolates of the world. As Belgians take pride in making chocolates, therefore, there entire affections get developed into their chocolates. There around thousands of varieties of chocolates are found in Brussels. As far as procuring out Belgian Chocolates, there are many places where you can purchase them out. There are many souvenir shops along the Grand Place (Grote Markt) that sells out Belgian chocolates which are sold out at good discounted prices and rates. Another place to buy out the exciting chocolates there it is chocolaterie shop. There you get a counter filled with chocolates and some empty gift boxes stacked up on the counter with different prices. Other type of chocolate that you can buy out is Pralines that means filled chocolate that is meant as butter cream, fruits creams and nut pastes or nuts. Another type of chocolates there is Pralines that remains stuffed with filled chocolate, butter cream, fruit creams, almond and nut pastes or nuts. A truffle is a powdery chocolate made from ganache with a solid or cocoa powder shell. Another chocolate sweetener is Gianduja that are pure almond and nut paste shaped into small rectangular blocks and wrapped with gold paper.

Buying Souvenirs: As far as procuring out souvenirs there primarily are available two types of souvenirs to purchase out in Brussels. One is food and beverage and other is novelty trinkets. These souvenirs can be procured at the narrow pedestrian streets which lead to the Grand Place (Grote Markt) from all directions. For the case of beverage Belgian beers are great to be offered as gifts to take home are available can be purchased out supermarkets, bigger as well as smaller ones.

Being as capital of Belgium, Brussels undoubtedly is a place filled with a good number of places of attractions and landmarks as to lure travelers towards it. Brussels is the city filled with amazement and a number of attractions and there is something for everyone who is touring through the city. In order to better understand city of Brussels you can better learn about the city by touring landmarks existing there.

•    Grand Place: The Grand Place is a central square of Brussels situated at city’s TownHall and the Breadhouse. The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels situated along the Atomium and Manneken Pis. Its measurement is around 68 by 110 metres and is considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  In the 10th century, Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine made a fort on Saint-Géry Island at the point, where the Senne river apparently navigable.  By the end of the 11th century, there an open-air marketplace was developed on a dried-out marsh near the fort which was surrounded by sandbanks. There a tradition developed where an enormous “flower carpet” that is set up in the Grand Place for a few days. There around a million begonias is setup in pattern shows in covers a full 24 by 77 meters.

Grand Palace

•    Parc du Cinquantenaire: Also named as Jubilee Park it is a larges urban park in the easternmost part of Brussels. Most of the building in the park as U-Shaped dominates the activities were constructed by the King Leopold II for the 1880 National Exhibition celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Belgian independence.

Its primary center of attraction is triumphal arc that was erected in 1905. The structures were made up of iron, glass and stone showed up the economic and industrial performance of Belgium. Its 30 hectare park is filled with picturesque gardens, ponds and waterfalls. It is known for organizing various fairs, exhibitions and festival of the century. The Royal Military Museum is one of the attractions of the northern complex since 1880. The southern half is currently occupied by the Cinquantenaire Art Museum and the AutoWorld Museum. The Temple of Human Passions, a remainder from 1886, and the Great Mosque of Brussels from 1978 are situated at the north western corner of the park.

•    Quartier Royal: Once this huge mansion type building was used as the residential palace of Belgian Royalty yet presently the case is totally different. Entire building Quartier Royal with grand and handsome grounds was destroyed by a fire in 1731 before the buildings were reconstructed in the 19th century.
The Quartier Royal now houses the Palais Royal, Palais de la Nation and Palais des Academies. The Palais Royal is the largest of the palaces within Quartier Royal and is a fine throne room. For public viewing it remains open to the public in between from July and September and is worth visiting.

•    Cathedrale Sts Michel et Gudule: The St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church at the Treurenberg hill in Brussels, Belgium. In 1047, Lambert II, Count of Leuven founded a chapter in this church and organized the transportation of the relics of Saint Gudula. In the thirteenth century, the cathedral was renovated to the Gothic style. There in the church the choir was constructed between 1226 and 1276 and the entire façade was completed around mid-fifteenth century. It is situated in the national capital and so mostly used as in Catholic ceremonies of national interest like royal marriages and state funerals.

cathedrale stsmiche let gudule

•    Palais d’Egmont: This is a very huge mansion at the  the Wolstraat / Rue aux Laines and the Kleine Zavel / Petit Sablon in Brussels, Belgium. Presently in the building there is situated Belgian ministry if foreign affairs. It was constructed by Françoise of Luxembourg and her son, Lamoral, Count of Egmont, first in Flemish Gothic style, later Renaissance in 1848 and 1860. However, in 1891the entire building was reconstructed in uniform classical style. Presently this building is used for receptions and meetings by the Belgian Ministry of foreign affairs.

Palais de egmont

•    Le Sablon District: The Grand Sablon is at the center of antique dealer’s district and is filled with enough activities containing famous antiques and book market. The rue de la Régence as laid in the 19th century, leads one to the Royal Fine Arts Museums. This artistically rich city is divided into two parts, The Museum of Ancient Art provides an excellent choice of paintings from the Master of the 14th and 15th century “Primitive School”.

•    Atomium: It is a structure that was made during the Expo 58, the 1958 Brussels World Fair and was designed by Ander Waterkeyn, this is around 102 meters tall structure, with nine spheres connected around the entire structure and form it shows an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Tubes connecting the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to center enclose the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre. Each vertex there is about 18 meters in diameter.

Atomium

This is a Belgian city that is rich in culture and history that is evident from the medieval and new buildings to the amazing galleries and museums. It is well connected with main roads and thus it makes it very easy to get around by bus, on foot or it is well connected with train.  The areas that are outside the city can be reached using the subway. The city is composed of many modern buildings that were founded by great architecture, fine cafes and paved streets.

Brussels was colony of many nations including Germany, Spain and the Romans. This history has contributed to its status as a community for various lobbying groups, diplomats and politicians from the European Union.  One of the languages which are used in Brussels includes French with a Dutch influence in the southern area of the city. The residents of this city are relatively conservative when it comes to politics and religion and they tend to have very strong family ties. A majority of them follow the Roman Catholic faith and even though church attendance has gradually declined over the decades, religion still plays a big part in the lives of many residents.

The city of Brussels is credited with the origin of oil painting in the 15th century and most of the masterpieces have originated from the country. The last century has witnessed an increase in Art Nouveau designs that was a break from the conservative classical that were predominant in the 19th century.

The Grand Place in Brussels is considered as one of the most striking town squares in the continent. This square plays host to a flower market each day, regular musical performances and on Sunday mornings there is a bird market. Many writers like Baudelaire and Victor Hugo who were amazed by its beauty have mentioned the square in their works. It is one of the main attractions that tourists around the globe come to see when they were in Belgium.

The cuisine in Brussels is praised all over the continent and some people consider it to be one of the best after French cuisine. The recipes often combine German and French styles and include seafood and meat as the key raw ingredients. This city is also home to the popular fries and potato chips and during your stay you will be able to sample a variety of them. The country’s chocolates, beer and mussels are also favorite of visitors.