My love affair with Belgium began after I moved to Holland from France and found myself delighted with the Dutch penchant of serving butter with their bread. 

In Belgium, they have the best chocolate, diamonds and fashion designers.  My love affair with Belgium might have been a fleeting, fickle moment that fled when the churn ran dry had it rested only on the laurels of bread and butter, but in this diva’s opinion, Belgium is the best place to go antique shopping in Europe.  You have French antiques, Dutch paintings and Belgian prices.  The selection of items is impressive for such a tiny country and prices are practically halved by what you might find in Paris or The Hague.

Brussels
In Brussels, I flock to the Place du Grand Sablon where weekends bring an uber-posh flea market on Saturdays from 9am-6pm and Sunday’s 9am – 2pm.  Diva’s wander the square, fine-tuning their international shopping skills as they search for ‘the perfect antique’.  Around the square, interior shops compete for attention with art and antiques galleries.  Though the flagship Flamant Interiors at Place du Grand Sablon 32 is not an antiques shop, I spend an incredible amount of time here, browsing and drinking free samples of Nespresso.  At # 39 is the Sablon Antiques Center, with 15 vendors and at least 50 items I want to take home.  

But perhaps my favourite place on the square is the long-term resident Costermans at # 5.  Having been in business at this address since 1839, it has a sensational selection of 18th century furniture and object d’art.  Before I leave the Sablon to check out a decidedly less posh flea market, I stop by Bakery Wittamer for a chocolate-sculpted Manolo Blahnik and linger over a long lunch at Cafe Leffe.  

The Place du Jeu de Balle Market is a grittier sort of flea market, but your chance of finding a bargain increases exponentially as you cross town from the Sablon.  The market takes place in the heart of the ‘Marolles’ district which was originally built in the 17th century as a working-class neighbourhood.  This neighbourhood with humble beginning sunk even lower when the area factories were shut down in the 19th century and workers moved to the suburbs.  The Marolles fell into destitution.  As always happens in tales such as these, gentrification is taking place and now chic (or soon to be chic) antique shops have popped up along the Rue Blaise and the Rue Haut. But on the side streets the social declination is still apparent - and this remains a part of town where you closely watch your handbag.  The market on the square takes place daily, but there are still no permanent structures -  blankets and tables are spread out in a parking lot and bargaining takes place in atmosphere that gives one the impression they must be getting a good deal or else they wouldn’t be here.

Antwerp
If bargains are what I’m after but want to shop in a classier environment, I head to Antwerp and go to the Kloosterstraat – the main antiques shopping street.   Saturday to Thursday mornings are better spent in bed - few of the stores in this area open before noon. 

If you’re shopping in Antwerp on a Friday this advice to take in some cultural sites or do other shopping does not apply.  Friday mornings are reserved for the Vrijdagmarkt, where the auction starts early at its namesake square.  The auction begins at 6am with sales pounding down in Flemish spoken so quickly that even locals have a hard time understanding the market vernacular.  Not only are the theatrics of this market comparable to a night at the opera, but the real drama delves into the markets history – a flea market has been operating on this square for over 400 years. 

I must confess that I find the Vrijdagmarkt a tad overwhelming.  I tend to prefer Antwerp’s other flea market, the Rommelmarket, which occurs at the St Jansvliet on Sundays from 7am – 3pm.   At the end of the day, exhausted from too much shopping, cocktails inevitably take place at De Foyer - a grand room located inside the Theatre Bourla.  For a luxury dinner make sure to dine at Sir Anthony van Dijks, the finest Flemish restaurant in town located in the heart of the city on a tiny cobblestoned alleyway that brings you back centuries!  

Tongeren
The luxe living of Antwerp isn’t felt in Tongeren – there are no designer stores and the hotel accommodations are merely places to sleep not linger. 

Bruges
If you’re looking for a little more charm, go to Bruges.   Bruges is the Venice of the north with winding canals and brick-lined lanes. I don’t got to Bruges for the antiques, but if convenient from mid-March to mid-November, I shop the weekend market at the Dijver or Vismarkt.   Antique shops are scattered about town, but, as this is a true tourist destination, the prices tend to reflect the passing clientele.  When in Bruges, I lunch at Cafe Vlissinghe and then play boules in their garden. For dinner, there is no place better than the three-starred De Karmeliet. For shopping, there are too many ‘Chocoladehuisjes’ to count and The Little Lace Shop is one of the only shops with a guarantee that their lace is made locally.
 
Ghent
Ghent has oodles in common with Bruges but with only a fraction of the tourists. As I get annoyed in crowds, I tend to avoid Bruges unless going with a guest. If I’m seeking the charm-factor, I go to Ghent. There are not as many canals, but there is Gothic Grandeur! Dinner at the eclectic House of Eliot is a guaranteed hit while window-shopping on the quieter streets of Mageleinstraat & Koestraat’s brings an oasis of mostly tourist-free calm.  For antiques I walk the following streets - Onderbergen, Koornlei, Kraanlei and Steendam.  An antiques market is held Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings around St. Jacobs Church. 

Belgium is one of those countries tourists visiting Europe tend to neglect, not realizing what a true gem it is.  

By the Antiques Diva

7 October 2008

Read the Antiques Diva ™ Expatica Resource Guide, which takes you on an antiques shopping trip through all six Expatica countries:

                                             
By The Antiques Diva, an expert in scouting for antiques in Holland, Belgium and France. For more information, visit: www.antiquesdiva.com or www.antiquesdiva.blogspot.com