Image by Wouter Spitters

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”, Pablo Picasso once said. Well, this shop is your washing machine.

Fashion magazines, art-house movies, exhibition catalogs, gifts, children books, T-shirts with fancy slogans and the widest range of national and international art books you can imagine, you can find it all in one place… the fine Bozar arts shop near the fine arts museum.

It’s an ideal place to buy birthday presents you cannot find elsewhere and I bet you won’t be surprised if I tell you this is one of my favorite places to hang out around Christmas time.

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Bozar Shop | Art & culture, Shopping
Rue Ravensteinstraat 15 | Center | +3225141505
10:00 – 19:00 (or till after concert) daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Wouter Spitters

If you’re not interested in the spots where you have to be hip and trendy and you want something more ‘underground’, then Recyclart is the place to be for you.

Literally because of its location beneath the railway track, and even more because this former railway station is an alternative artistic hotspot. Meet your cultural soulmates in the bar, or have a look at the art exhibitions, photography expositions or architecture projects.

Wanna move your feet? Go the the frequently organised parties or concerts and shake your body on the rhythms of dubstep, electro, worldbeat or guitar noise.

Disko disko partizani!

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Recyclart | Art & culture, Bars, Music
Rue des Ursulines 25 | Center | +3225025734
Tue – Fri 11:00 – 17:00 (bar) & 12:00 – 15:00 (food)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Renata Riva

Belgium is the cradle of the 20th century comics, called BD (Bande dessinée) in Brussels. It’s an important part of the culture of this country; nowhere in the world can you find so many comics shops.

The Smurfs, Tintin, Lucky Luke are only few of the comics created by Belgian authors which are famous all around the world.

Brussels has a “Museum de la Bande Dessinée” but what has always fascinated me is the open air tribute to comics.

All through the city center you will see plenty (36 and growing) of murals showing your favourite characters. Some of them interact with Brussels landmarks (i.e. the Manneken Pis), others perfectly fit the wall they are painted on (Boulevard d’Anspach, close to La Bourse). You will be surprised by seeing them around many corners in the center!

There are walking and biking guided tours which explain the history of Belgian comics while showing you many of the walls.

But if you prefer discovering these beauties yourself, then check this website. It makes it easier to understand which comics are where in town.

It’s worth checking out the tours or walking on your own, there are some which are so well integrated with the city that you do not even realize they are there.

Have a good walk, and let me know!

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Brussels & the comics | Art & culture | Free
All around town | Center
24 hours daily

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Image by Yamina El Atlassi

Have you ever dreamed of a place where you can touch everything?

As a kid, when your parents brought you to the museum, did you feel frustrated because they were constantly asking you to not touch anything?

Well, good news: you’re not the only one…

Fortunately enough “our” kids can make this dream come true; this Museum is made for them and they’re allowed (and warmly invited) to touch everything they want and to experiment with everything.

The Musée des Enfants (Kindermuseum) is located in a nice park, it’s a good destination for a sunny/rainy day (you know, it’s so sunny, and as soon as you arrive at the park it’s raining, then you decide to change the plans, and: wow! sunny again).

At the entrance of the Museum, some of the kids were so enthusiastic about it! One told me that he’s constantly harassing his mum to come here (the expression on the mum’s face present at the moment confirmed this), other ones told me that there’s no place on earth, except ‘maybe the beach’ where they can have such a good time.

But, I have to say that all were around 7 to 10 years old. My niece is only 3 years old and yes, she liked it, but I cannot say that she was that enthusiastic.

So I will suggest this place for kids who can already read so they’ll learn a lot (and especially boys).

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Musée des Enfants | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance & workshop € 7.50
15, rue du Bourgmestre | Ixelles | +3226400107
Please check the website

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

As many girls, I don’t go outside without my bag. Thanks to it I can have with me anything I need… one of those things being a book.

I can read many books a week and I often even read while walking in the streets. Sometimes when I finish my work, I can also realise that I’ve finished the last book I’ve had. My nightmare: being the whole evening without a chance to read….

Of course, I can go to Cook&Book (check the Cook&Book article), they’re open late (as it is also a restaurant), but come on, I’m tired, I’m in Ixelles on my way home, and sometimes I don’t want to run to the other part of the city.

Fortunately, I found out that the owner of the bookshop “Place Voltaire” is not counting the minutes before closing her shop. If you arrive around 18:30, there is a good chance you will be allowed to come in and to take the time to choose a book.

I like the fact that I can arrive after business hours and still find it open, and I also like the warm and nice atmosphere and the nice chat with the owner. It has the colour, the smell and the impression of being back in the time where people get to take the time for the good things.

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Place Voltaire | Art & culture, Shopping | Books from € 4.00
rue de l’Aqueduc, 101 | Ixelles
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

Forget about any other postcards you may find on your way. The only and unique place you’ll get some really beautiful ones are in this boutique, situated not to far away from Grand Place!

When you’ll see what Plaizier has to offer, you will only agree with me about the fact that in general, postcards are “kitsh” and not really worth to buy them.

When you’ll visit Plaizier you will find yourself wondering why you didn’t took the postal address of all your friends, relatives and colleagues as the choice is just amazing!

Some pictures are showing famous places but in an artistic way, other are historical, all are beautiful… You will probably end up buying some for yourself….

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Plaizier Art Shop | Art & culture, Shopping
50, rue des Éperonniers | Center
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

You would like to buy some creative items made by an artisan?

Want to discover some local talents off the beaten path?

Want to have a drink in a place which connects travellers and a certain way of discovering the world?

Here you’ll find a market (every Saturday and Sunday – 11.00 – 19.00), a place to drink and eat for a decent price (Via Via Travellers Café), an exhibition, a show yet to begin, a workshop for kids, people having a seat and talking, some travel books, friendly faces, an organised chaos, a new way to live the world without having long and boring argumentation but just by acting differently.

Spending some time in this place make me feel being in an other part of the world and not in the center of the city I live in. The spirit of the place and the bright patio may be an important part of that feeling!

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Micro Marché | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
9, Quai de la Houille | Center
11:00 – 23:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

Being an urban girl, I don’t have a car, and I am used to walking a lot in the city. Sometimes, I take a bus, a metro, a tramway (if it’s more than 30 minutes walk). I like to have a walk in the Forest: if I walk from my place to it, it already takes me one hour.

To avoid being exhausted before I arrive I take the tram to the South of the city (Boistfort) or to the East: in Tervueren. After a short journey of 30 minutes Brussels seems so far away…

During Summer (from April to October), every Sunday the Tram Museum has an old tram available to discover Brussels. It’s the Brussels Tramway Tour.

The tour in the tram is an experience by itself, and I’m sure that if you are with kids they will just love it!

During Winter (from November to March), the same service is available only the second Sunday of the month.

I believe those tours are a solution to the endless dilemma that I have: choosing between visiting a Museum – not my cup of tea – and discovering the city in an original way… Here there’s no choice, just take the (old) tram!

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Tram Museum | Art & culture, Relaxing | One day ticket € 5.00
Tervuren 364B | The East
Apr – Oct Sat – Sun 13:30 – 18:30 | Nov – Mar Second Sat – Sun 13:30 – 17:00

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Image by Sarah Van Parys

This area of Saint Gilles is evolving fast. Every time I walk around in the area, it seems as if a new café, restaurant or shop has opened up. A quick note on the area: Saint Gilles commune is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful in Brussels. It’s dominated by two large late 19th/early 20th century buildings (the fort-like prison and the grandiose Hôtel de Ville) at the top, there are plenty of elegant maisons de maître and the Parc de Forêt is nearby. The streets are full of cars and people, and it’s great! It’s dynamic, sometimes chaotic.

APDM (short for: “Au Pays des Merveilles”) serves up various sorts of bagels with a wide range of toppings to choose from. There are veggie, meaty, cheesy and fishy toppings – enough for anyone’s taste! They have many desserts and they sell lots of fresh juices and milkshakes. The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming. They also show works of art on the walls from a different artist every month.They have a terrace at the front and the back if the sun’s out!

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APDM | Art & culture, Snacks, Restaurants (Bagels) | Bagel from € 3.00
Avenue Jean Volders 42 | The South
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 17:30 , Sat – Sun 09:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Sean Kerrigan

We have sadly witnessed the death of many a record shop in the last decade, from memory I can count 9 in central Bruxelles alone. Yet there remains one invaluable source of media in Bruxelles ; ‘La Mediatheque’. A multimedia library founded in the 50′s and supported by local government, the Mediatheque easily has the biggest choice of music and film (over a million titles) in the city, all available to rent for about 1 Euro a week.

There is also an extensive selection of computer programmes and games. When I first discovered this Mecca of music I was amazed it could exist, similar public libraries in other cities just didn’t compare.

The Mediatheque carries nearly any title you can think of, from obscure 1920′s folk recordings to the latest small label releases or Beethoven on vinyl. For those who still find the thrill of browsing the racks preferable to the quick download, this treasure trove of tunes is a must visit. Inscription will require a local ID card, so this is not really a tip for the visitor but is invaluable for the thousands of newcomers Brussels welcomes every year.

Just a note to add that the Mediatheque has recently undergone an extensive revamp and started a fair few initiatives. They include even cheaper ways to rent multimedia material (€20 for 40 CDs a month? Yes please!), new exhibitions, concerts and collaborations with other cultural centres. We hope they help in keeping this cherished spot a muso magnet. 

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La Mediatheque | Art & culture, Music | Rental fee € 1.00
Passage 44 | Center | +3222182599
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels