Address: Ezelstraat 67, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Website: mariannevandenbussche.com
Lace at ‘t ApostelientjeMaria Stallmann
‘t Apostelientje
For: lace crafts
In the 19th century, about 10,000 of the city’s 50,000 inhabitants were involved in the lace trade. Now, in the quiet St Anna quarter, overgrown with ivy, ‘t Apostelientje is the last shop in Belgium to stock only handmade lace. After ducking under the low doorframe of the old house, visitors will find a maze of tiny interlocking rooms, stocked from floor to ceiling with shawls, headscarves, framed patterns and entire rolls of lace, ranging from 17th-century to contemporary styles. This store is especially good for trims (cuffs and collars) to be added to blouses or evening coats. There’s more to learn about the city’s craft heritage at the Lace Museum a few doors down.
Address: Balstraat 11, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Website: apostelientje.be
De Kaasbolle
For: curated cheeses
De Kaasbolle started life as a family-run grocery store, but streamlined into a cheesemonger when it moved to pretty Smedenstraat boulevard. The owner’s son, Carl Top, took over the business and can now be found behind the counter passionately advising on the vast assortment of carefully sourced cheeses, from the house special, a creamy Lucullus, to a Tartarin Cognac (with Turkish raisins steeped in cognac) and an authentic Greek feta marinade.
Address: Smedenstraat 11, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Website: dekaasbolle.be
De Loge Van MarecMartine De Vreese
Alfa Papyrus, De Loge van Marec and Van de Wiele Antiquariaat
For: prints, postcards and books
A waffle’s throw from the bustling Rosary Quay, Alfa Papyrus is a haven of cards, scrolls, leatherbound books and gift boxes wrapped in Japanese paper. Postcards on so many themes – bicycles, fish, nudes, the Belgian royal family – line the length of the store. Towards Market Square is café-cum-cartoon shop De Loge van Marec, which sells prints, postcards and books by cartoonist Marec. In the shadow of Saint Saviour’s Cathedral, Van de Wiele Antiquariaat is the go-to for antique art catalogues, special atlases and illuminated manuscripts. Its beautifully illustrated prints of Bruges are a classic keepsake.
Address: Eekhoutstraat 25, 8000 Brugge, Belgium; Sint-Jakobsstraat 6, 8000 Brugge, Belgium; Sint-Salvatorskerkhof 7, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Website: alfapapyrus.be; cartoonistmarec.be; vdw-auctions.com
RombauxCourtesy of Rombaux
Violins at RombauxMaria Stallmann
Rombaux
For: vinyl and instruments
Benedict Minne is the fourth generation shopkeeper who, with his parents, runs Rombaux, a music store with original 1920s decor, including art nouveau stained-glass windows. It sells a vast selection of jazz and classical CDs and vinyl beneath its chapel-worthy rafters, but the real gems are found upstairs: Minne’s handcrafted acoustic and flamenco guitars, plus a selection of ukuleles and mandolins. Having studied the art of guitar making in Barcelona, Minne now fashions bespoke models and repairs other string instruments.
Address: Mallebergplaats 13, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Website: rombaux.be
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