A visit to the African quarter in Brussels near Porte de Namur metro station makes an interesting change to the rest of the city.

Stroll down Chausee d'Ixelles and back via Chausee de Wavre, investigating the shops and bars along the way. The contrast with the rest of the city is heightened by the fact that the area is not out in the suburbs but close to the city centre.

Just the other side of the metro station are the antique shops and grand buildings of the Upper Town.

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DVD devotees should ascend to the top floor of the Inno department store on the pedestrianised Rue Neuve, for the Media Markt store.

This major European chain sells general electronic devices plus a fair selection of CDs but excels with its choice of DVDs at competitive prices.

Art-house and world cinema titles which would be hard or impossible to find in the UK are well represented though remember to check that foreign language films have English sub-titles!

(There is also a branch of Media Markt in Antwerp on De Keyserlei close to the Central Station.)

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Practice your French and hone your ability to out-barter even the most masterly merchant in Europe, at the flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle.

Pick up a priceless rarity you never knew you needed, meet the locals and exhaust your euros surrounded by classic Belgian architecture, the shouts of stallholders and a unique, animated atmosphere.

Of course, when you can haggle no more, you can collapse at a local café with a glass of red and some sumptuous Belgian food.

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Avoid the mass produced Belgian "tourist" chocolates and head for the Pierre Marcolini chocolate shop that opened last November on the Place du Grand Sablon.

Pierre Marcolini manufactures his grand cru chocolate himself, using cocoa beans that he selects personally.

He is among the last five craftsmen working this way in Europe. Truly amazing chocolates, pastries, ice creams and sorbets - look out for the chcoclate squares with Earl Grey or Assam tea ganache!

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After relaxing on your short, swift ride to Brussels, stay close to the sweeping Avenue Louisa, just a tram or metro ride from the Eurostar Terminus and a short walk from the busy heart of Brussels.

The area has many attractive shops and boutiques - they really know how to dress and window dress! Tucked off the side streets of the Elsene quarter are lively markets, galleries and tree lined squares for coffee and finding unique gifts.

At the far end of Avenue Louisa are grand villas and gardens, lush parks and gardens of Terkamerenbos.

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Day trip? You’ve time for architecture and shopping if you take tram 55 towards Bordet, to Beurs, walk past the roman remains and into Grand Place.

Ten minutes from here via the Place des Martyrs, have lunch and marvel at the Art Nouveau masterpiece by Victor Horta the Center of the Comic Strip on Zandstraat.

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You might expect something special on ‘The Sacred Isle’ (Ilot Sacré), the area around Brussels’ Central station.

Among the many bars and restaurants surrounding the Grand Place is The Toone Theatre, 66 rue du Marche-aux-Herbes, providing three unique Belgian delights under one roof.

You can sample a rare local speciality ‘Plattekeis’ (cream cheese with radishes) accompanied by a choice of over 20 beers, including ‘trappiste’ monastery brews.

But the real treat is enjoying these while sitting on raised wooden benches being entertained with a puppet show, in traditional dialect, from the famous Toone Marionettes, whose performances date back to 1830.

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DVD devotees should ascend to the top floor of the Inno department store on the pedestrianised Rue Neuve, for the Media Markt store.

This major European chain sells general electronic devices plus a fair selection of CDs but excels with its choice of DVDs at competitive prices. Art-house and world cinema titles which would be hard or impossible to find in the UK are well represented, though remember to check that foreign language films have English sub-titles!

There is also a branch of Media Markt in Antwerp on De Keyserlei close to the Central Station.

Rue Neuve

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Whenever I need a truly unique wedding present, I look for it in the lace shops in Brussels.

These shops keep me coming back for their cake platters, which are rimmed in silver or gold plate and have a lace insert in the centre. To the best of my knowledge, these platters cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

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Don't miss Pierre Marcolini at 39 Place du Grand Sablon - probably the best chocolates in the universe.

www.marcolini.be/

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How many flea markets do you know that have their own friends' organisation and website? Just a few minutes walk from the elegant boutiques on Boulevard de Waterloo, the Marche aux Puces (www.marcheauxpuces.org) offers an alternative view of Brussels.

Open every day (although I can't personally vouch for Christmas Day!), the best bargains are to be found first thing; it's open from 6am. Afterwards, retire to the nearby Place du Grand Sablon for a well-earned coffee and cake before peering into the windows of some of the city's most exclusive antique shops - a million miles away from the colour and chaos of the market.

www.marcheauxpuces.org/

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We got lost trying to get to the Tintin Museum in Rue de Sables and took a tram that went undeground from the working-class quarter to Boulevard Anspach.

The tram arrived, probably at Bourse, but possibly at De Broucke or Rogier station. Amazingly, it was underneath the metro and had ts own working-class shopping mall. Above this was a more expensive mall, and above ground was the shopping centre around the Grand Place. Check it out for an authentic slice of Belgian life.

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Marcolini, near the antique market, is the best chocolate shop in the country!

www.marcolini.be/

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Brussels is a great place to go in the run-up to Christmas. It has a traditional Christmas market where you can shop for unusual craft gifts and stocking fillers while filling up on their special pancakes & gluvine!

Then make sure to head for the fun fair, which has fabulous antique merry-go-rounds with weird and wonderful moving creatures to ride on. Also, there is a great flea market where you can still manage to pick up superb retro furniture at reasonable prices; just plan ahead on how to get them on the Eurostar.

Ooh, and take warm gloves, hat, scarf and coat because it is super chilly in December - but at least it makes you feel Christmassy!

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Forget the tacky giftshops selling Mannekin Pis corkscrews - this charming little shop hidden in a side street behind the Grand Place is the place to come for thousands of postcards, posters, art books, CDs and other knick knacks relating to Belgium and Brussels.

50 Rue des Eperonniers, Brussels. www.plaizier.be/index.cfm?type=any&action=showpage

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For 30 euros this is an essential piece of kit if you want to get a good feel for the city's culture. You can buy it from the tourism office on the Grand Place and it offers free entry to a number of museums, as well as discounts from restaurants (including Chez Leon) and shops.

The best bit, though, is the free 72-hour travelcard and route map that comes with it, which is invaluable, letting you travel on metro, tram and bus. The metro is fantastic - clean, airy, easy to follow and very quick, but the trams are best if you want to watch the way the landscape and architecture change as you travel through the different areas of the city.

Tourist Office, Grand Place; www.visitbelgium.com

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This spectacular covered shopping arcade was one of the first in Europe and is filled with enticing little shops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants. It buzzes with activity until late and is worth visiting for the architecture alone.

Near the Grand Place

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This is a great street market, held in Place Chatelain, just off Rue de Bailli, on Wednesdays. You can pick up some delicious speciality foods here, from cheeses, to fish to wine. But the atmosphere's wonderful, so even if you don't want to buy anything, it's well worth wandering around the stalls (lots of tempting goodies to snack on if you're hungry, or try the champagne/wine stall). The market goes on into the evening as well, and the busiest time is around 6 to 7pm, when people come after work. Place Chatelain has some great restaurants and lots of atmospheric little bars too but be prepared to fight for a table!

Place Chatelain, off Rue de Bailli, Ixelles.

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Beer Mania offers over 400 Belgian beers to sample on site, buy and drink at home, or order online. Open 11am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday. The owner, Nasser Eftekhairi, is usually there and is fount of knowledge on all things to do with Belgian beers.

174-176 Chaussée de Wavre, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. www.beermania.be Tel: 00 32 2 512 17 88 Nearest metro, Trone or Porte de Namur

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The Mannekin Pis is the city's most famous landmark - a statuette of a nude boy urinating. Spend the €11 on chocolate instead.

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