For chocoholics, the Place Du Grand Sablon is the ultimate location. This beautiful square is located in the Sablon district, in the heart of Brussels. In the Middle Ages, the square was used for wool drying, using swamps and sandpits, which is where the name Sablon, meaning fine sand came from. In the 1950s, the area had something of a louche reputation though today it is hard to imagine the square's unglamorous past as now it's filled with chic boutiques specialising in chocolate and countless antique galleries.
The open space of the Place du Grand Sablon is a wonderful place for a walk as you will pass dozens of attractive period houses with wrought iron balconies adorned with colourful flowers. If you are in the area at the weekend, every Saturday and Sunday morning there is a popular antique market which is well worth a browse.
While the area used to be filled with antique shops – and there are still plenty – It is now chocolate shops that dominate the area, to the delight of anyone with a sweet tooth. Wittamer was the first famous name to open its doors here in 1910 and the shop is still open today. Other renowned Belgian brands including Pierre Marcolini, Godiva, Neuhaus and Leonidas can also be found here, as well as a number of foreign brands like that of the French chocolatier Patrick Roger.
The chocolatiers spare no expense in making themselves stand out from the competition. With beautiful window displays that tempt you in, and artistic ways of presenting the chocolates inside the stores, it’s easy to get carried away and spend a lot of money here.
Away from the sweet stuff, there are restaurants and cafés that line the square's edges, which offer contemporary Belgian cuisine, and some of the city’s best restaurants can be found here.
Place du Grand Sablon is in central Brussels and can be reached by metro or by car. Some street parking is available in the area.
