When visiting a country, our family and friends back home are always expecting us to bring some souvenirs for them, aren’t they? So... Here are five ideas of souvenirs to bring back from Belgium, adapted to everyone. 🎁
1. Belgian chocolates for your loved one
Did you know that Belgian chocolate is one of the most famous chocolates in the world? Yup. And not only Belgians know how to make reaaaaaal good chocolate, they also invented the delicious praline. 🍫😋
Although you can buy Belgian chocolates from anywhere in the world, there's nothing like visiting a real chocolatier in Belgium itself and making a personalized box of chocolates to bring back home to your loved one. 💝
Don’t know where to go to buy your chocolates? Try one of these famous brands: Neuhaus (the one and only inventor of the praline), Godiva and Leonidas.
2. Comic books for the kids
Belgium is THE comic center of Europe and gave birth to some of the world’s most famous comics including The Adventures of Tintin, The Smurfs and The Adventures of Astérix. 📚
There are many places from where you can buy comics but Brüsel is definitely the best one.
Tintin lovers? La Boutique Tintin near Grand-Place is the perfect shop for you and has a huge variety of Tintin comics (bonus: in several languages) alongside various Tintin gifts and toys.
3. A life-size Manneken Pis for your friends
Manneken-Pis is a small statue of a boy going for a wee, that was built in the 1600s. 🚽
There are many incredible legends behind it: one of them has it that a little boy named Julien saw the burning fuse and quickly peed on it! Hilarious, isn’t it? 😂Over the years it has become a mascot for Brussels. On some occasions you may be even lucky enough to see him in an interesting outfit.
You can buy a Manneken Pis souvenir from literally anywhere in Brussels. It exists in life-size but if you don’t want to carry in your luggages a 61cm tall sculpture of a peeing boy, you can still opt for a smaller version of it.
4. Speculoos biscuits for your grand-parents
Invented around 1650, speculoos are crunchy biscuits made with brown sugar and spices. While they used to be baked especially for St Nicholas’ day, they are nowadays served on the side when ordering coffee. ☕️
You can buy some very good speculoos in practically every bakery, patisserie and chocolate shop in Belgium but you should know that Maison Dandoy is one of the best places to buy these delicious biscuits. 😋
5. A bottle of real Belgian beer for anyone who likes beer
There are more than 230 breweries in Belgium! 230!!! 😱 And this number keeps increasing. If some brands have made their ways through other countries like Vedett or Delirium, plenty of local beers are worth trying on site and bringing back home. 🍺 At ZappTax, our favourites are Tripel Karmeliet and La Cuvée des Trolls (among others). To drink in moderation, of course. 😉
Happy shopping! 🛍