WHERE TO GO IN HASSELT

December 11, 2016

As some of you might know, I didn’t always live in Antwerp (or Lisbon, or Leuven…), but I grew up in a small town in the east of Belgium. The nearest “big city” was Hasselt, which back then consisted mostly out of high street stores. At the age of 16, we didn’t expect much more from our shopping trips, but times change. And so did Hasselt! Every time I return I’m surprised by all the new shops and bars, so I figured it was about time I shared my favorite places in this incredibly cosy city. As usual, you’ll find a map at the bottom of this city guide for Hasselt, where you’ll find even more tips from very reliable sources, and this post will be updated as I discover new places.

EXPLORED_ Copain in Hasselt

May 26, 2016

EXPLORED copain in Hasselt - by hannelore veelaert - via au pays des merveilles-5580

After the hype of the gourmet burger and the haute dog, it is time for the croque monsieur to shine, at least if you ask Nele from Copain in Hasselt. Whether you like to stick to the classics or enjoy a rather surprising combination, the seasonal menu of Copain has got your desires covered. Even if you’re not craving a croque during your visit, you’ll surely leave with a smile on your face as the menu also offers delicious granola (approved by yours truly!), a cup of coffee and sweet treats. Next to the menu, Copain also impresses with their interior. Lots of wood, a few mint green accents and fresh flowers bring a little bit of Scandinavia to the city Hasselt and form the perfect backdrop for your lunch break. Eat, drink, smile, repeat is Copain’s tagline and I advise you to do exactly that. I know I will.

Copain, Zuivelmarkt 38, 3500 Hasselt - website - facebook - instagram

EXPLORED_ De Sladerij in Hasselt

May 12, 2016

INSIGHTS De Sladerij in Hasselt - Hannelore Veelaert via Au pays des merveilles-5709

Fresh and healthy salads in an interior inspired by a traditional butchery (or slagerij in Dutch), that’s De Sladerij in a nutshell. The food alone makes this place worth a train ride to Hasselt, but add their selection of cookbooks (all for sale), the beautiful branding and their clean but cosy interior to the mix, and you know the lovely owner Géraldine Eechaudt has created a spot where everybody wants to hang out. Need more reasons to visit Hasselt, besides de Sladerij? Take a look here and keep an eye on the blog, because I’m working on a city guide for Limburg’s capital!

De Sladerij, Havermarkt 39, 3500 Hasselt - website - facebook - instagram

EXPLORED_ Titi +The German Kid in Hasselt

April 28, 2016

EXPLORED_ T+TGK in Hassel - Hannelore Veelaert via Au pays des merveilles-5674

If you’re in Hasselt and looking to satisfy your hunger for unique streetwear, Titi + The German Kid might be just the place you’re looking for. Kristien Follon started out almost a decade ago, with a collection of t-shirts with handdrawn prints on them, available through myspace. Since then, T+TGK has evolved into a brand known for its unique style, inspired by street art, graphic design and illustration, its unusual showcases and the fanzines that accompany each collection. Curious for that cooky world of Kristien Follon? Good, because you can see the T+TGK universe for yourself in her design studio slash store located in Hasselt, or you can stop by De Invasie in Antwep this weekend! (More info about De Invasie and my favorites here by the way!)
UPDATE – Titi + The German Kid has been closed down.

Design studio + store TITI + THE GERMAN KID, Schrijnwerkersstraat 20/1, 3500 Hasselt - website - facebook - instagram - twitter

EXPLORED_ Z33 in Hasselt

April 17, 2016

FRAGMENTS_ Z33 by Hannelore Veelaert for au pays des merveilles

Growing up, I spent a lot of my free time in the nearby city of Hasselt. Back then, I was mostly attracted by the chain stores, unaware that Hasselt had so much more to offer. One of those things I missed out on for a long time, is Z33. Located in a historical beguinage, this house for contemporary art offers unique exhibitions and space for experimentation and innovation. During my last visit, I explored expo Toegepast 20: Looking for the in-between. The design competition of Toegepast 20 selected 6 young and talented designers to be coached by professionals for a year and ultimately give them the chance to show their work at Z33, hopefully leading to a successful career in the creative sector. The selected designers have very different backgrounds, ranging from architecture (Ruben Castro) to jewelry (Anneleen Swillen) and from textile ( Charlotte Vandenborre) to graphic design (An Onghena, my personal favorite of the selection). The result is an interesting expo with beautiful scenography by Adriaan Tas, who’s home you might have already spotted on Instagram and will soon appear on the blog. This particular expo unfortunately came to its end, but their current agenda looks very promising and a walk around the beguinage is always a good idea, so don’t miss out on this hidden gem when you’re visiting the city!

Z33, Zuivelmarkt 33, 3500 Hasselt - website - facebook -  twitter

WHERE TO GO IN HASSELT – part two

July 20, 2012

As I told you last week: it’s about time I start showing you where to go in my hometown (okay, in the city 12 km next to my hometown), instead of always rushing of to other cities or countries. In part one, I showed you Hasselt’s one and only vintage shop, this time we’re getting some culture and something to eat!

WHERE TO GO IN HASSELT – part one

July 14, 2012

I’m always off to Brussels, Antwerp or cities in faraway countries and sometimes I forget where I come from. Close to home there’s some good stuff to be found as well!

DSGNRMRKT

October 4, 2010

Last Saturday, I visited “DSGNRMRKT” at the Modemuseum of Hasselt, a market where young fashiontalent sold unique fashion. I saw some pretty cool stuff!

I’m so in love with that coat by Ti+Hann!

Lots of colors and bold prints at Irene Heldens

Jewelry by Lore Langendries.

Made by chickies

Gewoon Lies

Gorgeous lingerie by MajoRey

Lalou Dandine

Fôret Féerique

Black Balloon

‘Marcellekes’, as we call them, customised by (from left to right) Stijn Helsen, Cesar Casier, Marcel Vanthilt (obviously), Delphine Boël and Vjeze Fur from De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig. They were auctioned to raise money for Think Pink (an organisation to raise awareness for breast cancer).

All pictures are taken by me.

HOERA! HIP HANDWERK.

September 16, 2009

flyer

When I visited the ModeMuseum Hasselt, they were hosting an indoor designer market called ‘HOERA! Hip Handwerk.’

I will devote this post to sharing my personal favourites.

MR LAPINN Mr. Lapin sells lovely brooches (my best friend bought this one as a gift for me!), cute earrings, and adorable etuis. The illustrations of Mr. Lapin (which you can find on the site) are pretty amazing aswell. I couldn’t not include this one, quoting The Subs.

At Lovely Mariquita, you can find the cutest polkadotted skirts and colourful stuffed animals. Everything she sells just screams ‘cute’!

Art Mind‘s babushka-shaped ceramics express all kinds of emotions. It’s amazing how many of these little postures she made, all expressing different feelings. She also makes beautiful hairpins, rings, etc. with this babushka silhouette.

I’ve known Titi + The German Kid‘s stuff for quite some time now, back then she sold tanktops with hand-drawn illustrations, often personalised for the buyer, right now I like her I heart him and I heart her tank tops the most, all though her knitted frisco’s (does that word even exist in english?) and owls are pretty cute too. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything about Polly Rocket on the internet, but I do remember her cute knitted robots and penguins.

As you can see, there are a few designers left that I didn’t mention, unfortunately I didn’t take pictures of every stand and I don’t recall all of their names either… But I’m sure you found something you like between my picks!

IN HER SHOES

September 15, 2009

Last Sunday, me and my best friend visited the exhibition ‘In her shoes’ at the Modemuseum Hasselt (fashion museum in Hasselt).

Obviously, this was an exhibition about shoes, shoes, shoes, and… more shoes.

Extremely expensive designer shoes…. (Pay attention to THE Manolo’s from the Sex and the City movie!)

… architectural shoes… (Rem D Koolhaas is NOT the same person as the famous architect Rem Koolhaas, it’s his nephew!)

…beautiful shoes from less famous designers…

… pumps and boots with fabulous decorations…

ellen verbeek

… versatile boots…

… and more conceptual shoes. You name it, they’ve got it!

high The shoes were divided into high…

low … and low…

… and were surrounded with the glamour they diserve.

You can find more information at the website of the museum, In Her Shoes will be staying in Hasselt until November 8.

PS. I apologize for the sometimes poor quality of the pictures! The museum was rather dark and I couldn’t always use flash since several shoes were behind glass… I also apologize for not always adding the name of the designer, I don’t remember all of the rather unknown designers.