Belgians are famous for producing high-quality products, something they have been doing since the Middle Ages. But don't travel to this country expecting to find amazing bargain prices. Value-added tax (TVA) further inflates prices, but visitors from outside the European Union can obtain refunds.

Beer and chocolate, of course, are two of the most popular Belgian exports, but don't overlook lesser-known local specialties, like lace and linens, when searching out that perfect gift.

Brussels' stylish, upmarket shopping area for clothing and accessories comprises the upper end of Avenue Louise and includes Avenue de la Toison d'Or, which branches off at a right angle; Boulevard de Waterloo, on the other side of the street; Galerie Louise, which links the two avenues; and Galerie de la Toison d'Or, another gallery two blocks away. The City 2 mall on Place Rogier and the pedestrian mall, Rue Neuve, are fun and inexpensive shopping areas (but not recommended for women alone after dark).

On the Place du Grand-Sablon and adjoining streets and alleys you'll find antiques dealers and smart art galleries. The Galeries St-Hubert is a rather stately shopping arcade lined with upscale shops selling men's and women's clothing, books, and interior design products. In the trendy Rue Antoine Dansaert and Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains, near the Bourse, are a number of boutiques carrying fashions by young designers and interior design and art shops. Place du Châtelaine and the surrounding streets in Ixelles near Avenue Louise feature a number of upmarket boutiques offering women's and men's clothes, as well as an assortment of other shops, including antiques, housewares, and secondhand clothes.