Monocle

"Founded by Sonja Noël, Stijl has been instrumental in providing a platform for emerging and groundbreaking designers since it opened in 1984. Together with the Antwerp Six, Noël cleverly marketed Belgium as a cult fashion destination and the Rue Antoine Dansaert as its epicentre of high-end garms. On sale are stalwart brands such as Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester, plus forward-thinking labels including Sofie d’Hoore and Jan-Jan Van Essche."

"Brussels’ first indoor centre for bouldering opened its doors in 2018 in a former factory. It offers about 100 different climbing routes, encompassing a wide range of grades. The in-house bar has an impressive beer list and a menu of vegetable-based dishes, making it a good spot to unwind after an intense scramble on the walls."

"This building opened in 1970 as the HQ of Belgian concrete- production firm CBR. Architect Constantin Brodzki was charged with showing the power of the company’s product. It’s a first-class example of prefabricated architecture: 756 concrete modules, glass included, that were assembled on-site. Snaking channels between each unit take care of rainfall, meaning there’s no need for plastic piping, and a heating system encased in sapele wood veneer beautifully lines the interior of each floor. Today it’s an office and co-working space owned by Fosbury & Sons, following a sensitive renovation in 2018."

"Maniera invites artists and architects to extend beyond their usual practice and dabble in the world of product design. Founded in 2014 by Amaryllis Jacobs and Kwinten Lavigne, the Grand Place gallery commissions limited-edition objects of use and pieces of furniture that blur the lines between creative practices. As well as working with the next generation of makers, Jacobs and Lavigne collaborate with more established designers such as Anne Holtrop and Jonathan Muecke, who have signature styles that can be channelled into highly original works. “We look for artists and architects who have a very specific design language,” says Jacobs. “Nobody builds like Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen (known for its project Solo House) or Studio Mumbai, for instance. Their language is so clear you can almost pitch it in one line.”"

"Born in Réunion and trained in Belgium by a Japanese chef, Laurent Balancy channels his international spirit at this lively bistro. Think classic French dishes with a Creole twist, such as a signature cassoulet spiked with turmeric leaves and garlic. Balancy’s nose-to-tail approach and expert way with a whole fish has earned him many fans. Regulars often turn up for lunch and stay until dinner, working their way through microbrewed suds and easy-to-quaff bottles of natural wine."

"We’re stretching the boundaries of San Francisco a little with this one but it would be remiss to leave it out. Located just outside the city on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge (many of the rooms look directly onto it), this hotel is a sensitively restored turn-of-the-century military building. Choose between the original house, with its authentic tin ceiling and fireplaces, and the hillside new-build rooms with their floor-to-ceiling windows, spectacular views and radiant-heat floors for those slightly chilly nights. There’s also the Murray Circle restaurant, optional cooking classes, yoga sessions and hiking in the nearby national park. In short, it would be easy to stay on this side of the bridge for your entire trip."

"Nicholas and Dolly Goulandris began collecting ancient artefacts in the 1960s. By the 1980s they had enough to fill a cultural institution and opened the Museum of Cycladic Art, showcasing more than 3,000 Cycladic, ancient Greek and Cypriot works. The marble figurines displayed here, dating from 3,000BC to 2,000BC, have inspired many 20th-century artists, from Henry Moore to Modigliani and Picasso."

"In Athens, a new cultural space has opened in a former tobacco factory. Though the city has seen its fair share of new cultural institutions in the past couple of years, a 6,500 sq m space still feels like something of an exception. Many suspect that it could offer a new lease on life to the Kolonos neighborhood and it looks like they might be right. Neon’s first exhibition, Portals – which investigates the relationship between disruption and artistic creation – has already drawn in a slew of locals since it opened on 11 June. The show runs until the end of 2021."

"A 20-minute drive from the city proper you’ll find architect Johan Nyrén’s Artipelag art gallery, tucked away in a glade surrounded by forest. There are four main spaces that host exhibitions, past examples of which have included furniture designed by Mats Theselius, fashion by Lars Wallin and an Andy Warhol retrospective. The shop stocks Artipelag’s own creations including ceramics and tote bags. Its 1,100-seat Artbox music hall has hosted everything from grungy gigs to opera."

"The historic Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert may be reminiscent of times past but the hotel located at their centre pays homage to contemporary art and design. Opened in 2014 by Parisian publisher and art collector Nadine Flammarion, and laid out by her daughter Camille together with interior designer Fleur Delesalle, the Hotel des Galeries has raised the bar for hotels in Brussels. Spread across four floors, each of the 20 rooms and three suites retains the former shopping arcade’s parquet floors and shuttered windows. White walls are pepped up with vibrant prints by 20th and 21st- century artists such as Sonia Delaunay, the colours of which are picked out in rugs, cushions and other design details. Furniture by Belgian designers including Sylvain Willenz sits alongside antiques picked up in the Sablon neighbourhood, while books by Flammarion and ceramics made by Camille are dotted around the hotel."