Where can you shop for the best of the best and get really good service? We list Limburg addresses where you are guaranteed value for money.
In The Valy
La Bottega has been a well-known address for fashion lovers for more than thirty years. The boutique, which has been located in Smeets’ old gin distillery since 2006, expanded last year with a homely and eclectically furnished extra floor where luxury brands take center stage. A passion project of owner Karine Valy. You will find various Belgian brands such as Dries Van Noten, JoosTricot and Natan, but also international names such as Marni and Max Mara. “Each garment has been chosen from a love for quality, unique designs and pure craftsmanship,” says Valy. Add to that the warm Limburg hospitality and you get an unforgettable shopping experience.
Raamstraat 19, 3500 Hasselt. labottega.be
Catherinedal
Brothers Peter and Bert Boonen, together with their wives, have been running the Catharinadal cheese farm in Achel, Limburg, for more than thirty years. They make more than a hundred cheeses of various types with raw milk from their own red and white cows and purchased milk from local sheep and goats. They use age-old Kempen methods. This earned cheesemaker Peter the title of world champion in the ‘original cheese’ category in 2009 with his Grevenbroecker, a blue mold cheese, better known as ‘Achelse Blauwe’. In 1935, their grandparents were already selling farms here and the brothers also enjoy daily contact with customers in their farm shop.
Catharinadal 5, 3930 Hamont-Achel. catharinadal.be
Chocolate House Boon
‘A richly varied repertoire and a house with a solid reputation’, Gault&Millau wrote in September about Chocolate House Boon in Hasselt. For his special creation of pie pralines – inspired by typical Limburg pies – Patrick Mertens even received the award for Best Chocolatier of the year 2024 from the renowned restaurant guide. Mertens had his shop renovated earlier this year and doubled in size. Who wants something more exclusive for Sinterklaas – a soot piet made of praline? – knows where to go.
Paardsdemerstraat 13, 3500 Hasselt. chocolahuisboon.be
Tribù
With collections designed by internationally acclaimed designers – including Monica Armani and Yabu Pushelberg or the Belgian Studio Segers and Maison Tricot – Tribù has worked its way to the top of the luxury outdoor furniture market. In 1997 it could even call itself the first outdoor brand at the Salone del Mobile. After opening their first showroom in Los Angeles last summer, one is also expected in Milan (2024). In addition, the Limburg brand can be found in ninety countries. Most of their furniture can be found in residential projects, but also in luxury boutiques and hotels. At the Carlton Ritz in Paris, the headquarters of Apple and the stores of Dior and Louis Vuitton, to name a few.
Oude Heidestraat 72, 3740 Bilzen. tribu.com
Balo
Discreet luxury is one of the most persistent interior trends, and at Balo in Hasselt and Mol they make it their trademark. Their range ranges from exquisite details to exclusive furniture to a total concept. From beautiful clothes hangers to the complete redesign of a home. They have even stylishly decorated a superyacht, the Seven Sins. In their store in Mol the emphasis is on designer furniture from top designers, in Hasselt they have an Accessory Store where you can find a beautiful gift for even the most difficult loved one.
Corbiestraat 24, 2400 Mol, Maagdendries 3, 3500 Hasselt. balo.be
Mercken
The Mercken family business, led by Frank Mercken and his son Frederique, has been synonymous with luxurious men’s fashion for almost forty years. In their two boutiques in Antwerp and Hasselt you will find quality basics, such as a wool overcoat or leather gloves, from international brands such as Zegna and Tom Ford. Both locations are also equipped with a made-to-measure room where men can have a tailor-made suit made from 995 euros. Exceptional costumes that you can enjoy for years, even generations: that is the goal. In addition, Mercken also offers tailor-made suits from the Italian label Brioni, exclusively for Belgium.
Havermarkt 32, 3500 Hasselt, Lange Gasthuisstraat 27, 2000 Antwerp mercken.com
