Monastery Street

If you love antiques and other knick-knacks from the last century, you should definitely take a look in Kloosterstraat. In the rest of the country, shopping streets are deserted on Sundays, but not in Kloosterstraat. From Wednesday to Sunday, the numerous brocante, book, and antique shops display their beautiful goods: from art objects to Persian carpets and from old books to designer furniture. Most of the things you can buy here are from the 1960s and 1970s and you can snag them at a good price. No fewer than 70 shops offer their antiques and brocante here, so there’s a good chance of a successful bargain hunt. Kloosterstraat takes its name from the former Sint-Michiels Abbey, which the Norbertines built here in 1124. In 1803, the abbey was demolished to make way for an arsenal and shipyards. The church, which had been converted into a storage depot, burned down in 1830. Kloosterstraat follows a winding path and widens twice into a cozy triangular square. In this picturesque shopping street, the antique shops are interspersed with charming eateries, so the inner self is nourished and refreshed while browsing.

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