Food and culture

Stay: Domaine La Butte aux Bois
Deep in the forest, this 1920s country-estate hotel certainly isn’t a time warp. The grounds host rotating art installations, the restaurant is a sharp interpretation of fine dining and the spa includes a new Reformer Pilates studio. 3620 Lanaken

BOOK A ROOM

Interiors browsing: Marres A temple to the Belgian contemporary aesthetic – make an appointment at the Marres showroom to look around its sculptural furniture and admire the crisp edit of high-end European brands, as well as smaller craft-led designers. 3620 Lanaken

DISCOVER MORE

Art immersion: Z33
There’s no permanent collection at Z33, one of the country’s leading art and design institutions. Instead, it champions an ambitious curatorial programme of social-themed exhibitions in a building that’s as compelling as the shows. 3500 Hasselt

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Lunch: Notoir
In the hands of restaurateur Karl Janssens, Notoir is confidently cool: fringed lamps on the tables, spritzes on the sunlit Botermarkt terrace and plates of Asian-inflected French and Belgian classics. 3500 Hasselt

MAKE A RESERVATION

Drinks: BottlO Bar
A finger-on-the-pulse neighbourhood bar, where the stainless-steel shelves are filled with bottles from independent vineyards and the team knows their stuff. Dip in with a glass of Jura crémant or Spanish orange wine. 3500 Hasselt

DISCOVER MORE

Historic stroll: Herkenrode Abbey
Once one of the Low Countries’ wealthiest Cistercian Abbeys, restoration has been ongoing for decades. Right now, a monumental installation is being constructed – a steel framework representing the Abbey’s original cloister complex with a 50-metre-tall spire. 3511 Hasselt

MORE INFORMATION

Culture fix: Labiomista
Part exhibition, part open-air laboratory, Koen Vanmechelen’s boundary-blurring park-museum mixes art and nature with wild horses, llamas and emus wandering amongst the outdoor sculptures. 3600 Genk

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Dinner: Robijn
At this moody candle-lit space, the heavy-hitting wine list takes centre stage. Each of the seasonal dishes comes with its own particular pairing – yuzu oysters with a Riesling, clams in dashi sauce alongside Grüner Veltliner. A local with serious clout. 3600 Genk

BOOK A TABLE

Nightcap: Domaine La Butte aux Bois
The whisky at Bar Papillon includes an excellent range of The Macallan – and there’s a restrained cocktail list, too – but the bartenders are always happy to go off menu. 3620 Lanaken

FIND OUT MORE

Spa session: Domaine La Butte aux Bois
Kickstart the day with a few morning laps of the slate-lined swimming pool and an infra-red sauna in the hotel’s Shiseido Institute spa. 3620 Lanaken

FIND OUT MORE

Head to: Maasmechelen Village
To really tap into all the benefits of shopping here, download the Maasmechelen Village app and become a member to collect stars and redeem rewards as you move from boutique to boutique. 3630 Maasmechelen

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Caffeine hit: Izy Coffee
The much-loved homegrown coffee house has a new Village outpost in this elegant, Art Nouveau-style pavilion. The raspberry-ish Cuberdon ice latte is the one to order. Maasmechelen Village

DISCOVER MORE

Shop: Zadig & Voltaire
Thierry Gillier’s instantly recognisable rock-and-roll look – the studded suede boots and leather jackets – is softened with silk slip dresses and piles of folded cashmere sweaters. Maasmechelen Village

BROWSE THE BOUTIQUE

Shop: Xandres
When Xandres (then Andres) launched in the late 1960s, its calling was to end the search for the perfect pair of trousers. These days, there’s much more, with bold prints and colours alongside capsule staples. Maasmechelen Village

VISIT XANDRES

Shop: Max Mara
The ready-to-wear collection from the Italian label is both extremely chic and of the moment. But those in the know seek out a Max Mara coat – the kind of investment piece that will never date. Maasmechelen Village

DISCOVER

Lunch: Cho Gao With artwork by illustrator Marie-Yaé Suematsu on the walls and Japandi styling throughout, the restaurant is as pretty as its plates of Asian fusion food. Save room for the matcha tiramisu. Maasmechelen Village

VIEW THE MENU

Shop: Hoff
Colour-block trainers have been kicking around for a while and show no sign of retreat, so HOFF won’t disappoint. The boutique has permutations of every rainbow shade on all its sneaker shapes. Maasmechelen Village

BROWSE THE BOUTIQUE

Shop: Outly
A current curation of all the big-name glasses, sunglasses and ski goggles – Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, Oakley – and an in-house eye test so that you can add prescription lenses. Maasmechelen Village

DISCOVER OUTLY