Antwerp
The city has been synonymous with edgy, avant-garde fashion since the '80s, and there's still a radical feel to the place, although a softer side is emerging, too.

Stay: You'll want to pin every room in De Witte Lelie to your "dream interiors" Pinterest page.
De Witte Lelie, Keizerstraat 16-18 (near Ambtmanstraat); 32 32 26 19 66.

Shop: Helder is a sweet interiors shop and design studio — one of our favorites.
Helder, Vrijdagmarket 13 (near Drukkenijstraat); 32 32 89 43 18.

Eat: Hangar Eenenveertig, designed by Belgian architect Jo Peeters, has a grand European cafe vibe, with loads of contemporary quirks.
Hangar Eenenveertig, Sint Michielskaai 41 (near Scheldestraat); 32 32 57 09 18.

See: The City Museum of Antwerp is a mesmerising Jenga-style building on the water, and Cafe Storm — at the tippy top — is the best place to have a coffee and take in the view. Antwerp Fashion Museum pays homage to the active, international, and creative approach of local designers. And Antwerp’s open air contemporary art gallery, Middelheim Museum, is like a Surrealist dream.
The City Museum of Antwerp, Hanzestedenplaats 1 (near Godefriduskaai); 32 33 38 44 34; Antwerp Fashion Museum, Nationalestraat 28 (near Kammenstraat); 32 34 70 27 70; Middelheim Museum, Middelhheimlaan 61 (near Beukenlaan); 32 32 88 33 60.

Photo: iStock