Search form

menu menu
  • Daily & Weekly newsletters
  • Buy & download The Bulletin
  • Comment on our articles

Corona-proof foodie tours support local eateries

18:30 22/02/2021

Take a tour of Brussels and get deals from eateries that are open during the new Stadswandeling initiative. Visitors get a walking map that passes four restaurants and coffeehouses, which serve special treats to Stadswandeling participants.

The idea was thought up by out-of-work restaurant workers in Amsterdam to help support the catering sector as the coronavirus crisis drags on. It’s also a corona-safe activity because it’s not a group tour – ticket-holders head out on their own.

Stadswandeling is now offered in several cities in the Netherlands and Belgium, including Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven and Hasselt. Those who sign up – for a small fee or for free, depending on the city – will get the map the day of the walk.

Like walking for chocolate

The walking maps takes you through parts of town you might never have seen and also past places where €5 buys you a drink or a small dish. “To plan the route we looked for a balance between hidden gems, captivating views and interesting culinary pitstops,” Thomas Lambrechts of Travelbase told Bruzz. Travelbase, an adventure-oriented travel agency, is organising Stadswandeling in Belgium.

The culinary pitstops in Brussels are chocolatier Frederic Blondeel, Gruun coffee shop, Mer du Nord and Pois Chiche, where falafel on a bed of humus is on the menu. “We are participating because we think it’s a cool initiative, but it can also make a big difference to us,” Quinten Decleyn of Pois Chiche told the paper.

Stadswandeling takes place on Saturdays, and in some cities on Sundays as well. Reservations can be made now for all the cities except for Brussels; reservations for the tour in the capital open back up on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy Pois Chiche/Facebook

 

Written by Lisa Bradshaw