Not long ago I found myself in Brussels, when all of a sudden it started raining buckets. I had just strolled out of the Central Train Station, just opposite the beautiful Le Méridien Brussels, when the torrents began. To my delight I quickly discovered a stunning belle époque passageway filled with beautiful stores where I could easily while away a rainy afternoon.

Inaugurated in 1847 by King Leopold, the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert are actually a series of long, light-filled corridors with regal names like "The King's Gallery," "the Queen's Gallery" and the "Gallery of the Princes." Equally upscale are the designer names emblazoned on the glass windows that line the covered arcade. The fabled Ciel Mes Bijoux! glitters with vintage haute couture gems, while Kaat Tilley is a theatrical treasure chest of dramatic ball gowns. Art Nouveau mirrors reflect Corné Port-Royal Chocolatier's tantalizing bonbons nearby the Belgian trivia-inspired chocolates of La Belgique Gourmande. Soak up the atmosphere with a café au lait at one of the tables set up beneath the galeries' vast glass ceiling, and be sure to pop into Tropismes, a former jazz club turned book store. Climb up to the mezzanine where you can gaze out upon a stunning neo-classical interior and listen to the sounds of a jazz singer. Even though they're coming from a speaker, the effect is still pretty magical, come rain or come shine.