Belgium travel guide

Grand Place (Central Square)

The Grand Place is the heart of Brussels and has been since the Middle Ages. One of Europe's more beautiful squares, it lies in the centre of a maze of small cobbled streets and is surrounded by richly decorated 17th century Baroque Guildhouses, various Neo-Gothic buildings, and museums.

It is, however, the town hall, a magnificent Gothic building that dominates the square. Markets, flower stalls, and various events are held here and this is the place to get to grips with the essence of Brussels, perhaps over a local delicacy at a pavement café.

Manneken-Pis

The distinctive statue has been described as the Eiffel Tower of Brussels and tourists throng the streets in search of the tiny urinating urchin. The bronze mannequin is thought to represent the irreverent spirit of Brussels but there are numerous tales about its beginnings.

Started by Louis XV of France many years ago, it has been the custom of foreign countries, companies, visiting dignitaries, or charities to donate an outfit to the Manneken-Pis and the little boy is usually decked out in the latest costume. Previous costumes are displayed in the City of Brussels Museum.

As the cheeky fountain is one of the most popular attractions in Brussels, visitors can expect large crowds at most times of day, especially in tourist season.

Hotel de Ville

Brussels' town hall is rated as one of the most splendid civic building in Europe. The foundations were laid in 1402 and it survived the bombing during World War II when most of the other buildings on the Grand Place were destroyed.

The façade is embellished with gargoyles and images of nobility while the intricate 100 metre-high tower is resolved by a fine statue of St Michel, patron saint of Brussels. Guided tours are available for a small fee - well worth it to see the fine tapestries and miscellaneous works of art inside.

Galeries Royales Saint Hubert

Mall lovers everywhere should make a pilgrimage to the Galeries Royales Saint Hubert, the very first shopping arcade in Europe. Opened in 1847, the arcade became a drawcard for the elite of 19th century society and today continues to inspire shoppers and browsers alike. People from across the globe, young and old, enjoy perusing here and everyone will find something to their taste.

The building is an architectural marvel: arcaded shop fronts across two floors are separated by pilasters, conceived in a Cinquecento style. The roof above is made of arched glass panes, connected by a delicate cast-iron framework. In between the various shops you'll find cafes, restaurants, a theatre, and even a cinema. With so much to see and do here, this attraction is family friendly and one the kids will enjoy too.

Palais Royal

Belgium's magnificent Royal Palace was built in the 19th century as the official residence of the Belgian Royal family although today is used for official functions and other ceremonial purposes. The palace is positioned in front of Brussels Park, itself well worth exploring, and directly opposite the modern Parliament building as if symbolically representing the country's system of government, a constitutional monarchy. Tours are only possible in summer and commence after the National Holiday on 21 July. Inside are a multitude of historical artefacts and some impressive contemporary art, commissioned by the queen in 2002.

Royal Museums of Fine Arts

An unmissable attraction for art lovers: the Royal Museums of Fine Art are Brussels' premier art museums. Consisting of the Musée Old Masters Museum, Musée Modern Museum, Musée Wiertz Museum, Musée Meunier Museum, Musée Magritte Museum, and the new Musée Fin-de-Siècle Museum.

The largest is the Old Masters Museum, opened in 1887, featuring the best collection of Flemish art in the world; highlights include works by Van Dyck and over 20 paintings by Rubens. The Museum of Modern Art was opened in 1984 and includes fine examples from Belgium's best artists over the past century, plus modern legends such as Francis Bacon.

The Magritte Museum is devoted to works of famous Belgian Surrealist René Magritte, and houses more than 200 of his works; while the new Musée Fin-de-Siècle Museum is dedicated to the 1900s when Brussels was the capital of Art Nouveau.

Belgian Centre of Comic Strip Art

Belgium's love of wacky humour and comic book art come together in this wonderful museum housed in a fabulous Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta. Permanent exhibitions detail the history of European comic strips, while ever-changing temporary exhibitions focus on specific artists, time periods, and political contexts.

Visitors can see plenty of its most famous subject, Hergé's Tintin, as well as the Smurfs and art from over 670 cartoonists. This is a temple to cartooning, now considered an art form worthy of serious consideration, and so the museum aims to trace the history and development of the discipline rather than to entertain. Guided tours are available for larger groups.

Royal Museum of Central Africa

Under the direction of King Leopold, the Belgian Congo returned fantastic riches to Belgium in the 19th century. Yet the people of that colony paid a terrible price. This museum was founded to explore the relationship between European colonial powers and the people they subjugated.

Recent exhibits have broadened the museum's focus to include environmental issues and ethnography in Africa, Asia, and South America. The museum is situated on beautiful grounds in the Flemish commune of Tervuren, just outside of Brussels.

Choco-Story Museum

Chocolate lovers can't take a holiday to Bruges without stopping at the Choco-Story Museum, which details the history of chocolate dating back to the Mayans in 250 BC, and also demonstrates how the raw ingredients of cocoa are turned into the sweet treats everyone loves.

Of course, each tour includes a tasting session and plenty of time in the gift shop. It's tempting to buy right then and there, but keep in mind that Bruges has more than 40 chocolate shops throughout the city!

Bruges Diamond Museum

Bruges has a long history of diamond polishing, going back to 1450 when local goldsmith Lodewijk van Berquem invented the modern technique of using diamond powder on a rotating disk. The Bruges Diamond Museum (Diamantmuseum Brugge) has a variety of exhibits on this craft, as well as mining and setting diamonds.

The museum also offers live polishing demonstrations each day and often hosts temporary exhibitions with famous stones and jewellery. The gift shop stocks rough and synthetic diamonds, as well as more reasonably-priced souvenirs.

Groeninge Museum

Considered one of Bruges' best museums, the Groeninge Museum houses a large collection of fine art going back to the 15th century, including works by famous Flemish painters Jan van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hans Memling.

Though some of the works are from recent years, the museum's collections focuses exclusively on works with classical techniques and has some beautiful pieces. For fans of classical art and those wishing to gain an insight into Belgian and European life in the past, this is a museum not to be missed.