Brussels – unlike Paris – doesn’t set out to make you love it; rather, it sits back and allows you to do the wooing. The secret is to take time getting under its skin and slowly embracing its uniquely muddled character. After all, it’s the capital of Flanders, Belgium and Europe, a francophone enclave in the Flemish north of the country.
The centre is divided into the Lower and Upper Towns. The former is centred around the magnificent Grand’ Place and still follows a vaguely medieval form, with its narrow, atmospheric streets. The Grand’ Place itself, a wide-open cobbled medieval square of elegant guildhouses, is one of Brussels’ few set-piece attractions. There is a daily flower market on the square (Mar-Oct), sometimes with concerts, and a son et lumière display in the evenings. The Town Hall is the landmark building; its spire will be your point of reference as you weave through the Lower Town streets. The daily business of Brussels takes place here, in the many local bars and cafés whose character and quality are the stuff of legend.
The bars, restaurants and nightspots of St-Géry take on a life of their own in the summer months, when the buzz is thickly atmospheric. Even in winter, die-hards sit on the terraces under electric heaters. Ste-Catherine, the town’s port area before the river was land-filled in the 1870s, is lined with seafood restaurants serving up dishes of lobster, mussels and oysters. Immediately north of the Grand’ Place you’ll find the Ilot Sacré – an evocative tangle of narrow streets that are filled with restaurants. South, amid the tourist shops in rue de l’Etuve, is the little statue of the urinating Manneken- Pis – the symbol of Brussels.
The Upper Town doesn’t lack for attractions either: there’s the Royal Quarter, with the palace and the royal park leading through to the Belgian Parliament. The Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts (3 rue de la Régence, 02 508 3211, http://www.kmskb.be, closed Mon) gives an overview of Belgian and old Flemish art. Don’t miss the Musée des Instruments de Musique (2 rue Montagne de la Cour, 02 545 0130, http://www.mim.fgov.be, closed Mon), set in a beautifully restored art nouveau department store. East of the Royal Quarter is the Parc du Cinquantenaire, with Belgium’s Arc de Triomphe and vast museum complexes. Nearby, the Quartier Léopold is the heart of the EU quarter.
• Tourist information: Hôtel de Ville, Grand’ Place (02 513 8940, http://www.brusselsinternational.be).


Seasonal Brussels

The city comes alive in the summer with an impressive mix of festivals – a list can be obtained from the tourist office. The KunstenFESTIVALdesarts in May is among the best contemporary performing arts fests (http://www.kunstenfestivaldesarts.be) and the Audi Jazz Festival (Oct-Nov, http://www.audijazz.be) is one of Europe’s biggest. Don’t miss the seasonal Christmas market and ice rink set up in the centre of town from early December(http://www.plaisirsdhiver.be).


Restaurants & bars

Brussels has restaurants (http://www.resto.be) to rival Paris, both in price and quality. Though it’s not an especially cheap city for eating out, you are less likely to feel duped by standards here; restaurants that fail to reach the mark simply close. A local’s favourite close to the Graund’ Place is La Roue d’Or (26 rue des Chapeliers, 02 514 2554) but do book in advance. Aux Armes de Bruxelles (13 rue des Bouchers, 02 511 5550, http://www.armebrux.be) is an art deco seafood classic. The restaurants on and around the Grand’ Place are generally good as are the Vietnamese and Thai places in St-Géry. The art nouveau Falstaff (19-25 rue Henri Maus, 02 511 8789, http://www.falstaff-brussels.be) is a good traditional café for lunch, as is Cirio (18 rue de la Bourse, 02 512 1395).


Nightlife

The best bar crawl is down rue du Marché au Charbon – the spine of the gay district – where every other building houses a lively drinking place. Brussels’ reputation as a clubbing town is all down to one club: the Fuse (208 rue Blaes, 02 511 9789, http://www.fuse.be), which is also home to the mega gay club La Demence. There is also an impressive underground scene. For club information, check http://www.noctis.com.

Hotels

Rates at five-star hotels drop considerably at weekends (particularly in summer), so don’t dismiss them outright. For a little old-fashioned elegance, the Métropole (31 place de Brouckère, 02 217 2300, http://www.metropolehotel.com, from €349) has the bygone era feel. If money is no object, the five-star Amigo (rue de l’Amigo 1-3, http://www.hotelamigo.com, €500-€600) should be your first port of call, located just metres from the Grand’ Place. Of the mid-range options, the Mozart (23 rue du Marché aux Fromages, 02 502 6661, http://www.hotel-mozart.be, from €95) is oddly kitsch, and often noisy, but only a step from the Grand’ Place. Hotel Arlequin is popular as a basically comfortable stay in the heart of things (17-19 rue de la Fourche, 02 514 1615, http://www.arlequin.be, from €180). The George V (23 rue ’t Kint, 02 513 5093, http://www.george5.com, from €75) is a budget favourite near the bars of St-Géry. Bed & Brussels (02 646 0737, http://www.bnb-brussels.be) books cheap rooms in houses.


Nearby

Belgium is small, its trains are cheap, and other destinations are nicely within reach. The cities of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent are all within an hour’s train ride. Or do as the Belgians do and spend a day at the coast. There are numerous small resorts as well as regal Ostend. The Kusttram (coastal tram) makes a wonderful day trip on a summer’s day; it runs from De Panne to Knokke (070 220 200, one-day pass €5, http://www.dekusttram.b