Brussels

Brussels has a reputation problem that has nothing to do with the city itself. It is the seat of the European Union and NATO, which gives it an administrative identity that obscures what it actually is: a city of extraordinary Art Nouveau architecture, one of the finest central squares in Europe, and a food culture that punches well above its size. The Grand Place — the medieval market square at the city's heart — was called the most beautiful square in Europe by Victor Hugo, and the claim is not difficult to defend. The guild houses that surround it date from the late 17th century, rebuilt after French bombardment in 1695 with a level of craft and ambition that the destruction apparently only intensified.

Beyond the Grand Place, Brussels rewards the traveller who leaves the tourist circuit. The Ixelles neighbourhood has the best concentration of Art Nouveau buildings — Victor Horta's own house, now a museum, is the most complete example — alongside a lively restaurant scene that reflects the city's significant North African and Turkish communities. Halal food is well-established throughout Brussels, particularly in Molenbeek, Ixelles, and around the Gare du Midi; options range from Moroccan patisseries to full-service Lebanese and Turkish restaurants. Belgian chocolate and waffles are available everywhere and require no qualification.

Two nights is enough for Brussels done properly — one day for the historic centre, one for the Art Nouveau trail and the neighbourhood restaurants. The city sits at the centre of a triangle with Amsterdam (two hours by train) and Paris (one hour 22 minutes on the Eurostar), which makes it the natural hinge of a Benelux itinerary. Bruges is 55 minutes by train and worth the half-day. Brussels is the kind of city that travel itineraries consistently undervalue, which means those who do stop tend to leave wishing they had stayed longer.