Grand Place

One of Europe's most stunning squares
Word to the wise: Every summer evening, at 10.30pm and 11pm, the Town Hall transforms into a rainbow of colours during a choreographed light and sound show - slightly kitsch but spectacular nonetheless.

Noteworthy for: Every other summer the square is covered in a carpet of more than 500,000 begonias arranged in dazzling patterns.
Undoubtedly Brussels' crowning glory, this UNESCO World Heritage Site should be at the top of your itinerary. Accessed via narrow, winding, cobbled streets, the Grand Place only reveals its full grandeur at the last moment, when its vast square and magnificent Medieval and Rennaissance buildings come into view.

Although the square itself dates back to the 12th century, only the Hotel De Ville (Town Hall) survived following a fire started by French invaders in 1695. Thankfully the new buildings lining the square were if anything even grander, and the Grand Place's baroque guildhalls are some of the most elaborate and splendid in all Europe.