Brussels is a delight to explore with plenty on offer, and renting a car means that you can really appreciate everything that the city, and the rest of the country, packs in – from dazzling galleries to medieval treasures.
City of fine art
At the historic heart of Brussels, discover the magnificent Grand Place (Grote Markt in Flemish), lined with exquisite Baroque guild houses and best viewed from a café terrace.
Nearby is the city’s most iconic landmark, the Mannekin Pis, a tiny statue whose fame dwarfs its diminutive stature, symbolising the Belgians’ celebrated attitude to authority.
The splendid Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts showcases the best of Belgian art, from the late-medieval Flemish ‘primitives’, through Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Younger to Rubens, Antony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens.
The massive museum complex also includes late 19th-century Symbolism and Art Nouveau in the adjacent Musée Fin-de-Siècle, and another section is devoted to the great surrealist, René Magritte.
Lovers of Art Nouveau shouldn’t miss the Musée Horta, in the southern suburb of St-Gilles. This former home of Victor Horta, the pioneer of Art Nouveau architecture, gives a stimulating and insightful experience of both his work and methods.
Deliciously wicked food
Brussels’ restaurants are among the finest in Europe and Belga Queen, on Rue du Fossé aux Loups, is one of the city’s prime spots, where the focus is on seafood and local Belgian ingredients.
The country’s cuisine is celebrated in a number of signature dishes worth sampling while in the capital. Moules (steamed mussels), frites (fries with mayonnaise) and, of course, gaufres (waffles).
The latter are served warm and delicious with toppings such as powdered sugar, chocolate, fruit or ice cream – be sure to treat yourself to one as a light lunch or a sweet afternoon snack.
Don’t leave town without buying some of Belgium’s famous chocolates. The streets around the Place du Grand Sablon are where you’ll find many high-end chocolatiers, including major brands such as Leonidas, Godiva and Neuhaus.
Gaze at Ghent’s medieval architecture
Gloriously undiscovered, Ghent is a youthful city with a proud medieval heritage and many fascinating museums waiting to be explored. Its fabulous canal-side architecture is best seen from a tour boat, but there are also many attractions to see on dry land.
MSK is a superb fine art gallery featuring many of the great Belgian and Low Countries’ painters from the 14th to mid-20th centuries, while Gravesteen is a perfectly restored 12th-century moated castle, right in the heart of the city.
The jewel in the crown, though, is contained within Saint Bavo's Cathedral. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (De Aanbidding van het Lams God) is a lavish allegorical representation of Christ’s death and one of the earliest-known oil paintings, completed in 1432 by the Flemish Primitive artists, the Van Eyck brothers.
Enjoy artistic Antwerp
Belgium’s second city and biggest port is Antwerp, famous for its fashion designers and diamond dealers. It was also home to the great Baroque painter, Pieter Paul Rubens, whose work can be admired in the sensitively restored Rubenshuis.
Don’t miss the truly astonishing Museum Plantin-Moretus, housed in a delightful medieval building. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to the world's oldest printing press, as well as priceless manuscripts and original type sets.
Car hire in Brussels puts the best of the Belgian capital within easy reach, as well as allowing you to discover the delights of Belgium’s other fine cities and landmarks.
