What is it?

Brussels is a city of delightful contradictions: a bilingual, bureaucratic European capital that also happens to be the birthplace of surrealism, Tintin and some of the finest beer on earth. At its centre lies the Grand-Place, a UNESCO-listed square ringed by baroque guildhalls dripping in gold leaf — Victor Hugo called it the most beautiful square in the world, and standing there at dusk as the façades glow amber, it's hard to argue. Beyond it, cobbled lanes spill out into a maze of chocolate shops, fry stands, art nouveau townhouses by Victor Horta and comic-book murals splashed across bare gables. You'll hear French and Flemish tangled together in the same café, smell waffles caramelising on street corners, and taste lambic beers so sour and funky they've been brewed the same way for centuries. It's a city that refuses to take itself too seriously — its most famous monument, after all, is a small bronze boy peeing into a fountain.

Where is it?

Brussels sits in the centre of Belgium, roughly an hour by train from Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, and under two hours from Paris, London or Amsterdam by high-speed rail. The essential neighbourhoods are the Lower Town around the Grand-Place, the elegant Sablon for antiques and chocolatiers, Marolles for its flea market, and Ixelles and Saint-Gilles for art nouveau architecture and lively bars. Late spring and early autumn bring the best weather, while August of even-numbered years hosts the spectacular Flower Carpet in the Grand-Place, and December fills the city with Christmas markets and light shows.

What makes it worth it?

Brussels is the city travellers arrive at with low expectations and leave quietly obsessed with. It rewards wandering rather than ticking off sights — you come for the Grand-Place and stay for the tiny brown café where a monk-brewed Trappist beer costs less than a coffee back home, or the moment you turn a corner and find a four-storey Tintin mural. Visitors often describe it as 'the most underrated capital in Europe', a place where world-class Magritte paintings, Michelin-starred kitchens and greasy paper cones of frites with mayonnaise coexist without pretension. Years later you'll remember the taste of a fresh Belgian waffle in the rain, the hush inside the Royal Greenhouses, and the strange joy of a city that celebrates absurdity as much as grandeur. It's compact enough to feel intimate, cosmopolitan enough to surprise you every single day.

How accessible is it?

Brussels is one of Europe's easiest cities to visit — well over 7 million visitors pass through each year, and Brussels Airport plus the Eurostar and Thalys/Eurostar high-speed rail links make arrival effortless. The historic core is flat, walkable and covered by a cheap, efficient metro, tram and bus network (around €2.50 a ride, or a €7.50 day pass). Budget travellers can manage on €80–100 a day with hostels and street food; mid-range visitors should plan €150–250 a day including a comfortable hotel and restaurant meals. Cobblestones and some older metro stations can be tricky for wheelchair users, though major museums and newer transport are increasingly accessible. No special planning is needed beyond booking accommodation ahead in peak summer or during major EU summits, and English is widely spoken alongside French and Dutch.