Belgium

Gilded guild houses enclosing the square on all sides, which look entirely different once lit at night. Every second summer the square is carpeted with flowers for a few days.

The whole centre survives in medieval form, so walking is enough; a boat adds the view from under the bridges. Most visitors come for the day, so evenings and early mornings are quietest.

A nine-sphere structure built for the 1958 World’s Fair, with exhibitions and a viewing deck inside. Reachable by metro, with a miniature-Europe park next door.

Towers raised to declare that a city belonged to its citizens rather than a lord, surviving in clusters across Belgium and northern France. The Bruges belfry is a climb of some four hundred narrow spiral steps.

Only a handful of monasteries brew their own, which is why the name carries weight, and even village cafés stock dozens of varieties. Each beer has its own glass, so choosing by the glassware is a legitimate method.

Filled one-bite chocolates are picked individually and sold by weight, so you can take a little of many kinds. They melt easily in summer, so buy them close to your departure date.

Buildings the guilds rebuilt after the bombardment at the end of the seventeenth century, gathered in one place. Open at any hour and free to enter.

The layout and buildings of a medieval trading city, largely unaltered. Half a day on foot passes through all the main quarters.

Fifty-six towers built as symbols of civic self-government, inscribed as a single group. They are scattered across many cities, so you pass several without planning to.

Four early Art Nouveau houses using iron and glass in curves. Interior opening is limited, so check in advance.

The square, the royal art museums and the comic-strip museum are all within walking distance. International flights and high-speed rail converge here, which makes it a natural starting point.

A little over an hour from Brussels by train, and small enough to walk. Staying a night gets you the streets after the day visitors leave.

Similar canals and medieval buildings, but a university city with far more energy to it. The altarpiece in St Bavo’s Cathedral is the headline sight.

The railway station itself is counted among the sights, and the cathedral holds Rubens paintings. As a port city it is larger, with plenty of modern districts.

The town hall is famously covered in carved figures, and as an old university town it is full of inexpensive places to eat. Thirty minutes from Brussels.

Hill country in the French-speaking south, used for hiking and kayaking. Several museums cover the Second World War battles fought here.

Milder weather with the crowds not yet arrived. Rain is frequent, so carry an umbrella at all times.

Daylight until ten in the evening makes for very long days. Bruges is at its busiest now.

Crowds thin and prices fall. More grey days, but with so much to see indoors it matters less.

Christmas markets in every city, and an ice sculpture festival in Bruges. Cold and dark early, but the squares are best lit now.

Up to ninety days in any one hundred and eighty across the Schengen area. The European travel authorisation scheme is being phased in, so check the official guidance before you leave.

Place names appear in two forms depending on the region, which catches people out. Ghent is Gand in French and Bruges is Brugge in Dutch, so read carefully when buying tickets.

The country is small enough that most trips take under an hour, and weekend returns are discounted. High-speed trains to London, Paris and Amsterdam leave from Brussels.

Cards work almost everywhere, though some places take cash for small amounts. Public toilets often charge, so keep some coins.

Type E sockets have a protruding earth pin, and some will not accept a Korean plug. Bringing one adapter is the safe option.

The pan-European number reaching police, ambulance and fire. You can report in English.