Brussels:
The heart of Brussels and the place to start getting to know the city is the Grand'Place (Grote Markt). This historic market square with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of the Town Hall, is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe.
Manneken Pis
The present-day bronze Manneken Pis was sculpted by Jerôme Duquesnoy in 1619, but a stone version - named Little Julian - stood here from the mid-14th century.
The statue's origins are lost in legend: some say he's modelled on a boy who extinguished a fire, others say he was the son of a nobleman. Whatever, the people of Brussels have adopted him as the symbol of their indomitable and irreverent spirit, and on occasion dress him up in one of his 650-odd costumes.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
This museum houses Belgium's premier collections of ancient and modern art and is particularly well endowed with works by Pieter Breugel the Elder, Rubens and the Belgian Surrealists. Both sections are large and you'll need a good day here if you want to do them justice.
Antwerp:
Antwerp, daughter of the River Scheldt and second largest city of Belgium. This city has so many different facets that it takes a while before one gets to know it thoroughly. Antwerp is a splendid city with numerous architectural highlights, most of which date from the 16th (the golden era of Antwerp) and the 17th century.
Grote Markt
This lopsided market 'square' (more of a truncated triangle), reserved for pedestrians and bordered by some marvellous Renaissance-style buildings, is not only the social heart of the old city centre but of Antwerp itself.
Rubenshuis
On the Wapper, a square branching off the Meir to the south, is one of Antwerp's main tourist attractions, Rubenshuis, the former home and studio of the famed Belgian artist formerly known as Pieter Paul Rubens.
The Meir
This is Antwerp's main promenade, a pedestrian-only shopping zone unrolled from the streets of the old centre to just shy of the grand, dome-roofed bulk of Centraal Station.
Bruges:
Bruges is called : 'the Venice of the North'. This splendid medieval city is one of Belgium's crown jewels. In no other European city the feel and the look of medieval times are so present as here.
Belfry
As you climb to the top of the belfry tower, discover the treasury, the impressive clock mechanism, the 47-bell carillon and, finally, a breathtaking panoramic view.
Welcome Church of Our Lady
This church, with a 122 m high tower, contains an extremely rich art collection. Top of the bill is of course the white marble Madonna with Child by Michelangelo. In the choir gallery are the mausoleums of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold, as well as a number of remarkable polychromed tombs (13th-14th century).
Boat trip on the canals
During a roundtrip on the picturesque city canals you will discover Bruges from quite a different and surprising point of view!
Ghent:
Nearly 60km (37mi) southwest of Antwerp is the city of Ghent (Gent in Flemish and Gand in French), once a medieval-era powerhouse due to its 14th-century status as the largest cloth producer in Europe. It is now the capital of the Flanders province of Oost-Vlaanderen and home to a significant university student population. A beautiful well-kept secret: the cultural city of Ghent, in the heart of Flanders.
St Baaf's Cathedral
The most famous medieval attraction in Ghent is inside the otherwise unremarkable St Baafskathedraal (St Baaf's Cathedral): a stunningly overwrought piece of art by 15th-century artist Jan Van Eyck called De Aanbidding van het Lams God (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb). This 20-panel altarpiece with its allegorical portrait of Christ's death is thought to be one of the earliest-known oil paintings, not to mention a luminous work of genius.
Belfort and Gravensteen
Other Middle-Aged features of Ghent include Belfort, a 14th-century belfry that stretches up from Botermarkt and allows magnificent city views, and Gravensteen, an imposing 12th-century moated and turreted castle.
Ostend:
This bathing resort has a lot more to offer besides just the sun, the sea and the beach. The town is also known for lively nightlife, particularly in July during the annual jazz festival.
Visserskaai
For the visitor a stroll alongside the 'Visserskaai' is really a must. When coming from the railway station in the direction of the beach, one can first of all see the fisher-boats that wait here before their next trip begins. There is a large fisher harbor in Oostende. The most important part is the 'Fish-mine', a large fish market, where early in the morning the fresh North-Sea fish is sold to the fish retailers.
Atlantikwall
The main attraction is the so-called 'Atlantikwall'. This is an impressive complex of tunnels and bunkers built by the German troops in both the First and the Second World War. In both wars the German forces had occupied the Belgian coast and this construction of bunkers and trenches was meant to defend their position against enemies coming from across the sea.