Brussels has more than 80 museums, from Fencing (as in the sport, not your garden boundary) to Fine Arts, ensuring something to suit every taste. Highlights include the Fine Arts Museum (do see the Brueghels and the Magrittes), Scientastic (basic but highly interactive science museum for kids right in the heart of town), the Royal Museum of Central Africa (for an excellent overview of a fascinating continent) and the Museum of Natural Sciences (for the largest dinosaur collection in Europe, plus the shell, insect and North Sea galleries).

Kill two birds with one stone and also visit the Musical Instruments Museum and the Comic Strip Museum (think Tintin), not only for the internal exhibits but also the stunning Art Nouveau buildings of Victor Horta. If design is a passion, you really should not miss the dedicated Horta Museum in St Gilles and, while in the area, Flagey, an Art Deco building, once home to the national broadcasting corporation, now a chic arts centre and cafe.

Of course, a section on architecture is not complete without mentioning two of the city's greatest landmarks: the Grand'Place and the Atomium. The Grand'Place, described by Victor Hugo as "the most beautiful square in Europe", is a stunning example of 15th century (Hotel de Ville) and 17th century (the guild houses) architecture, while the Atomium, a 103-metre (338 ft) representation of an iron crystal built for Expo '58, is a classic piece of 20th century design. Recently restored in preparation for its 50th birthday, it's a great place to visit for panoramic views of the city; better still, go eat in the restaurant at night and admire the twinkling lights of Brussels.