Think of Bruges and the first things to come to mind are its two great medieval squares and the canals that have earned this Unesco World Heritage city the title Venice of the North. Crowds mill around Markt, the central square, casting a wary eye on the Belfry in the hope that there is no repetition of a famous scene from the film In Bruges.
The ornate medieval, Gothic and Renaissance buildings lining Burg square are among the finest in any European city and a boat trip on the canals, which meant so much to the city’s prosperity before the route to the sea silted up, is essential.
There are plenty more delights to be found beyond these star attractions. A few minutes’ walk from the squares is Dijver, a street that caters to all the senses. With a canal on one side and, on the other, a small park between the water, road and elegant houses, Dijver offers a perfect perspective, ending in the 120m (390ft) steeple of Notre Dame church.
At No 5, Den Dijver restaurant advertises a modern menu with a different Belgian beer to accompany each course. Next door, De Tuilerie?n is full of Flemish character, one of the centuries-old mansions that have been converted into hotels.
At No 12, the Groeninge Museum offers a fine collection of Belgian and Dutch painting, with works by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. The Gruuthuse Museum at No 17 is a former palace full of historic furniture, ceramics, silverware and lace.
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A path before the museum leads to a quiet garden, a bridge across the narrowest and most wooded part of the canal network and to the main entrance to Notre Dame. Inside, statues of the apostles, the monumental pulpit, classic paintings and ornate tombs vie for attention but the showpiece is the Carrara marble statue by Michelangelo of a serene Madonna gazing down at a chubby, curly-haired Jesus.
The Sleeping Bruges walking tour, heading north from Burg, passes through pleasant back streets, past the English church and along the local cordwainers’ street, where tanners used to work, to a small square with a fountain.
On the corner stands the chocolate museum, easy to miss and presumably reluctant to promote itself in a city with so many shops selling delicious handmade chocolates.
To the north of the museum is a square named after van Eyck, with a statue of the painter at its centre. The square is at the end of a canal where the tourist boats turn round. At the southern end of the trip, the boats pass the backs of two very different buildings: the Straffe Hendrik brewery and St John’s Hospital.
Retrace your steps when you disembark to tour the brewery and taste the highly fermented beer, and to visit one of the oldest surviving medieval hospitals in Europe. Now named the Memling in Sint-Jan Hospital Museum, it contains fascinating paintings, furniture and sculpture.
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Need to know: Bruges and Brussels
Currency Euro (1.12 to £1)
Population 45,000 and 1,080,790 respectively
Area Bruges, at 140 sq km, is the capital of West Flanders and is reachable from London on Eurostar in around three hours. Brussels, at 160 sq km, is closer to the centre of Belgium but can be reached in one hour 51 minutes
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Bruges top attractions A boat trip around the canals provides a different perspective on one of Europe’s most picturesque cities
Belfry Above the Halle soars Bruges’ most distinctive landmark, 83m (272ft) high. Climb up 366 steps for a superb panorama of the town and surrounding countryside
Diamond House With Valentine’s Day in mind, visit Bruges’ Diamond House
Brussels top attractions The Grand Place, or market square, is the main attraction, with the Town Hall the centre-piece and guild houses — and places to sample the local beer — all around
Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate Those with a sweet tooth will find themselves at home and may learn something
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Short breaks If you have earned the rewards of a virtuous start to the new year, where better to treat yourself than the land of beer and chocolate
Offer Three nights, 3* (Bruges) or 3*+ (Brussels) B&B, including one free night and a free upgrade on Eurostar, Bruges from £159pp, Brussels from £185pp. Phone 0844 879 8036