It’s over 30 years since Eurostar starting taking Brits in search of a day trip or weekend to Europe to this pretty little capital city.

With its magficient ancient squares linked together by a labyrinth of cobbled back streets, this truly is a city to explore on foot.

Easily walkable so many tourist attractions are within in easy reach, not to mention the abundance of quirky independent shops, fine taverns, fabulous international and local restaurants and plenty of cosy bars to hole up in if the weather turns wet.

Despite its’ old school charm this city is an important economic centre in Europe and is home to many major international companies, as well as the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. It is a hub for finance, business, international trade and diplomacy. But tourism is also a major part of the city’s economy.

Located in the heart of Europe, in the Benelux region, it is less than two hours from London by train or just over an hour’s flight time.

Brussels is a relatively compact city, which is quite walkable and easy to access many areas and its main attractions at once. There are a few popular areas to stay in the city, like Central Brussels, Saint-Gery, Ixelles, and Sablon.

According to Hannah Ralph writing in the National Geographic: “With the exception of the ‘Muscles from Brussels’ Jean-Claude Van Damme, it’s a peculiar fact that none of the most famous Belgians are real. Tintin’s a comic book creation; Poirot an invention of Agatha Christie’s imagination; the tiny, blue Smurfs live in mushroom-shaped houses in a fictional forest.”

Belgium’s multilingual capital,  and home of the EU, is also famous for its 400-year-old statue of a small boy (the Maneken Pis) peeing into a fountain. Legend has it this emblematic icon represents a character who once saved the city and he seems to have done a good job because the city is thriving.

The city is known for its winning quartet of chocolate, beer, waffles and fries. You’ll find Belgian Beer World inside the ornate old Stock Exchange, and Westvleteren 12 — one of the world’s rarest Trappist beers — served inside centuries-old pub Au Bon Vieux Temps.

At the city’s dedicated  chocolate museum, you’ll learn that Giacomo Casanova credited his libido to multiple daily cups of cocoa and the Frietmuseum near the gothic square Grand-Place, celebrating all things fried potato. Just don’t forget the mayo!

For old romantics Brussels boasts plenty of  candle-lit wine bars hiding in the art nouveau backstreets of Saint-Gilles, design-led Dansaert and southerly Ixelles, home to willow-lined ponds and pretty parks.

Ten years ago cars were banned from the city’s most central postcode district, Brussels 1000, making the Grand-Place a hub for pedestrians and a safe and fun place to walk and explore.

The Grand-Place is the city’s historic square. On one side, the imposing Town Hall represents the power of local government — and now allows visitors to climb to the top of its 315ft tower. On the other is a former bread market that became the King’s House, symbolising the might of the monarchy. Step inside today and you’ll find the Brussels City Museum home to the original Manneken Pis.

The Danseart Quarter is worth exploring too. Follow one narrow little street, the Rue de la Cigogne, with its 230ft of lilac wisteria, cheerful bunting and quaint 17th-century houses into the heart of the Dansaert Quarter, one of the city’s most fashionable enclaves. 

Art lovers are spoiled for choice too. Aside from the Old Masters Museum, the Vanhaerents Art Collection has four floors of the world’s most exciting and controversial art and opens just one day a month. Other more accessible galleries include Royal Museum of Fine Arts and the Magritte Musuem. 

Chocoholics can discoverchocolate’s intriguing history at Choco-Story Brussels before heading down the street to the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a neoclassic mega-mall split into three different arcades, where Jean Neuhaus II invented the praline back in 1912. For a more hands-on experience, book a 2.5-hour session at the Belgian Chocolate Workshop and you’ll leave with a box of your very own creations.

Vintage shoppers will love the Jeu de Balle fela market in the the city’s artsy Marolles district, described by Hannah as “a joyous jumble sale.”

“You might have to kiss a few funky ceramic frogs to get to the vintage glassware and £50 Burberry trench coats, but there’s truly something for everyone. Best of all, it’s a daily fixture, come rain or shine.” You might even find Magritte’s pipe and bowler hat.