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From a seat in a canal tour boat, the landmarks of Bruges and Ghent show themselves in a new light. Boats leave from various places in the centre of Bruges and from the Graslei and Korenlei in Ghent.

Brussels’ largest and finest church, built over three centuries from 1225 onward, has recently been renovated. Now, the honey-coloured stone of its 15th-century twin towers glows from the cathedral’s raised pedestal, especially in the evening light. It is a fine example of the light and flowery style called Brabantine Gothic. The soaring space of the interior is impressive. It contains some fine 16th-century stained glass and a wonderful Baroque pulpit (1699). Dedicated to St Michael, patron saint of the city, the cathedral’s name also acknowledges St Gudule, a local 8th-century saint who outfoxed the Devil.

Reflecting the huge popularity of comic-strip books in Belgium – and, indeed, most of continental Europe – this unique “Belgian Centre of the Comic Strip” is a shrine to the art form. Archive material and other exhibits focus above all on Belgian contributors to the genre – most notably, of course, on Hergé, the creator of Tintin (see Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée).

Older children will be intrigued by this unusual, somewhat specialist museum; younger children may not be, especially if they speak neither French nor Dutch (see Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée).

A pretty cluster of late-medieval buildings is all that remains of the once-prosperous town at the head of the canal to Bruges. A pleasant excursion by bus or bicycle.

This museum is a must for anyone with the slightest interest in furniture, furnishings and interior decoration. Housed in a grand 18th-century mansion, plus an uncompromisingly modern extension, it provides a tour through changing European styles from the 17th century to the present. The Art Nouveau collection is particularly rewarding, with work by Horta, Gallé and Lalique.

This charming 18th-century church, with its Roman-style façade and lantern bell tower, sits on the top of the Coudenberg, the aristocratic enclave of the Upper Town. It is attached to the Royal Palace, and has seats for the royal family in the choir. During the anticlerical days of the French occupation in the 1790s, it was converted first to a “Temple of Reason” and then a “Temple of Law” before reconsecration in 1802.

Béguinages were pious institutions for single women (see Bruges). This one was built in the 17th-century. The façade is full of Baroque detail, while inside, the mood is one of calm. Note the tombstones of the béguines set in the floor.

The magnificent ancient beech forests of Soignes provide a splendid landscape for walking or cycling – particularly in autumn, when the beech trees turn golden. There are two arboretums, at Groenendaal and Tervuren, and an information centre on the site of the 14th-century Abbaye de Rouge-Cloître.