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Michelangelo sculpture of mesmeric dignity (see Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk).

A superb collection of paintings by Hans Memling was originally commissioned for the chapel of the medieval hospital, the Sint-Janshospitaal, to bring solace to the sick. Now the conjoining wards and chapel have been restored, giving these works a fascinating context (see Two Museums of Bruges).

Since moving to its new home in a classic Art Nouveau department store, perched on a ridge overlooking the city, “Le MIM” has become one of Brussels’ must-see sights. The multifarious exhibits are enhanced by the pleasure of hearing their sounds through headphones (see Musée des Instruments de Musique).

Brussels’ royal museum of fine art holds rich collections of Brueghel, Rubens and Jordaens – also work by Ensor, Magritte, Delvaux, Wouters and the Symbolists (see Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts).

Belgium’s collection of historic national and international treasures is housed in this palatial building. It includes an impressive array of medieval church treasures (in the Salle aux Trésors), tapestries, Art Nouveau sculpture and jewellery, antique costumes and archaeological finds. One of several museums in the Parc du Cinquantenaire.

See life as it was lived by the ordinary folk of Bruges in the often threadbare 19th and early 20th centuries. Fascinating collections of household items, as well as some complete workshops, bring home the extraordinary changes of the last century and a half (see Museum voor Volkskunde).

1920s–1930s. A brash, angular but glamorous style. Name is based on a decorative arts exhibition in Paris in 1925.

Late 19th–early 20th centuries. A florid, organic style, an effort to create an utterly new approach: hence “new art”.

17th–18th centuries. A lavish interpretation of Classical style, full of exuberance and swagger.

14th–15th centuries. A daintier form of Gothic, used for town halls like Bruges’ Stadhuis.

Brussels’ honey-coloured Gothic cathedral is a sanctuary of calm from the bustle of the Grand Place. Used for royal weddings and funerals (see Cathédrale des Saints Michel et Gudule).

Victor Horta designed the Magasins Wauquez, a textile shop, in 1903. Rescued in the 1970s, it has found new life as the famous comic-strip museum (see Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée).

The 15th-century church of the Guild of Crossbowmen is a beautiful example of Brabantine Gothic style, lit by large expanses of stained glass (see Sablon).

Bruges is so picturesque that it attracts numerous artists, and several excellent shops cater for their needs. This one has been run by the same family for three generations.

This fine shop sells old prints, many of them of Bruges.

The main shopping area links the Markt to ’t Zand. Clothes, shoes, chocolates – they’re all here.

This delightful little coffee shop belongs to the chocolatier opposite: hot chocolate is a speciality.

Frank Brangwyn (1867–1956) was a gifted painter, born in Bruges, the son of William Curtis Brangwyn, one of a group of British artists and architects involved in restoring the city to its Gothic glory. Frank Brangwyn donated an impressive collection of his work to the city. It is now exhibited on the upper floor of the late-18th-century Arentshuis. The ground floor is used for temporary exhibitions.

For a breathtaking view over Bruges’ medieval streets, climb the 366 steps to the top of the Belfort (belfry). The set of bells at the top include the 47 carillon bells that are rung by a mechanism installed in 1748. But they can also be played manually from a keyboard on the floor below by the town’s beiaardier (carillon player) – Bruges’ highest paid official, as the joke goes.

This beautiful enclave, home to a community of béguines (see Bruges) from 1245 until 1928, expresses something essential about the soul of Bruges. Around the tree-shaded park are the 17th-and 18th-century whitewashed homes of the béguines . You can visit the grounds, the béguinage church and one of the houses (Begijnhuisje ).

This intimate and fetching square – a glittering confection of historic architecture, sculpture and gilding – was the focal point of old Bruges (see The Burg, Bruges).

Not only is this one of the great north European collections, with star roles played by the late medieval masters of Flemish painting, such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling; it is also refreshingly small (see Two Museums of Bruges).

If it is hard to picture quite how life was led during Bruges’ past, this museum will do much to fill in the gaps. It presents a rich collection of everyday artifacts from the homes of the merchant classes, from kitchen-ware to musical instruments, furniture, textiles and weapons. The 15th-century building was once the palace of the Lords of Gruuthuse, who became wealthy through a tax on beer flavourings (gruut ); as a mark of their status, the house has a gallery overlooking the choir of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk next door. The house was restored in the 19th century to exhibit the pieces that founded this collection.

The central marketplace of Bruges still retains much of its original outline flanked by old step-gabled guildhouses, but the Provinciaal Hof, the provincial government building on the eastern side, is actually a late-19th-century creation. The Markt remains the focal point of Bruges, and is the site of a large market on Wednesday mornings, and a small Christmas market (with ice rink) in December.

The towering spire of the Church of Our Lady is another key landmark of Bruges’ skyline. It’s a strange architectural mishmash: the exterior is a good example of the rather austere style known as Scheldt Gothic, and was built over two centuries from 1220 onward. The interior is essentially Gothic, with Baroque flourishes to its statues and extravagant pulpit (1743). This is a rather surprising setting for one of the great treasures of northern Europe: Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child (1504–5) – a work that came here by virtue of Bruges’ close links to Renaissance Italy. The church’s museum includes the beautiful gilt-brass tombs, rich in contemporary detail, of Charles the Bold (1433–77), Duke of Burgundy, and his daughter Mary (1457–82).

Just south of the Burg is one of the prettiest stretches of canal, where calm waters reflect the medieval bridges and skyline. Here, the Steenhouwersdijk (stonemason’s embankment) becomes the Groenerei (green canal) and is flanked by a picturesque almshouse called De Pelikaan, dated 1714 and named after the symbol of Christian charity, the pelican.

The great Flemish artists of the early 15th century, such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, were among the first to perfect oil painting. These two unrivalled collections demonstrate conclusively their extraordinary skills, and show why they had such a profound influence on Italian art (see Two Museums of Bruges).