Brussels

Circle the Grand Place in daylight to gaze at the gables, pilasters and balustrades, and to examine the gilded detail on the medieval facades. You can wander the city museum with its Brueghel painting depicting a wedding procession, or check out the Gothic gargoyles on the taperingly tall town hall. Come back in the evening when the square is gloriously floodlit, drink a few beers in situ and ponder whether this venerable place is indeed Europe's most beautiful square.

Don't miss taking in the work of the old masters at the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts. This is Brussels' world-class art museum, with a wealth of canvases by Rubens, Brueghel (his Fall of Icarus is the most famous single work here), Rembrandt and Frans Hals as well as modern artworks. The city's surrealist side is represented by the Musée Magritte annexe, which has an extensive collection of Magritte paintings, drawings and memorabilia, as well as a documentary about his life.

A key activity among Brusseloirs is lounging in cafés ancient and modern, including the inspiring selection of art nouveau gems scattered around the Bourse. One of the classics is Le Cirio, a traditional 1880s café where the brasswork gleams and aproned waters swish around to take your order. Nearby are some more rugged and ancient options: cosy hideaways to nurse a gueuze and watch the evening unfold. Across town you'll find a good scattering of hipster reincarnations of the Brussels café offering good coffee, wi-fi, light food and microbrewed beers.

Music lovers should join the city's many jazz fans at the Music Village, one of an array of venerable live-music venues. It's located in two 17th-century buildings, and hosts talent from Belgium and across the world. While you might well hear Latin or African-infused music, there's a focus on trad and songbook jazz. If you prefer more experimental music, plenty of quirkier venues host gigs, many of which are free. From classical music to indie, there's a host of venues in the city, ranging from salon-style places to major concert halls.

You get two for the price of one at the marvellous Old England Building: one of Brussels' art nouveau masterpieces and a mesmerising music museum. Once a department store, the fantastical black metal-fronted building was created in 1899, rising via a series of arches to a spiralling turret and a high arched window: you can look out at the city from the café up here. The museum of musical instruments inside is outstanding, both visually and aurally: make sure you take the headphones to get the full experience.

It's easy to imagine Hergé finding inspiration for his weirder Tintin adventures when you're hunting for bric-a-brac bargains at the Place de Jeu-de-Balle flea market in the earthy Marolles district. It's an extraordinary jumble of African masks, neglected dolls, ancient oil paintings, cutlery, crockery, toys, books and much much more, all arrayed on the wide café-encircled square. When the market ends at 2pm, some vendors give objects away: join the scrum if you're brave enough.

Brussels has become less Euro-focused and more multicultural, and one of its funkiest districts is the Matongé, named for a square in Kinshasa in the Congo. During the week it's quieter, but at weekends the streets are crammed with people, and it's fun to check out the African grocery stores, hair salons and cafés. An African cultural centre provides a focus for visitors (it organises parties, gigs and workshops), but otherwise head to one of the local restaurants to taste some Congolese cooking.

Located in a spacious park in the EU district, the vast Musée Art & Histoire has an extraordinarily rich collection. Save it for a rainy day (there are usually plenty in Brussels) and you can immerse yourself for hours exploring prehistoric, pre-Columbian and ancient classical cultures. The Syrian Roman mosaics date back to AD 420, and there's even an Easter Island statue here, as well as a collection of carriages, and some lovely art deco and art nouveau decorative pieces.

Brussels is a cartoon-lover's paradise, from specialist museums to comic-book shops to the Tintin in Brussels trail – you can buy a mini map to guide you in the plucky reporter's footsteps throughout the city. Another trail guides visitors round Brussels' fantastically colourful cartoon murals, the most famous depicting Josephine Baker and her leopard with a tubby monk. The best murals pay homage to their setting, or make teasing references to contemporary events. For more see https://www.brussels.be/comic-book-route.

The city's parks and gardens offer more than a breath of fresh air: they're also oases of art, history and culture. The most popular is the Parc de Bruxelles, a gracious former hunting ground laid out in the 18th century. Near the EU, the vast Cinquantenaire is ringed by museums. At the city's southeastern edge the wooded parkland of the Bois de la Cambre sprawls to meet the Forêt de Soignes, while to the northwest, the chestnut- and magnolia-shaded Parc de Laeken extends to the Atomium.