Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
If Bruges is Venice then this is Verona. It’s lively, cultural, steeped in history and less busy than Bruges. Have a wander around Gravensteen castle, St. Bavo's Cathedral, edgy Graffiti Street or groovy Patershol district. You can also sample some of the local specialties, such as waterzooi stew and cuberdon ‘noses’ (nose-shaped jelly babies)