Situated half way between the broad avenues of Brussels’ Park and the pretty gardens of Petit Sablon and Egmont, this area marks the transition between the ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ town. It boasts a profusion of museums, theatres and historical monuments, attracting locals and visitors alike to Brussels.

The place comes alive every weekend with the concerts, the permanent collections and the temporary exhibitions of the various museums while activities are specially organised for children. Just a step away, the Sablon, to do some gourmet shopping or to take a drink.

In the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, on the other hand, admire some of the greatest old masters such as Bosch and Bruegel, Memling and Cranach, Jordaens and Rubens. In the modern art section fans of surrealism will be in their element as they can contemplate the works of Delvaux and Magritte that feature in all their reference books.

The Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) exhibits collections famed throughout the world in a breathtaking Art Nouveau building. The terrace of its café and restaurant offers a spectacular view over the town centre and the Grand-Place.

The architecture of the Centre for Fine Arts - BOZAR is the work of the brilliant Victor Horta. From the entertaining Film Museum to the imposing Henry Le Bœuf hall with its highly-reputed acoustics, each space is set aside for a particular form of cultural expression. A little higher up, the Former Palace of Brussels, where ex-cavations have revealed a series of mysterious underground rooms and the mythical Aula Magna.