It may come as a surprise to some that Brussels has a great wealth of historical architecture and culture, which can catch you out if you're expecting the place to be overrun by dusty politicians.

It's undeniable however that the role of Belgium's capital as an administrative centre for European politics has had an effect on the city. Governmental expense accounts and a thriving business community explain the burgeoning selection of Michelin-starred restaurants and exclusive venues in the city. Even the beer selection comes in a menu and you'd be rude not to try the Trappist brews that are available on every street corner in bars and cafés.

In fact, Brussels is renowned as much as anything for its lively nightlife, its hordes of bars offering a diverse array of entertainment, from cool and hip clubs to cosy traditional pubs and everything in between.

Don't let the ultra-strong beer dull your senses too much though. There is still the rich culture of the city's museums and grand baroque buildings to visit and admire. Wandering around the Grand'Place - the elegant central square - you'll soon see why Brussels can easily capture people's affections. It has a cosmopolitan nature to rival any city, yet somehow it manages to remain clean, uncrowded and relaxing.

Yet, with all these qualities, the indelible image of the city is a boy peeing into a pool - perhaps that's what passes for Brussels' humour...

The historic heart of Brussels, The Grand-Place is indisputably one of Europe's finest city squares. The whole of Brussels - tourists and locals alike - tend to converge on the square, making it the focal point for the city's activities and a bustling place around the clock. Upon entering the square, you can't fail to be impressed by the elegant guild houses that surround it, most of them dating from the 18th century and built in traditional Flemish style. Wander around, and you'll notice a whole array of statuary, coats of arms and stone carvings decorating the ornate façades of the buildings.

The centrepiece of the place is the medieval town hall, the only building that predates King Louis XIV's bombardment of Brussels city centre in 1695, when almost everything else was levelled. Its survival is ironic as it was the one building the Sun King particularly wanted to destroy. An extraordinary Gothic masterpiece, the hôtel de ville has a peculiar quirk in that the tower and the main archway are not aligned - a fact that caused the architect to commit suicide from the main tower through shame.

Despite its impressive history, for most visitors, this is first and foremost a place for entertainment and there's certainly no shortage of venues for eating and drinking, from bars offering a whole host of Belgian beers to restaurants serving moules frites, to cafés where you can sit outside and watch the world go by. There's also often a market in the centre of the Grand-Place, usually selling flowers.

As one of the world's leading beer producers, Belgium is home to around 130 breweries and 400-plus beers. There are few visitors to Brussels, who would want to miss out on trying some of the country's best produce during their stay. Of course there are any number of bars dotted around the city where you can do just that, and many offer a pretty extensive choice of different varieties. If you're interested in finding out about how the unique beers are brewed, however, it's well worth going on a brewery tour, most of which, naturally, provide samples of their produce for visitors to try.

One of the best places to see traditional brewing in action is the family-run Cantillon brewery, just on the outskirts of the city centre. In operation since 1900, the small brewery still follows age-old methods of spontaneous fermentation to create the special organic Gueuze-Lambic, a delicious bitter beer often flavoured with fresh cherries, grapes or raspberries. Visitors go on a self-guided tour around the brewery, and are then invited to taste the produce by the friendly proprietors, who are willing to answer any beer-related questions. Cantillon Brasserie. 56 Rue Gheude . Open: Mon-Fri 08h30-17h00; Sat 10h00-17h00. Admission: EUR4 (includes one glass of beer). Tel: +32 (0)2-521-4928 +32 (0)2-521-4928 .

If you don't have time to get out to the Cantillon brewery, the headquarters and museum of the Belgian Brewers' Museum on the Grand-Place will give you the low-down on your chosen tipple and the brewing process - as well as giving you a practical lesson in beer tasting. Try a cherry kriek or a sweet faro before progressing to a blanche wheat beer or a heavy trappiste brew such as Chimay or Orval. La Maison des Brasseurs. Grand-Place 10. Open: daily 10h00-17h00. Admission: EUR4. Tel: +32 (0)2-521-4928 +32 (0)2-521-4928 .

Brussels has an excellent array of painting and sculpture in the four collections that make up the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the two most important of which are the Museums of Ancient Art and Modern Art.

The former houses an impressive collection of predominantly Flemish Masters including Rubens, Bosch, Van Dyck and, most notably, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The museum's pride "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" displays, like many of Bruegel's paintings, the artist's familiar sense of humour combined with cryptic messages, making it very accessible. There are also several works by his son, Pieter Brueghel the Younger (who didn't have his father's habit of dropping his "h"s) and some fascinating depictions of life among the 16th-century Belgian peasantry.

Next door in the Museum of Modern Art, surrealist works by Magritte mingle with others by Delvaux, Wouters and the macabre James Ensor. With its oldest works dating from the late 19th century, the collection comprehensively spans all the major epochs of the last hundred years or so - right up to the present day. Fans of René Magritte should also visit the museum in the house where he once lived at Rue Esseghem 135.

Museum of Ancient Art: 3 Rue de la Regence. Museum of Modern Art: Place Royale. Open: Tue-Sun 10h00-17h00. Admission: EUR5, adults; EUR3.50, children. Tel: +32 (0)2-508-3211 +32 (0)2-508-3211 .

Immediately recognisable from countless postcards, the Atomium is one of the 20th century's most celebrated tourist attractions. Built in 1958 for Brussels' World Fair, it celebrates humanity's mastery of the molecules that make up our world. At 102m in height, it's some 165 billion times the size of the atomic lattice of iron crystals that it represents.

Inside the structure, you'll find exhibitions, discovery centres and one of the world's fastest elevators. The main exhibitions rotate every 12 months or so but mostly concentrate on the 1958 World Fair and the thinking behind this remarkable structure. There are also occasional displays of modern art or technology as befits the building's status as one of the most audacious works of architecture of the last century.

Boulevard du Centenaire. Open: daily 10h00-19h00 (Apr-Oct); 10h00-18h00 (Nov-Mar). Admission: EUR9, adults; EUR6, children. Tel: +32 (0)2-475-4777 +32 (0)2-475-4777 .

Le Botanique 236 Rue Royale Tel: +32 (0)2-218-3732 +32 (0)2-218-3732

Opened in 1829, Brussels's French cultural centre, Le Botanique, is a stunning, palatial building set in six hectares of attractive grounds. The venue hosts a range of entertainment including classical concerts, dance and theatre performances and rock bands.

Palais Des Beaux-Arts 23 Rue Ravenstein Tel: +32 (0)2-507-8200 +32 (0)2-507-8200

A stunning music venue, both visually and acoustically, the Palais Des Beaux-Arts was designed by Belgian architect Victor Horta. The hall is in fairly constant use for symphony and chamber music concerts.

Forest National Stadium 36 Ave du Globe Tel: +32 (0)2-340-2123 +32 (0)2-340-2123

Situated on the southern edge of the city, the Forest National stadium is the cavernous choice for rock concerts, ice-skating spectaculars and large-scale dance events.

Music Village Jazz Club 50 Rue des Pierres Tel: +32 (0)2-513-1345 +32 (0)2-513-1345

Jazz has a long, proud history in Brussels, and venues throughout the city swing to the sound of saxophones, pianos and trumpets well into the night. Music Village Jazz Club opened in September 2000, and has earned a good reputation among the city's discerning jazz fans. Live music from across the jazz spectrum can be heard Wednesday to Saturday, with Belgium's finest jazz musicians occasionally being joined by international stars. Admission: EUR10-EUR20.

Presenting modern and established classics such as Waiting For Godot and Twelfth Night, the Theatre National is Brussels's foremost theatrical venue. The greater proportion of performances are held at Salle Le Palace, but some are held at Halles de Schaerbeek. The Theatre Royal du Parc is a good alternative, showing mainly classics by playwrights such as Moliere or George Bernard Shaw.

Salle Le Palace Boulevard Anspach 85

Halles de Schaerbeek 22 Rue Royale Ste Marie Tel: +32 (0)2-203-4155 +32 (0)2-203-4155

Theatre Royal du Parc 3 Rue de la Loi Tel: +32 (0)2-505-3030 +32 (0)2-505-3030

A temple to the classics, La Monnaie presents a varied bill of opera, music and dance. Tickets for classical performances such as Othello and Parsifal start at EUR8.

La Monnaie is also home to the Brussels Philharmonic Society, whose recent repertoire includes Bach, Handel and Debussy, as well as the works of lesser-known masters of Classical music.

La Monnaie Place de la Monnaie Tel: +32 (0)70-233-939 +32 (0)70-233-939

Brussels is one of those cities where clubs aren't immediately apparent should you go a-hunting at random. The locals seem to evaporate from the bars at around ten or eleven o'clock and if you're not watching closely you can easily get left behind as the city moves into the clubs until the small hours of the morning.

The best thing to do is to get some advice from a local on the day before your planned night out. Brussels's clubs have different nights on offer from day to day and there should always be something that suits you going on somewhere in the city. Otherwise try these places to catch some late night entertainment:

The Fuse 208 Rue Blaesstraat Tel: +32 (0)2-511-9789 +32 (0)2-511-9789

Brussels's best club? Many would say so. Fuse has been the top night out for Brussels's party people for the last half a decade. Techno and dance dominate the decks and the dance floor is always packed. Having a good time is more important than looking good - although a bit of both is naturally preferable.

Mirano Continental 38 Chaussée de Louvain Tel: +32 (0)2-227-3941 +32 (0)2-227-3941

This old cinema converted into a club is one of the most stylish venues in Brussels and one of the places to be seen, if that's important to you. It really gets going on a Saturday night when the city's more outrageous clubbers come out for a night of dance and house music.

La Démence 208 Rue Blaesstraat Tel: +32 (0)2-511-9789 +32 (0)2-511-9789

Held in the same venue as The Fuse, La Demence is Brussels's premier gay club event. Approximately monthly from 23h00 the club is home to the city's most outrageously dressed denizens, as well as the more mundane of Brussels's gay citizens in a huge dance event.

Milk 40 Rue de Livourne Tel: +32 (0)2-534-2667 +32 (0)2-534-2667

A relative newcomer to the Brussels club scene, Milk is a smallish venue just off Avenue Louise attracting a laid back, hip crowd. Fridays see DJs playing funk and electro; on Saturdays it's garage.

Los Romanticos - El Palacio Latino 5-7 Quai au Bois ? Br?ler

An energetic salsa club just off Place Ste Catherine open most nights and playing salsa, merengue and other Latin rythms. The stylish décor adds to the highly-charged atmosphere. Fun for watching too - there are some great dancers here.

The main shopping area in Brussels is along the Rue Neuve and it's here that you'll find most of the large, international chains as well as Inno, the wholly Belgian department store. The offerings along the Rue Neuve are quite mainstream however and you'll have to look elsewhere for more unusual items.

Brussels's designer stores have made their home around Avenue Louise and Avenue de la Toison d'Or. Though not super stylish, the area has a number of smart shops selling a good mix of clothing and accessories. For contemporary Belgian fashion you should take a stroll along the Rue Antoine Dansaert, although the young Belgian designer stars here don't sell their wares cheaply. If you're looking for a bargain you should probably retreat back to the Rue Neuve; if you're looking for quality clothing however, there's nowhere better in the city.

Brussels is an educated place and bookshops abound, with English-language books available in the larger ones.

Shopping Centres

The best - and most elegant - of Brussels's ever-increasing number of shopping malls is Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (Rue des Bouchers), allegedly Europe's first covered shopping centre. The light, glass-roofed arcade dates back to the 19th century and has a more selective mix of shops than many European counterparts.

Markets

Largely eschewing the allure of multinational companies, Brussels remains a vibrant market city. The Grand-Place is transformed into a brilliantly coloured flower market every morning. The vibrant colours and sounds make it a popular place for a morning stroll.

The Place du Grand Sablon is one of Europe's premier locations for quality antique shopping. At the weekend, the area is taken over by an enormous antiques market, which appeals as much to locals taking leisurely strolls as it does to tourist shoppers in search of a bargain. The market runs Sat 09h00-17h00 and Sun 09h00-13h00.

Just round the corner from Sablon is the Place de Marolles, where an enormous junk market is held every weekend. The market is as fascinating for people-watching as it's for trawling the eclectic range of merchandise.

The largest market appears at the Gare du Midi on Sunday mornings. With an A-Z selection of clothes, household goods, souvenirs and foodstuffs, the only downside is its limited time-span: most stallholders have gone by lunchtime.

Pralines are Belgium's unique contribution to the world's chocolate industry. Thankfully, the city seems indifferent to their generous calorific content, and chocolate pralines have integrated themselves seamlessly into the average citizen's diet. Mary is a charming independent retailer, while any of the numerous Leonidas or Godiva stores have an extensive selection. Die-hard chocoholics will love the style of Planète Chocolat where you can see how the delicious masterpieces are laboriously made by hand.

Of course, Belgium's other great gastronomic export, beer, can be found across the city and usually makes a welcome souvenir. There are plenty of off-licences selling a range of bottled beers, or if you go on a brewery tour, you can usually pick up some of their own produce.

Lace has been produced in Brussels for centuries. F Rubbrecht and Louise Verschueren both offer expertise as well as a large selection.

Antique hunting can be a full-time pursuit in Brussels and though you're not always going to find bargains, there are certainly some great collectors' items for sale around the Place du Grand Sablon. For 60s and 70s retro homewares and the like, try Bernard Gavilan on Rue des Pierres.

It's also worth looking in the various second hand stores for cartoon books and comics: Belgium is the European capital of the cartoon after all. Rare items of cartoon art are very highly prized - and highly priced - in both original ink and prints.

Mary, 73 Rue Royale Planète Chocolat, 24 Rue du Lombard F Rubbrecht, 23 Grand-Place Louise Verschueren, 16 Rue Watteeu

Brussels International Airport (Zaventem)

Brussels International Airport is 14km from the city centre and easily accessible by public transport. Tel: +32 (0)2-753-7753 +32 (0)2-753-7753 .

Trains

Trains run every 20 minutes to the city centre's three main stations, Gare du Nord, Gare Centrale and Gare du Midi, with the trip taking approximately half an hour. A one-way ticket will cost EUR2.80.

Taxis

Licensed cabs in Brussels are uniformly immaculate large saloons and carry a yellow and blue licence plate. No plate means the cab is unlicensed, although as one visitor commented simply don't get in anything less classy than a Mercedes - anything else is probably a rogue. From the airport taxis are readily available from ranks outside the arrivals hall. The journey into the city should take approximately 25 minutes and cost in the region of EUR35.

Buses

Buses arrive and depart at the bus station underneath the arrivals hall. The Airport Line, bus number 12 runs every 20 minutes to the city for EUR3. For information on local bus services (De Lijn), Tel: +32 (0)7-023-2000 +32 (0)7-023-2000 .

Certain European flights arrive at Charleroi Airport, situated 46kms (30 miles) south of Brussels. If you land here be forewarned that there are no facilities at the terminal apart from a desultory coffee shop. Transport to Brussels is provided by waiting shuttle buses, which charge EUR11 for the one-hour journey. Taxis are prohibitively expensive (around EUR90).

Bus/Metro/Tram

With one company controlling the city's public transport, it is unsurprising that there is a high level of integration between trams, buses and the metro.

Fares are standard for all forms of transport within Brussels, with a single ticket costing EUR1.50; a five-journey card, EUR6.70; and a ten-journey card, EUR11. At EUR4, the one-day travelcard is excellent value, offering unlimited travel on trains, trams and buses throughout all city districts until 01h00 the next day. On weekends one card suffices for two people travelling together. Tickets are available from metro stations, the tourist office and various newspaper kiosks.

The 3-day tourist pass offers free public transport as well as discounts on attractions within the city, costing EUR33. You can purchase it from tourist information offices and stations. For up to the minute information on public transport, phone Tel: +32 (0)7-023-2000 +32 (0)7-023-2000 .

The metro is arguably the most efficient way of getting around. It is quick, clean and easy to use, with the final destination of the train marked at the entrance to the platform.

Train

Gare du Midi is the city's main interchange for national and international rail services, providing links with the European TGV and Thalys networks as well as the British Eurostar service.

Cycling

Bikes are a good way of getting around Brussels - and most drivers are, thankfully, fairly aware of cyclists. Bikes can be hired at Pro Velo, Rue de Londres 15, Tel: +32 (0)2-502-7355 +32 (0)2-502-7355 , who also arrange guided tours of the city on two wheels. Rates for hire start at EUR3 for an hour or EUR12 for a day.