Brussels (Michelin Green Guide Brussels)

Situated in the heart of Europe, the Belgian capital plays host to a number of international institutions. It is an age-old city and its historic centre is still very much alive today, from Grand-Place to Place du Sablon, from covered market to cathedral. It is also an outstanding city for Art Nouveau buildings. Yet Brussels is not an impersonal metropolis ; it is a city where life is pleasant. The Bruxelles-Capitale region includes the 19 towns within the Greater Brussels area and is famous for its many parks and gardens, including the vast beech wood known as the Soignes Forest. The outskirts of Brussels are certainly worth a detour. They include the gently-sloping Payottenland often depicted by the painter Bruegel the Elder, the museum in Tervuren, the botanical gardens in Meise and the historic site Waterloo.