Home to Europe’s best-preserved medieval buildings, Bruges is Belgium’s most visited town. Suspended in time 500 years ago by the silting of its river, this 13th-century city is blessed with two medieval cores, the Markt and the Burg, and some of the country’s most compelling art collections.

In the middle of summer Bruges teems with tourists; out of season its beauty is an easier delight to behold. The whole historic centre of Bruges was added to Unesco’s World Heritage List in 2000 and, in 2002, Bruges took centre stage as the European City of Culture.