Brussels is a city that does not quite match its reputation. People think of meetings and regulations, and the capital of Europe is indeed full of both, but the town itself is full of odd, cheerful corners. The Grand-Place is the best-known, a cobbled square ringed by gilded guild houses and a lace-like town hall, and it is lovely at night when the lights come on. A few minutes' walk away, a small bronze boy relieves himself in a fountain and is regularly dressed in costumes by local clubs, which tells you something about the local sense of humour.
Around the centre the city is a museum of building styles. Art Nouveau was born here in the 1890s, with Victor Horta's houses full of whiplash curves and sinuous ironwork, and comics are an art form, with huge murals of Tintin and other characters on walls across town. The Atomium, a giant model of an iron crystal built for the world fair of 1958, stands on the northern edge and is better in person than in photographs. Eat waffles from a stall, frites with a spoonful of mayonnaise, or a pot of mussels. Beer is taken seriously, and the monastic and lambic varieties are worth trying with someone who knows the difference.
Riding in Brussels takes patience. The traffic is heavy, the tunnels are many, and the road surface is notoriously patchy, with cobbles, potholes and tram rails to avoid. Motorways ring the city and are lit at night, and low emission zone rules apply, so check your bike's compliance. The best escape is south-east into the Sonian Forest, a huge beech woodland of tall, silver-grey trunks, with quiet roads that are a revelation after the city. Further afield, the rolling farmland of Brabant and Wallonia offers gentle, well-kept roads and a succession of small towns with a belfry and a café on the square.
Fuel is easy on the outskirts and along the main roads, and the central districts have few stations. Rain can arrive at any time of year, so carry waterproofs. May and September are the best months, with decent weather and thinner crowds. Parking the bike in a secure garage is wise, because bikes are a target for thieves in busy areas of the centre.