One compact city, Brussels was brought into the world spotlight when it became the European Union capital in 1992. Inspired by Art Nouveau and Surrealism, Brussels is not an easy city to know. However, it has great museums, comic strips, chocolate stores on every block, wonderful beer, and haute cuisine without the Paris prices.

The Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts houses many art greats that are remarkably homegrown. The Rubens and Brueghel collections are impressive and the size of the museum would not make one feel overwhelmed.