2 Best Sights in Belgium

The most picturesque park in the city is a joy in summer when its shaded grassy lawns and paths fill with joggers, picnickers, dance troupes, and even climbers practicing on its walls. It is home to a number of museums as well as the capital's take on the Arc de Triomphe: the triumphalist Arcade du Cinquantenaire, which was commissioned by King Leopold II to mark Belgium's 50th anniversary in 1880—it was only finished in 1905, just in time for the 75th celebrations. Pay special attention to the park's northwest corner, where you'll find the Great Mosque. This was originally built as an Arabic-style folly for a national exhibition in 1880 but was gifted to King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia to use as a place of worship in 1967, and has remained a mosque ever since. Near to it you'll also find the Pavillon des Passions Humaines, a small temple that was one of Victor Horta's earlier designs in the city. It houses a remarkable public sculpture by Jef Lambeauf, depicting a mass of writhing naked bodies, which caused a public outcry when it was unveiled in 1898. It has been sealed up ever since, but you can now join guided group tours (in English and French; €12) on every last Sunday of the month to see it; book at the Musée Art & Histoire. Parts of the park may be inaccessible as extensive renovations continue in the lead-up to Belgium's 200th anniversary celebrations in 2030.

One of the prettiest stretches of parkland in Brussels made all the more welcome for being deep among the residential mélange of Schaerbeek. Its archways of cherry blossoms are particularly enchanting in spring. In summer there are free concerts and Glacier Cocozza, across the road, draws a queue all the way down the road for its ice creams. The park is best known for its Cherry Festival (last Sunday in June) when locals gather to compete in a highly competitive cherry-pit-spitting contest.