Grand Place

Victor Hugo called it the most beautiful square in the world and it's hard to argue: this magnificent central square is ringed by elegantly gilded guild-halls rebuilt after 1695 when French forces bombarded the originals. The Gothic-spired Hôtel de Ville — ironically the main French target — is the lone survivor from before the bombardment. At night the flood-lit gold facades create a theatrical effect that stops conversations mid-sentence.