Grand-Place

Stand in the center and rotate slowly. Each guild hall (brewers, bakers, archers, boatmen) is different. The Town Hall spire is Gothic asymmetry — notice the entrance is not centered. Return at night when the floodlights turn the gold leaf into something theatrical. During the Flower Carpet (biennial August, even years), the entire square is covered with begonias in elaborate patterns.

Early morning (7–8am) for photographs with no crowds. Late afternoon when the light hits the gold facades. Evening for the floodlit version. Avoid midday tourist crush. The Flower Carpet weekend is spectacular but brutally crowded — go early morning or late evening.

Built as a market square in the 12th century. The current guild halls date from 1695–1700 after French bombardment destroyed the originals. Each guild competed to build the most elaborate facade — the result is Baroque excess that somehow works as a unified whole. The Town Hall (1402) survived the bombardment. Avoid the tourist-trap restaurants on the square itself — walk two minutes in any direction for better food at a third of the price. The Manneken Pis is two blocks south — worth a 30-second glance but nothing more.