BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Brussels surprised me. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to love it, but I really did. In a National Geographic Travel piece, Finding the Beat of Brussels, I wrote that locals "instinctively know they are fortunate enough to live the “good life” daily in a city that feels more like an inviting village than an anonymous urban expanse." Indulge in decadent waffles and moules frites as much as you can - Brussels isn't undiscovered, but it's definitely underrated compared to other European capitals.

Grand Place

Galeries Royal St Hubert

La Taverne du Passage

The Magritte Museum

Royal Museums of Fine Arts

Belgian Comic Strip Center

Grand Sablon Area - Claire Fontaine

Chocolate: Visit the shops of Marcolini, Galler, and Neuhaus.

Wittamer, owned and operated by the same family since 1910, has a rich history in the Grand Sablon and a cheery second-floor cafe — the perfect place to duck in from the cold.

Laurent Gerbaud - I spent some time interviewing this talented chocolatier at his shop in Brussels. It's more like a Zan chocolate zone with a coffee counter, rather than a grand European cafe. Find my story on National Geographic Travel: Asian-Inspired Chocolate in Brussels

The original Le Pain Quotidien

Dansaert Area - fun neighborhood to discover local shops and restaurants

Stay: The Dominican Hotel

WALLONIA

I might be the only person in the world that didn't fall in love with Bruges. I spent a day there and maybe I need to go back and spend the night after the day trippers leave. An area of Belgium that I did love was Wallonia, rather unknown to American travelers. I rented a car and explored this region of Belgium. Find my National Geographic Travel: Why Wallonia: Belgium's Unexpected Delight.