HEYSEL. Spend a day with typical Belgian families at Brussels' Bruparck. Bring your swimsuit, and take a dip at the Oceadium. The Kinepolis is a movie lover's paradise; with 24 screens and an IMAX theater, it's one of Europe's largest cinemas. Merry Belgium, another World's Fair holdover, is a "restaurant row" with cute cafes and welcoming terraces that invite visitors to dine and relax. A playground, Internet café and antique carousel complete the available amusements. Admission to the park is free, but individual attractions have varying ticket prices. Combo tickets are available.

UPPER TOWN. For Belgium's golden jubilee in 1880, Leopold II built this park to showcase the country's finest arts and crafts. Today, its massive buildings house three city museums: Autoworld, the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History, and the Royal Museum of Art and History. Autoworld displays more than 400 rare and vintage cars, including ones owned by JFK, Franklin Roosevelt, and the Belgian royal family. In the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History, more than 100,000 artifacts chart the past ­ the facility is one of the largest of its kind. In addition, the history of the Belgian Army is detailed, and an impressive display of military aircraft is presented. The Royal Museum of Art and History is so massive and comprehensive that visitors are encouraged to use an index and a map to chart what they want to see. The museum's most prestigious collections deal with European decorative arts, including spectacular Belgian tapestries and lace.

TERVUREN. Originally, the Royal Museum of Central Africa chronicled Leopold II's private holdings and colonial ventures in the Belgian Congo. Today, the region is known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the museum broadly instructs visitors about the entire African continent. Sculpture and art, colonial-era firearms, animal dioramas, and displays on the environment and desertification educate visitors about many of Africa's issues. Allow yourself time to stroll the magnificent grounds.

LOWER TOWN. This museum ­ which chronicles the economic, social ,and political history of the city �� first opened in 1887. Located in the "King's House" on the Grand-Place, it tells Brussels' story through old paintings, historic documents, rich tapestries, and a scale reproduction of the city. Although exhibits are not labeled in English, an English-language brochure is available. One exhibit you can't miss is the third floor's collection of several hundred of Manneken Pis's outfits. These costumes, designed for the city's most famous statue, come from foreign heads of state and represent the dignitary's native land. They're typically presented to Brussels during the statesman's first visit.

LOWER TOWN. The Confederation of Belgian Breweries owns and operates this small museum, which is the last of the original Grand-Place guild houses still owned by the guild. Included in the collection are holdings that demonstrate both modern and ancient brewing techniques. Also on display are paintings celebrating the art of beer brewing, decorative stained-glass, and old pitchers, steins, and beer pumps. Admission includes a beer brewed on the premises.