Brussels: Art Nouveau facades, the Sablon on Sunday, and the comic walls

Victor Horta's houses (the Horta Museum in Saint-Gilles) and the Art Nouveau streets of Ixelles are Brussels' real treasure; the Grand-Place is beautiful and the Manneken Pis is tiny, so adjust expectations. On weekends the Sablon antiques market and the Marolles flea market at Place du Jeu de Balle are the local scene. Comic-strip murals (Tintin, Lucky Luke) are painted across the center; the tourist office map links them. The Atomium's view is good; the ticket is steep.