East of the centre, Brussels turns into the capital of Europe: a district of glass institutions where the European Commission, the Council, and — a little further on — the Parliament cluster around the Schuman roundabout. It is sleek and a touch soulless during the week, and dead at weekends, but it holds real draws for visitors. The Parlamentarium and the House of European History explain the EU project, for free and surprisingly well.
The district's green showpiece is the Parc du Cinquantenaire, laid out for the 1880 jubilee of Belgian independence and dominated by a vast triple triumphal arch. Around it sit three big museums — the Art & History Museum, the military museum, and Autoworld's collection of vintage cars. Round off a visit with a paper cone of frites from the celebrated stand on nearby Place Jourdan.