The Groeninge Museum: Six Centuries in Six Rooms
One of Belgium's finest art collections, packed into a surprisingly small space.
The Groeningemuseum is tucked away on a side street off the Dijver. Inside: six centuries of Flemish and Belgian art, from the Primitives to the Surrealists.
The stars are Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. Van Eyck's "Madonna with Canon van der Paele" (1436) is here — the reflections in the armour, the texture of the fabrics, the absolute obsession with detail. This was painted 600 years ago and it still looks impossibly precise.
In the modern wing, look for Paul Delvaux and René Magritte.
The museum is small enough to see in an hour, which is part of its appeal. No museum fatigue. Entry is €14. Go on a weekday morning and you might be the only person in the van Eyck room.