The Belfry of Bruges has been standing since the 13th century. It leans slightly to the east — about a metre off-centre — which most people don't notice until someone points it out. The tower is 83 metres tall, and to reach the top you climb 366 narrow stone steps through increasingly tight spiral staircases.

There's no lift. The steps are worn smooth from centuries of feet. Halfway up there's a small room where the city's charter and treasury were once kept. A bit further up you pass the 47-bell carillon, which still plays every quarter hour — and if you're on the stairs when it goes off, you'll feel it in your chest.

The view from the top is genuinely worth it. You can see the entire city laid out below: the canals, the Church of Our Lady, the rooftops, and on a clear day, all the way to the coast. Go before 10am if you can. By midday the queue wraps around the square.

Tickets cost €14 and you buy them at the entrance. They only allow a limited number of people up at a time, so there's often a wait. But that's also why it never feels dangerously crowded at the top.