Known as the city on the river, Antwerp’s seafood is a highlight on any trip. The minimally decorated Osaka wine bar, in the city centre, serves up a delicious tapas menu, featuring fresh oysters on a bed of salt. Meanwhile, you can tuck into steaming bowls of mussels and clams, topped with pickled onion, at the laid back Camino restaurant. Also towards the port end of the city is Zilte – a fine dining restaurant that takes inspiration from the taste and smell of the sea.

Despite its place in the centre of Antwerp, Hotel Flora feels like another, greener world. Perhaps named after the courtyard garden at its centre, the hotel is filled with plants and blooms – giving a fresh, calm vibe to the fifteenth-century architecture. With bold colours, fringed lampshades and plush velvet textures everywhere: it’s stylish and cosy in one. Settle down in the hotel’s welcoming lounge after you’ve explored the city.

For a break from the freezing temperatures, stop by ModeMuseum in the very centre of the city, which tops the to-do list for fashion lovers. Founded in 2002, the contemporary museum collects, studies and exhibits Belgian fashion. This winter it has partnered with the Dr. Guislain Museum in Ghent for its exhibition, Mirror Mirror, which examines the connection between style, psychology and identity.