Grand place. We visited the royal palace there and were entertained by a performance of Mozart chamber music and Strauss waltzes in period costume. Quite lovely. And if you get a chance to take the train to Heidelberg, do so. My favorite German city.
I hear you. I love going as far north (in the US) as I can when we travel on vacation. Seattle, Portland have been my favorites so far. I love that Pacific Coastline.
I think west of the Mississippi is nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. I'd like to retire to Tennessee, myself. I love the Smokies. Though, I also enjoyed my visits to the Rockies in Colorado, too.