In Bruges
Gabled roofs, cobbled alleyways and preserved medieval architecture are some of the reasons that Bruges is classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. Considered of great historical and cultural importance, Bruges’ beauty attracts visitors from all around the globe.
With a lot of its’ historic centre being pedestrianised marketplaces, walkways and canals, the small city is easily explored on foot. Famous for chocolate, breweries, culture and architecture, there’s something for everyone.
The placename Bruges appeared for the first time in the 9th century and was possibly derived from the Germanic word ‘brugj’, which means ‘mooring’. The city’s location, 15km from the sea, made it home to bustling trade from the waterways. The canals link all the way to the open water in the north of Belgium at Zeebrugge.
When to go: Year round, weather is similar to most of northern Europe. April - October most temperate weather. The Christmas market here is said to be spectacular and the decorations really add something special to the city - consider visiting in December.
Essentials to pack: Big coat/windbreaker, trainers, hat to cover ears, extra tummy for all the chocolate you will eat
Currency: Euro - £1 = €1.15
Must see: Grote Markt, view from the Belfry, Chocomuseum, Minnewater park, Rosary Quay, De Halve Maan brewery, Burg square
How to get there: Train from London to Brussels and then connecting train to Bruges (www.eurostar.com and www.trainline.com) approx. £175 return, 3.5 hours travel time each way. Driving London to Bruges 4.5 hours. 1 hour flights from London to Brussels approx. £80 return, then train to Bruges £40 return (£120 total). River cruise options available from London and Paris. Bus from London to Bruges approx. £25 return, 7 hours travel time each way (www.flixbus.com).
Public transport: Fast and efficient busses traverse the city. Public transport is easy to use and runs most frequently in the daytime (limited services at night). Buy tickets for busses prior to getting on at nearby machines - they accept card or cash payments or on the bus with cash. Public transport should not be needed to get around Bruges as the city is compact enough to walk everywhere.
Where to stay: As the city is so easily traversed by foot due to it’s compactness, staying pretty much anywhere in the city is fine. We wanted cheap accommodation with a good atmosphere without giving up luxuries so we booked a private room in Snuffel Hostel - https://snuffel.be/en/. We paid approx £300 for 4 nights here. The bar area was always lively, their beers were half the price of those in the city centre and it was only a 10 minute walk from all the sights. A great place to stay in the city.
Iconic gabled buildings in Grote Markt
3 day itinerary:
Day 1:
So you’ve arrived in Bruges, hopefully you’ve dumped your luggage at your hotel/hostel/Airbnb for the day and have come straight out to explore, whatever the weather! Start your immersion into Bruges in the famously recognisable Grote Markt square. The centre of the city, the square is a large marketplace with grand architectural buildings on all sides. Used as a market square since the year 958, ships would unload their produce and it would be sold from covered stalls.
View from half way up the Belfry
The square is home to the provincial court as well as Bruges’ most iconic landmark, the 13th century 83m tall Belfry (or Belfort) which features a carillion with 48 bells. Make it a no. 1 on your to do list to climb the 366 stairs up the very steep wooden staircase to the top. There are not many passing places and there is only one staircase to go up and down, so you will likely meet foot traffic coming the other way; time to get into nimble mode! You will be rewarded with impressive 360 degree views of Bruges and beyond.
The walk to the top is broken up by stops at the treasury where money for the city was kept in the Middle Ages and information rooms about the carillion keyboard, tower structure and bell system. Entry was 14 euros each and well worth it!
A tad windy at the top!
Top tip - don’t wear a skirt and heels to climb up the Belfry, not only are the stairs not suited to heels, but the top of the tower is very windy most days, and you can save yourself having an embarrassing ‘Monroe’ moment like I had!
You’ve earned some lunch after all that climbing, so head to Poules Moules restaurant and try the famous Belgian ‘Moules frites’ or mussels with fries, but the Bruges take on it with a beer and cream sauce instead of a wine sauce.
Interior of the Church of our Lady in Bruges
Head to the Church of our lady where the gothic church built in the 13th century will astound you more from the inside than the outside. You can enter to look around some exhibits and the main chapel for free, but if you pay an extra 7 euros pp you can enter the museum side of the church which is home to Michelangelo’s marble statue 'Madonna and Child'. The only statue of Michelangelo’s to leave Italy during his lifetime, it is a notable piece of art that has been stolen twice; once during the French Revolution and World War II.
Whilst on a cultural expedition of the city, walk the short distance to the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Burg square, next to City Hall, the small church doesn’t immediately grab your attention. Only once you’ve had the structure pointed out to you do you notice it’s dark gothic exterior and gilded statues. Made famous due to the relic it houses, a crystal flask encasing cotton material with markings of blood visible upon its’ surface. It is said that Jesus’ disciple Joseph had prepared Christ’s body before burial and originally collected the blood on the cloth. The main chapel is a secluded and quiet spot in the city, but attracts hoards of visitors to venerate the Holy Blood relic which is brought out for such purpose between 2pm and 4pm every day. You will be invited up to the stand individually and given time to pray over the relic before moving on. Photos are not allowed or encouraged in such a religious site.
Entry to the Basilica and veneration of the Holy Blood is free of charge, but you can visit the attached museum for 5 euros pp.
Time for dinner down a quiet side street, and then on to Duvelorium for a beer. Located inside the Historium museum in the Grote Markt square, on the first floor is a bar paying homage to Belgium’s well known beer ‘Duvel’. The decor inside is quite impressive, with multicoloured glass panelled ceiling and exposed brick round ‘barrel shape’ walls, even if you don’t want to try the delicious brew, head here and grab a seat at the window looking out onto the busy market square to people watch.
Day 2:
A walking tour is always the best way to get to know the city you are in, and so take yourself off to the front of the Belfry to meet a group of fellow walkers on a free tour run by Free Tours by Foot - https://freetoursbyfoot.com/free-walking-tours-bruges/. Their 90 minute walking tour covered various key sights of the city along with explanations of their history and importance in the city. It also included a stop at a chocolate shop to get a free praline - yum! The guide is always open for questions so if you’re looking for specific cuisine, best places to eat or drink or further museums to go to, speak up. They have a wealth of knowledge as they usually live in the city.
One of the rooms on the brewery tour of De Halve Maan
A day of tours today, after the walking tour ends and you’ve stopped in a cute cafe for a Belgian waffle or two, head to De Halve Maan brewery, a 6th generation family run brewery which has been brewing beers on the site since 1856. Costing over 4 million euros and partly crowdfunded, the brewery are famous for their innovative engineering of the ‘beer pipeline’ which sends their beer directly from the brewery underground via a 3.3km long pipe to their bottling plant outside the city centre. This was done to solve the logistical issues of getting trucks down the narrow lanes of Bruges and disturbing the local residents, whilst enabling them to keep the brewery where it has been for nearly 200 years.
Brewing room decorated with hops
A guided tour of the brewery is available for 16 euros pp, running for 45 minutes in small groups, includes a visit to the roof for panoramic views of Bruges and also includes a beer at the end of the tour; fantastic value for money.
Enjoying our beer after the tour - 10% probably wasn’t the best choice for me!
To shake off the high alcohol content, head south of the city to Minnewater park to take in the small green space in the city. The water running next to the park is known as the ‘lake of love’. Minnewater is named after a local legend recounting the tale of Minna who fell in love with a warrior from a neighbouring tribe. She ran away from her home to avoid marrying someone else. She ran into the forest and found her love, only to die in his arms from exhaustion of running so far. The legend says that if you cross the bridge with your partner, you will experience eternal love.
Regardless of the legend, this area near the water where you can watch swans gliding down the lake is very calming, quiet and relaxing.
Smallest bridge in Bruges
The smallest bridge in Bruges is located near to the old Saint Johns Hospital and is tourist hotspot as the location provides a great vantage point to take in many of the medieval buildings and walkways near the centre, and of course, have your picture taken!
Continue along the water, away from or towards the city and enjoy the canalside walks on offer in this small city. One of my favourite things to do here was to wander along the water aimlessly whilst taking in magnificent views in every direction. Rosary quay provides a scenic point to pause and take in the picturesque location of the water and buildings nearby.
Rosary quay
In the afternoon, maybe after you’ve had a nice meal of traditional Belgian beef stew (available at most restaurants in Bruges), treat yourself to a relaxing 45 minute free harp concert presented by the highly talented musician Luc Vanlaere, inside the Old St John’s hospital. The concerts run from Tuesday to Saturday at 3pm, 5pm and 6.30pm. His enchanting music is something you will never forget listening to. After the concert there is an opportunity to buy his music on CD or USB.
Day 3:
Today is all about eating chocolate and drinking beer - it’s time to let loose in Bruges!
Start with breakfast at Books & Brunch, a little out of the main centre but worth the extra five minute walk for a great atmosphere and cheaper food options.
After an indulgent breakfast, head to Bruges’ Choco-Story museum near the centre. For just 13 euros pp you get a tour of the building with an audio guide available in most European languages. The museum consists of three parts telling the origin, evolution and development of chocolate over its 5500 year history. Containing just under one thousand artefacts, there is a lot to see and get involved with! The museum also shows how chocolate is made and in the demonstration centre at the end of the tour you can watch praline chocolates be made whilst being talked through the process. After they have set, you will be offered one to taste! There is a room near the demonstration room which offers chocolate button type tasters in a variety of flavours. This chocolate is UNLIMITED. However, you can’t take chocolate out of the museum in bags/pockets etc. so you’ll just have to see how much you can eat whilst in the room! No judgements here!
Feeling much more knowledgeable about Belgian chocolates rich history and also suitably sick, you’ll be thirsty. Head to 't Brugs Beertje, a bar which is legendary throughout the city for it’s hundreds of Belgian brews. The cosy pub come cafe has old advertising posters covering the walls and is a favourite with locals. Choose your beer out of a book full of brews; the staff will be willing to advise and assist you.
Enjoying a beer in T’ Poatersgat
A bar you must visit on your pub crawl through Bruges is De Garre; unfortunately they were closed when we visited in January for their break as it’s their quietest period. Tom has visited this bar before on a December visit to Bruges and the two-floor medieval tavern is hidden down a quiet alleyway and will only serve you 3 of their famous Garre draught beer as they are 11%.
Another Bruges beer institution is T’Poatersgat, meaning ‘Monks Hole’, which you’ll have to look carefully for as the entrance is at floor level and a concealed hole in the wall. Following the staircase down inside to the cellar, the large basement room has vaulted ceilings and feels almost spiritual or church-like. With over 120 beers to choose from, you won’t be disappointed.
You won’t be short of things to do in Bruges on a long weekend and it’s the perfect location for a city break in Belgium. If you have as much fun exploring the city as we did, you will be hoping to go back almost as soon as you’re home!