You could easily tick off the big attractions in one, but equally could relax here for weeks, sipping beer on a quiet side street or walking arm-in-arm beside a historic canal. So use the information below to build your own plan, pick out the gems, download the map or tick off the sights. Our train arrived in Bruges just before The walk from Bruges station into town is an easy one that gets more picturesque with every step.
Having been shown around our apartment Bonobo Apartments — more information at the bottom of this page by the hospitable Hans , we headed out in search of a bit of culture and when I say culture I mean beer and chips!
For the first afternoon in of our three days in Bruges we set out with no real plan. We spent a few hours just wandering around, getting our bearings and pointing at random buildings. After some very careful decision making which one is closest and looks like it had lots of beers on tap , we stopped into Cambrinus a wooden-fronted bar just back from the main Markt.
The beer menu had to be backed in on a low-loader, and it took two of us to wrestle open the dusty pages. This felt like the kind of place to spend an afternoon.
There is nothing quite as emasculating as having a bright red tall glass turn up to the table. They may have well chucked an umbrella and a sparkler on top just to make sure everyone noticed. Well fuck the critics, it was delicious, but went down far too quickly for 2pm on a Monday!
I switched to the local Donker or dark beer to re-gain some credibility, though they also have a tasting set of four beers to try if you want to dig in for a long afternoon. The food was good too you can find a menu here. Typical Brits, coming to Belgium and sticking to what we know — a cheese sandwich and bright red beer. We meandered through countless alleyways, drooled over stacks of chocolate in window displays and eventually ended up back home.
Tall walls and huge doorways, mean lots of dark little nooks and crannies. It reminds me very much of York in that respect, and having taken a ghost tour whilst we were there last year, my mind went into overdrive. I tripped over a loose cobble but nothing more sinister to report! So many great cities take on a new life at night, and Bruges is no exception. There is a peaceful elegance after dark here. The party capitals of Barcelona or Prague feel a long way off, and the day-trip tour groups have long headed back to Amsterdam or Brussels.
The buildings are sympathetically lit, highlighting soft yellows in the stone against inky skies. Bruges is European cafe culture at its best. The alleyways and squares bounce beer-merry conversations off stone walls. No stag dos, no street drinking, no clubs. To start day two, we walked the canal path to the east of the city out to the old windmills. The windmills in Bruges were an unexpected surprise. When I saw a photo of them on Instagram I thought they were in The Netherlands , but here they are, inside the city walls.
Originally there were around 23 of them, providing flour and corn to the residents, but now only four remain. Some are straight reconstructions, whereas others have been relocated from local villages. Only one of the four stands on the original site of a windmill if you want to geek out some more read this post. Jeruzalemkerk turned out to be a wonderful find for more than just the relics. One of the best things to do in Markt Square is to climb the Belfry and see if it really leans.
Burg Square is one of the most historic parts of Bruges, with buildings in a range of architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Neo-Classicist. The Gothic Town Hall of the square is one of the oldest in the Low Countries, and is an accredited, beautiful building — in fact, it is where the city was governed for years.
One of the most loved is the Choco-Story museum, which demonstrates how chocolate is made — and has a choco-taste questionnaire that can match you with your perfect chocolate!
It contains a vial of blood that is supposedly from Jesus, and the building is adorned in a Romanesque style. Get Wifi everywhere in Bruges. Another church must-see is the 15th century Church of Jerusalem. Visitors are thrown right back into the past of the city and Belgium itself, which educates visitors into this amazing part of the town.
It took two centuries to build the church and it houses an adaptation of the Madonna and her child, which was created in Italy and exported to Belgium in It differs from other adaptations: it demonstrates a mother who is sorrowful at her son rather than warm and affectionate, like most other demonstrations.
The uniqueness of the image makes it a must-see in Bruges. A great way to spend your second afternoon in the city is by going on a brewery tour of the Half Moon Brewery.
The brewery tour describes how beer has been brewed there for hundreds of years: homebrewers, in particular, will love the stories it beholds. Love beer? To finish off your second day in the city, take a trip to Diamantmuseum, which is especially appealing to those with an enthusiasm toward diamonds and gemstones. A great way to spend your second morning in the city is to rent a bicycle and travel around the city on two wheels. This will enable you to see the beautiful Bruges streets from a different angle and at a slow pace.
Be sure to check out the quaint cobbled streets of the center during your bike ride, and make sure you visit the Rozenhoedkaai if you have not already.
Doing this on your last day in the city means that you have a chance to re-visit any neighborhoods that you enjoyed previously. Away from the touristy areas, these spots consist of cobbled side streets and beautiful houses, some with hand-made glass windows and many with beautiful flowers outside.
Although a lot less touristy, there are plenty of cafes and local bars to grab a drink from during your ride. Any art fans will love the Groeninge Museum, which contains many early Flemish pieces and is included in your museum pass.
Related Article: Ghent or Bruges? Which Belgium Cities to Visit and Why! One of the best ways to conclude your time in the city is by going on a canal boat tour.
It connects the city to the North Sea, so is a crucial stop for merchant ships. The Dijver Canal is perhaps the most popular canal route of the city, with different buildings lining the banks — it is also where Bruges Police Station and the Arenthuis Museum are based. Not to mention the impressive Gravensteen Castle. Walk the cobbled streets and enjoy gazing into a boutique shop. Pleasure your palate with the effervescent delight of Belgian beer on a beer tasting tour of Ghent.
With a connoisseur guide, stroll around the city and visit ambient bars renowned for their fine selection of beers. Educate your taste buds to recognize the subtle flavors in each distinctive beer variety and learn about the history of Belgian brewing from your knowledgeable guide.
Then enjoy dinner and a drink in one of the riverside bars. Here are some of the reasons you should visit Ghent. Ieper is a tiny town near to the French border and is perhaps one of the most historically significant places from WWI in Belgium. And you're right Bernardus, Chimay and Westmalle are all awesome beers and easy to find in the U.
But hey, if I'm gonna be in Belgium, I figured why not see if I grab a Westy and knock it off the bucket list. From today on, we don't even need face masks at the restaurants and shops anymore here in Flanders, and everything is now open as usual.
Anyway, Westvleteren beer is really hard to get unless, indeed, at the abbey itself and you have to reserve it in advance see their website for all the info. They normally only sell to individuals and nowadays you can also order one crate to get it delivered at home in Belgium. But as a foreigner, you would have to reserve in advance and drive there to pick it up yourself really hard to time this, not to mention that they also need your car number plate in advance - not easy if you have a rental..
Furthermore, it's a really far trip from any bigger city. But if you go in that direction, you could visit Ypres and the WWI sites nearby. So either way, you have to go really far for this beer. In all honesty, I just don't understand all the fuss around it. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of different beers in Belgium and even my husband who's a big fan of Trappist beers has long stopped buying Vestvleteren beer because it's just become so complicated.
It would never occur to us to drive hours one way just for a few crates of beer. Good luck! Hi Jurga, do you know if it's possible to visit Belgium and other countries around it in spring this year? Hi Leo, it's really hard to say how the situation will evolve. So much depends on the numbers which are not good in Europe at the moment. But it's even more important when exactly and where you are coming from.
If you are traveling from other European countries, then I think the chances are high that it will be possible in late spring. If, however, you are coming from outside of Europe, I wouldn't count on it yet. At the moment January , restaurants are closed in Belgium and there is a curfew hours depend on the region. Most museums and shops are open now, but tourism isn't encouraged and there are also restrictions for people who arrive from abroad obligatory forms to fill in before arrival, tests and quarantine, depending on where you are coming from.
We are all hopeful that life gets back to somewhat normal by late spring, but nobody really knows how it will turn out to be. Hello, Jurga, I loved your tips! I was in Brussels once but unfortunately, l didn't see Atomium.
So thank you for the short guide. Hopefully, next time l will be able to visit all the beautiful places there. By the way, the first time it was a challenge to reach the city from the airport, so maybe if someone will be struggling with a choice: bus or taxi, I wanna recommend Anyway, thank you again for the article!!
Hi Darina, it seems that your comment was meant to promote a company and we don't allow this on our blog, so I deleted the name. Btw, Brussels is extremely easy to reach from the airport by train! It's both cheap and convenient with frequent train rides right to the heart of the city in 17 minutes.
Taking a taxi is also ok, depending on where you have to be, but it costs multiple times more than a train and usually takes much longer because of all the traffic jams. As for the bus, there are lots of buses from Brussels Airport to various places.
It's not the best way to get to the city as it takes a long time, so I'd only recommend it if your hotel is close to the airport. Hi Jurga! My husband and I are going to Belgium for our 40th anniversary in August ! We are spending the first 5 nights in Bruges, and the last 2 in Brussels and will have a car.
We will make day trips to Ghent, Ypres, and maybe Dunkirk. I have a few questions: Should we see Antwerp as a day trip from Bruges or on our return to Brussels? Any other day trips? And can you recommend a restaurant in Bruges for our anniversary? Thanks so much and happy travels! Hi Patti, I really have little time now, so just a quick answer. Antwerp is a place where you should best spend the whole day. If you visit it just for a few hours and by car, you'll spend more time getting there and trying to park than sightseeing.
Also, traffic in Belgium is really busy, especially around the biggest towns in Flanders so it's much better to visit cities by train. If you have a car, better visit smaller towns and other places that aren't easy to get to by train. As for a restaurant in Bruges, best ask at your hotel. They'll know the best spots. Alternatively, check here on the Visit Bruges website - they have quite some suggestions for really special restaurants.
Enjoy your trip! Thanks for the wonderful itinerary and tips. I and my wife plan a 6 day visit to Belgium in April and plan to stay 3 days each in Antwerp and Ghent or Brugge to cover Brugge, Ghent and Antwerp leisurely and enjoy.
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