How to get to Bruges?
Since there are several possibilities to arrive in this city of Belgium, even starting from Brussels itself, you can read the article I suggest below. I'll explain in detail how to organize yourself for get to Bruges by train from Brussels spending half.
Where to sleep in Bruges?
With this post I want to suggest the ten best things to do in Bruges, but first I would like to suggest you a place to stay and from which to leave every morning.
The closer you get to Markt Plaze and the more you go towards the center, but obviously the costs increase. I found an excellent solution, the quality / price ratio was also very good.
I stayed at the Great Kaffe Passage , clean, cheap, a stone's throw from the center and above all with an evening atmosphere worthy of Bruges. Indeed, my advice is to stop for a drink in the restaurant of the Gran Kaffe himself. A sip of a hot herbal tea to end the day immersed in the warm and welcoming soft light of the room!
What to do and see in Bruges
So let's get to the gist of this article, what can we see in Bruges?
As I told you I would not visit it in just one day. Its streets, its canals and its atmosphere deserve at least two days. So I will make you a list of the things you can see and do and I will put them "in order" so that you can put them inside a a walking itinerary that makes sense.
In addition, I also want to recommend something that will give that extra touch to your visit to Bruges. How about a free city tour?
FREE TOURS AVAILABLE IN BRUGES:
- Discovering the mysteries and legends of the city
- A gastronomic tour of Belgian delicacies
- A classic tour to discover the center
If you prefer a private tour here it is -> City tour in your language
Piazza Markt or rather Place Markt, the market square of Bruges
Let's start by main square, the center of Bruges.
It is a very large paved square whose perimeter is full of places to have a drink while admiring the Belfort, the slightly leaning tower that soars above everything. The other houses overlooking Piazza Markt are characteristic: with a pointed roof and variegated colors, from a photographic point of view they will be very inspiring.
This is a place in Bruges where sit and admire the life that goes by; from tourists to local people, here is a continuous swarm of people and it is pleasant to stop and eat or drink something in this context.
The various carriages also leave from place Markt, allowing you to take a panoramic tour of the entire city. On this aspect I would like to make you desist, from my point of view better discover the city by walking rather than exploit the work and toil of those poor horses.
Climb the Belfort tower
Belfort, also known as Beffroi, is there civic tower overlooking Markt square. The tower was built, built and rebuilt over several centuries. It is possible to go up its 83 meters high through the countless steps that will lead you to the different stages of the structure. In each of them you will see some representations of how this tower was used at the time.
The advice is absolutely to visit it for its two main characteristics:
- lo splendid music box
- la 360 degree view over the entire city of Bruges
During your ascent to the top of Belfort you can hear the carillon that characterizes the tower repeatedly play. Every 15 minutes it should ring, each time with a different melody. I say “should” because I waited half an hour hoping it would play, then it didn't play and I left. Obviously, 5 minutes after he left the room he decided to play. Here, know that the 15 minutes are purely indicative ...
Still, it's really interesting. Keep in mind that it periodically needs maintenance and the tunes come change every two years. The carillon therefore continues to remain very important to the inhabitants of the city.
From the carillon room to the top of the Belfort there are a few steps even if very narrow but they are worth it. Once you get to the top you can enjoy the view over the whole of Bruges.
Caution: as far as I'm concerned, the steps didn't give any problems. But I have seen people climbing out of breath ... not that it is a demanding climb, but keep in mind to do it calmly if you are not trained people.
The entrance is from 9.30 to 18.00, with the last entrance at 17.00.
The price is 10 euros for adults aged 26 to 65. From 6 to 25 and over 65 the price is 8 euros. Children under 6 do not pay admission.
Eat a waffle in the Markt square
Yes, you need to recover your energy after the ascent to the Belfort and therefore a nice waffle bought near the square is a must. Wandering around Bruges you will see an indefinite number of chocolate shops, indeed I would say chocolate jewelers, pastry shops and even, pass me the term, waffle shops.
Il waffle is a typical Belgian dessert. It is about a crunchy waffle from the typical square shape. The pasta is cooked in special plates that recreate the main feature of the waffle: a sort of chessboard. They are then garnished with chocolate, fruit, whipped cream, in short, in any way you want.
Certainly in Bruges you will not be able to have a sugar drop ...
A trip to Burg square
Continuing in the small street next to Markt square, you can reach the second square of the city in order of importance: Burg square.
With a square plan, this square is one of the oldest points in the city, and is the place where administrative life takes place.
In itself it did not tell me much, surely you have to go there but it is much less characteristic than Piazza Markt.
By boat through the canals of Bruges
There will be a reason why Bruges is called the Venice of the North… its canals!
I think this is one of the things that absolutely must be done in Bruges.
Yes, I know, it is touristy, but if an attraction is touristy there must be a reason, it means that it is particularly popular. Moreover, see the city from a different perspective allows you to truly experience it at 360 degrees. The boat ride lasts 30 minutes and will take you to know Bruges through its canals.
You will see the Belfort from afar, you will pass by the Beguinage until you reach the Minnewaterpark, a special experience at an affordable price (8 euros in 2017).
Photographing all the time
By following this list of things to do in Bruges you can get the idea of a possible itinerary.
At this point you will have arrived near the best viewpoint in Bruges, one of the places from which more photographs are taken, so much so that on google maps it is called "Brugge Fotoplaats“, You immediately understand that you are in the right place to have fun.
The beauty of Bruges is that each of its places allows photographs with a different soul depending on the time you take your photo.
So even in the evening here it will be splendid to immortalize theromantic atmosphere of a medieval city like this. As I advised you in another post, it is also possible to participate in organized photographic excursions. In the place where you are staying they will surely have brochures of the agencies that offer this service. Try asking if necessary.
Have a beer at the 2be brewery
On the opposite side (with respect to the canal) of the “Brugge Fotoplaats” you will find one of the most famous breweries and visit of Bruges. You can enjoy beer tastings overlooking the canal. To accompany them there will be some snacks, few because the real star here is the beer! The entrance can be found on the Wollestraat immediately after the canal bridge.
Try one of these beer-related tours (click to enter) - A true immersion in Belgian beer culture!
Visit the Bejinhof, the Beguinage
With the first 7 points you will have remained near the historic center, moving a few hundred meters you will be able to reach the Bejinhof which by the way you will have already glimpsed during the boat tour. To get there you will need to head to the Minnewaterpark.
It is one of the most characteristic places in Bruges, it was the place where the beguines were, from which we can deduce "the beguinage". White houses overlooking a courtyard often bordered by walls or otherwise isolated from the city.
Here lived the beguines, or those women who professed a monastic life without vows and without belonging to the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church.
There is also a church inside the Bejinhof in Bruges.
Il silence envelops the complex of white houses and walking inside the courtyard or entering the church seems to be enveloped by a strange sense of serenity and tranquility. It is one of the things to see absolutely in Bruges.
Take a moment to relax in the Minnewaterpark
Some of the most characteristic photos of this Belgian city come from Minnewaterpark, a magical place where it is possible walking in the green alongside the canal.
From a photographic point of view there is to get lost in the midst of the infinite compositions that can be made. If, on the other hand, photography is not one of your prerogatives, then I want to give you some advice, I want to suggest you something to do and that I would have done if I had had the time: circuit around Bruges. Yes, that's right, a real circuit for runners and cyclists that embraces the entire city and, just like a road, the cyclists' lane is divided from that of pedestrians. It is almost 9 km of circuit passing through canals, glimpses of the city and above all lots of greenery. Absolutely recommended.
10 - Getting lost in the narrow streets of Bruges
Here, perhaps this is one of the main things to do in Bruges: to get lost. Yes, just get lost, live its alleys, seeing it as a whole. I spent the last hours in Bruges just like this, starting from Minnewaterpark I traveled part of the circuit, I arrived in Gentport and from there I continued towards the center passing through the less touristy districts, even ending up in a probably deconsecrated church. Inside, in fact, there was a rather disturbing exhibit. In this way you will understand the city better and will surely fall in love with it even more.
Other activities you can do in Bruges
I mention these to you but I have not tried them both for reasons of time and because reading the reviews I was not attracted to them. To you the choice:
- Chocolate Museum: the Choco Story: a museum totally dedicated to chocolate could not be missing; with all the chocolate shops you will find in Bruges you will understand why.
- It might interest you: a tour to discover chocolate .
- French Fries Museum: linked to a typical Belgian dish, french fries twice.
- Beer Museum: the Beer Museum in Markt square.
- Photo tour to discover the most beautiful viewpoints for photography lovers.
Conclusions on Bruges
A city that leaves you speechless. You arrive in Bruges with a high expectation and return home even more delighted than you would have expected. Ð a must see city e enjoy calmly.
Dispassionate advice: do not visit it in one day, do at least two days.
