Bruges Travel Guide by a Local
Sightseeing
Bruges is only a one-hour train ride away from the capital Brussels, and you can walk to the city center or take the free shuttle bus. The Belfry Tower is 83 meters high. Losing your way in Bruges is amazing. You'll come across so many beautiful passages, and if you lose your way, you can always just look for the Belfry and follow it to the main square. You can climb to the top, and from there, you have an amazing view. You can see all the way up to the coast and see all the surroundings of Bruges. You can also admire the Provincial Court or hop in a carriage to drive through the beautiful city center.
Right next to the Provincial Court is the Historium. This is a museum that shows you what Bruges used to look like back in the Middle Ages. It teaches you a lot about the history. You can do the virtual reality experience or you can just climb the tower and have a beautiful view from up there.
From the main square, you can follow one of two shopping streets, to T'Zand Square. T'Zand is another beautiful square with lots of restaurants, terraces, and also the Concert Building.
This is the Burg Square, and for centuries, it has been the center of power in Bruges. Up until today, the city's administration is still inside the Gothic Town Hall that dates back to the 14th century. The whole square is lined with historical monumental buildings. In the corner of this square, you can find the Basilica of the Holy Blood. There you can find the relic of the Holy Blood, which is said to have been brought to Bruges by the Crusaders, and it is kept here in the Chapel of the Holy Blood.
At the Fish Market, instead of selling fish, crafters are now selling handmade products here. Then continue across the Huidenvetters Square to the Rozenhoedkaai. This is by far one of the most picturesque spots in Bruges.
Continue to follow the water, and you will end up at the Groeninge Museum. The great Flemish primitives made a name for themselves. The world-renowned works of art of Jan Van Eyck, Hans Memling, and those of other prominent Flemish masters can be admired at the Groeninge Museum, St. John's Hospital, and the Church of Our Lady, which are all located together here.
The Church of Our Lady is the second tallest in the world with a brick church tower of 115 meters and a half. Inside, you can find lots of paintings, but by far the most popular work of art is Michelangelo's Madonna and Child. The next building you will come across is the Saint John's Hospital. You can also visit this hospital on the inside, where you find a lot of art from Hans Memling.
The Beguinage with its white-colored houses and a beautiful convent garden was founded for the nuns and also women who decided to stay single for the rest of their lives. They vowed celibacy and they stayed here as well.
When you visit the Beguinage, don't forget to stroll along the Lake of Love because this is a very picturesque place right in the middle of the city center. It is very close to the station as well. You can see lots of ducks and birds here, and it's a very quiet and beautiful place.
The next part of the city that a lot of tourists don't explore is to the northeast of the city center. It is called the Saint Anna Quarter. This is where you can find the windmills. You can also find the Folklore Museum there, but also the Lace Center. Lace used to be a Flemish product, which was exported a lot. In this part of the city, you can find the Jerusalem Chapel. This is a family chapel of the Adornis family, and I've also been recommended to visit the English Convent.
Two more sites to see are the Van Eyck Square and the Medieval Torture Museum. This last one is definitely not for the sensitive souls. One of my favorite activities in Bruges is to go on a boat ride. Aside from the Groeninge Museum, you can also go to the Chocolate Museum, the Fries Museum, and the Diamond Museum. You can find chocolate all throughout Bruges in different shapes and sizes, different tastes, different fillings. It might be overwhelming to know where to buy your chocolate and where to go. Well, I'm going to tell you which chocolate shop is the best.
For 30 years, Dominique Persoone has been an innovator when it comes to chocolate. He has come up with lots of different ways to consume chocolate. For example, a chocolate massage cream, even chocolate lipsticks, and chocolate you can sniff. It looks like a tiny chocolate museum. You can buy the best chocolates with very unique fillings, and if you want to learn more about the chocolate, you can visit the Chocolate Museum. The Chocolate Line is located on the very cozy Simon Stevin Square with lots more restaurants.
You might want to catch a soccer game of the best team in the country or stumble across one of the many events that are going on in the city. For instance, this food truck festival each year, it strikes down in the city for a whole weekend, and you get to try lots of different foods from different cultures. My family and I obviously love Peruvian cuisine.
There are also lots of medieval gates around the city that are worth checking out. And if you have the time, rent a bike and try and explore the region around Bruges, which is very green. There are lots of forests, lots of canals, and also lots of castles and this star observatory.
Best Restaurants
A restaurant you must visit to try the local Flemish cuisine is De Vlaamsche Pot. You can get the best ice cream at Da Vinci. I also love eating ribs at Ribs 'n Beer or go to the Republic. The Predikherenrei is also a very cozy part of the city to have a drink or a meal. In the summer, you can even swim outside. Sanseveria Bagel Salon is great for lunch, and you must try the speculoos cookies. These are kind of gingerbread cookies that are traditionally Belgian, and there are many more.
When in Belgium, you can't leave before trying the beer, the fries, the waffles, and my personal favorites, Belgian stew and shrimp croquettes. In the right season, you can also find lots of asparagus. How about you try a local beer in the smallest alley of the city, or you can bring some beer home for yourself or for the family.
Beer Experiences
If you want to learn more about how the beer is made, I recommend going to the Beer Experience. Or you can visit the breweries Bourgogne de Flandres or my personal favorite, The Half Moon. This is the brewery which has the only beer pipeline in the entire world. You can visit the brewery; they will tell you all about how the beer is made. End your visit with a tasting of the beer, which is called The Fool of Bruges or Brugse Zot.
Christmas Market
It is the coziest city to do your Christmas shopping. All shops and restaurants are beautifully decorated. On the main square, you can find the biggest winter market with lots of shops and food stalls. There is a second Christmas market on the smaller Simon Stevin Square, and you can find the ice rink in the Lake of Love Park. This ice rink is floating on the water and is part of the annual light installation. Walk with the free official app called Wintergloed or Winterglow in English. You can walk around the city and spot them.
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