Bruges in Belgium. If there is a city that seems to be taken from a fairy tale, it is this one. If there is a place with magic, it is this one, where it seems that around the corner you will find ladies and gentlemen from the Middle Ages. Travel companions, welcome to Bruges!
Although it is one of those cities where you don’t have many plans, just walk around until you find corners that leave you speechless, we are going to mark a route through it to discover the places.
We will start at the Grote Markt. From this point we will have several places to see.
But if you don’t want to miss anything and also learn more about the history of the city and customs, taking a free tour of Bruges is a good option to optimize your time in the city.
Indice:
Grote Markt in Bruges, Belgium.
We will start at the Grote Markt. Perhaps one of the typical photos we have seen of the city. Standing here in the middle we see many of the things to visit in Bruges. But without a doubt our eyes will go to its bell tower, better known as Belfort as its name in Flemish and included in the list of World Heritage since 1999.
The site of the current Belfry of Bruges was originally occupied by a wooden tower erected in 1240. The building housed the wool market and the associated warehouses. The tower also had an administrative function and housed the city archives. Climbing the 366 steps will reward you with a breathtaking view of Bruges and its surroundings. The price of the climb is €15.
The Provincial Hof (Provincial Council Building) is the other building that will catch your eye here on the square. Built in 1887, it was formerly the seat of the provincial governor, and later housed the Provincial Council until 1999. Admission is free.
If we continue turning in the square, we will see some colorful houses converted into restaurants and cafes, they are the guild houses of the seventeenth century.
In the square we also find Historium Brugge. This museum offers a tour of the Middle Ages in an interactive way.
The price is €25 for the full VR experience and exhibition, €12 to climb the tower to get the views and exhibition.
If you want to get nice views I recommend you go up inside the same building to the brewery located on the first floor. Duvelorium.
Now we will head along the picturesque Breidelstraat to visit another square.
The beer museum is located here, the entrance fee is €13 and €19 with tasting.
But on the way we can’t help but try some delicious waffles and marvel at the charm of this city. Chez Albert is one of the many waffle houses that we can find in Bruges and Belgium, but its waffles have the reputation of being among the most delicious.
Burg Square in Bruges, Belgium.
We arrive at the other square in Bruges, Burg. This is where the first castle with a walled fortress function was built and where the city was born.
The contrast with the golden decorative elements on the facades makes us stop for a long time to admire.
Here we find the town hall (Stadhuis) with its impressive Gothic interior hall.
Entrance fee is €8
The other building that immediately catches our attention is the Palace of Justice. The beauty of its exterior means that it cannot go unnoticed. You can enter it to see its Renaissance hall. Ticket price €8.
Here we also find the Basilica of the Holy Blood, made up of two churches and which houses a relic, a vial with a few drops of Christ’s blood.
Admission is free, and €5 if you want to visit the museum.
We continue along an alley that will take us to the Fish Market, Vismarkt
Pier and Fish Market
We first stop at these stalls where fish is sold in the past and still today. This classicist colonnade was designed in 1820 and is today the oldest fish pavilion in Belgium.
We now turn towards the pier next to the Blinde-Ezelbrug bridge. And now, here we are going to take one of the most recommended walks to do in Bruges. Get on board!
The price is €15. The tour is priceless and you’ll pass through different areas of Bruges. You might walk through most of them, but seeing them from the water is always a different perspective, and in this case, a very nice one.
It’s also a nice idea to take the option of a guided tour of Bruges + a walk along the canals.
A visit to Brussels is also a must in Belgium. What to see in Brussels in 3 days
Plaza de los Curtidores and Muelle del Rosario
In this tiny square, Plaza de los Curtidores, was the place where the tanners did their work, today there are many restaurants and cafes with lively activity.
And the traditional photo! we can find it from the Muelle del Rosario.
Wall of beers
We then go to the Casa de España and there to the Beer Wall where we will find more than 1000 varieties of beer.
Our steps now take us to other areas of Bruges. Although, as I told you, we are putting together a small itinerary to follow depending on the surroundings, it is a very good option to take a free tour, especially if it is your first visit to the city.
Bonifacio Bridge
The Bonifacio Bridge, or the Bridge of Love as it is also called, is a very photogenic place and therefore very photographed. Although it is not as old as you think, this bridge dates back to 1910.
Next to it in this postcard is the Church of Our Lady of Bruges, whose tower is still the tallest in the city. The place has magic and romanticism without a doubt.
Very close by is the Groeninge Museum, the municipal museum of fine arts in Bruges. The entrance fee is €15. If you are an art lover and have enough time in the city, this is a good place to visit.
Hospital de San Juan
The old hospital of San Juan was a medieval hospital founded in the middle of the twelfth century
Located next to the Church of Our Lady, the premises contain some of the oldest hospital buildings in Europe. The hospital grew during the Middle Ages and was a place where sick pilgrims and travellers were cared for. Today it is a museum and can be visited and the entrance fee for the museum and the pharmacy costs €15.
On a leisurely walk we arrive at the Beguinate of Bruges
The Beguinage of Bruges was founded in 1245. The Beguines were a group of women who met recreating cities within cities, with the intention of leading a life of perfection in an urban environment, without pronouncing vows and exempt from the rules of the Church. Its beginnings date back to the late twelfth century in Liege. In less than twenty years it spread to France, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Hungary.
On this beautiful and relaxed walk we arrive at the
Minnewater Park, the lake of love
The so-called Lake of Love is the old port of Bruges, today converted into a charming space for a nice walk.
We continue the return and go to the Cathedral of Bruges
Bruges Cathedral
St. Saviour’s Cathedral was built between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and is the oldest church in Bruges.
If there’s one thing that makes Belgium famous besides its fries, waffles, and beers, it’s its chocolate.
You will see many chocolate shops, enter, the aroma is indescribable. Choose one and enjoy that moment.
They also have, if you like chocolate and its history a lot, the Choco Story, the chocolate museum. The ticket price is €14.
You can go to the statue of Jan Van Eyck to continue touring this fairytale city.
If you go a little further away you also have the Molino de San Juan or at the gates of the city or the Santa Ana Church.
Anyway, the idea was to leave you a small tour, but walk, get lost in the city and you will surely be caught by its charm.
Let’s now go to the practical information to visit it.
Practical information
As always, we travel with unlimited internet using Holafly’s eSIMs. You can use our discount coupon EUROPAACOMPANADA5
As we know, traveling with travel insurance is essential. This time we traveled with my parents, and your question came up again about insurance for older people, since there are cases where they charge an extra fee for age or do not insure. We have taken out insurance with Iati for everyone and in their case at the same price as ours without any age limit problem. I leave you the information and a discount here. Travel Insurance for Europe
How to get to Bruges, Belgium?
As we said at the beginning, Bruges is a popular day trip from Paris. Although it is about 300 kilometres away, it can be an option. You can go by train or bus.
By train with a connection in Brussels it will take less than 2 hours 40 minutes and costs around €100 per journey, whereas by bus, although it is cheaper, it will take around 4 and a half hours. The cheapest option is usually Flixbus, which costs around €20 per journey, although in all cases it varies depending on the dates. Search for bus routes on my dates
A pre-organized excursion with a Spanish-speaking guide is a very good idea if you want to make the most of your day in the city. Day trip to Bruges from Paris
The other option is to do Bruges from Brussels. The distance is just over 100 kilometers. By train it takes about an hour and the cost is around €21 each way.
By bus it takes about an hour and a half and the cost starts at €15 or so. In any case, they are estimates but vary according to the dates.
A guided tour in English from Brussels is also a great idea and you can also add Ghent. Day trip to Bruges from Brussels. o Bruges and Ghent Day Trip from Brussels.
By car it is also a good option if you are already touring Belgium as was our case.
Rent a car for a route in Belgium
Did you see our driving route through Belgium and the Netherlands?
As I said at the beginning, our option was to spend one night. Our hotel, Duc de Borgogne is on the Tanners’ Square and overlooks the canal and the most photographed part of Bruges. It is charming, they are rooms above a restaurant, it is worth clarifying that it does not have an elevator.
You have parking about 200 meters away, Interparking Pandreitje.
If you want to see our previous visit and the hotel where we stayed that time, we leave it here. Bruges, Belgium, what to see in the city of canals.
We had lunch at Vier Windem in the Grote Markt, the service and the food were good.
At night we decided to have dinner at the hotel, the view is wonderful again. The food was very good.
Both dinner and stay were a nice pleasure to enjoy Bruges in Belgium, a city from which we would leave the next day to….. Ghent!
Map and video
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
