Seeing the best of Bruges

Walking around Bruges is almost – almost – like stepping into another world. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Bruges has beautifully preserved architecture and a great atmosphere. As you walk around you’ll hear the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages as they pull tourists along the cobbled streets and throughout the day you’ll hear an array of tunes from the bells ringing from the Belfort (I was not expecting Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I will Survive’ on the playlist but here we are). 

This is going to be quite a long post as there is so much to do in Bruges. I’m going to add quick links below to help you find the information you need quickly (unless you fancy taking the time for a long read).

 

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Getting to Bruges | Top tips | Belgian waffles | Canal cruise | 2b Shop | Belgian chocolate | ChocoStory | Shopping | Beer Museum | St Salvators/ Basilica of the Holy Blood | Historium | Fries Museum

Getting to Bruges

Belgium is incredibly compact and easy to get around by train. It’s also very reasonable too (unlike UK train prices…)

If you’re travelling by plane, there’s a train that goes from Brussels airport right to Bruges. The same IC train goes through Brussels Midi/Zuid if you’re arriving by Eurostar.

It cost me around €14 one way from Brussels Midi/Zuid to Bruges, and trains were reasonably regular. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Bruges. 

From the station it’s around a 15-20 minute walk into the main city centre. Unlike other cities I’ve been to, I felt incredibly safe walking around on my own, even at night.

Top tips when visiting Bruges

• Take care when you’re crossing the road, even in pedestrianised areas. You’ll see a lot of people on bikes here – but that means that you have to make sure the coast is clear as you won’t be able to hear them coming and they come round corners fast. If you’re from the UK it is doubly confusing as they drive on the right hand side of the road, too. 

• Bruges is compact which makes it a great place to explore on foot, however it is very much a tourist destination and therefore it gets incredibly busy throughout the day. If there’s something on your list that you really want to do, go do that first. Whilst I didn’t have too many issues visiting museums, the canal cruise queue can fill up fast, especially on sunny days.

So, on to things to do…!

Chow down on a Belgian waffle

Waffle houses are scattered across Bruges, and you can either sit inside or take one away to enjoy.  You can get all sorts of toppings – cream, chocolate, caramel, strawberries – although at some places there are savoury options too.

It’s worth noting that if you build your own waffle it can get quite pricey as you’re charged by the topping. I purchased a pre-set option (chocolate sauce and cream) and it cost me €5.

Take a canal cruise around Bruges

This is an absolute must-do. You can buy tickets from various kiosks around the waterfront (it’s all the same company so it doesn’t matter where you purchase your tickets from). It cost me €12 for a 35 minute cruise which is done in multiple languages. 

Our tour guide was hilarious. At one point I did wonder how much was exaggerated but then I realised I didn’t actually care because I was having such a great time. So yes, I 100% recommend. 

One thing – the boats are open-top so be prepared in case it rains.

See some of Belgium’s famous cultural exports at the 2b shop 

Near the canal there is the quirky 2b shop, selling Tintin and Rene Magritte merchandise as well as, er, beer. Along one side of the alleyway is the ‘wall of beer’ which is a popular photo spot. At the end of the alleyway is a bar where you can try some of Belgium’s finest beer. 

Visit a chocolate shop

Even more common than beer shops and waffle houses are chocolate shops, and more often than not you’ll smell the aroma of chocolate as you pass by. There are often several on a street all selling their wares, so there’s no excuse for not buying some as souvenirs for friends or family (or for yourself!)

You’ll often see things like candied oranges dipped in chocolate, pastel-coloured macarons, rows of truffles, or tubs of cubachons. Cubachons are a Belgian sweet a lot like wine gums. They’re traditionally raspberry flavoured but these days you can purchase them in a range of flavours.

As well as pick-and-mix truffles in-store you can also purchase pre-assembled boxes and bars, sachets of flavoured quality hot chocolate, and novelty chocolate items too. Basically, anything chocolate-related, you can find here.

Find out more about chocolate at Choco Story 

If you’d like to find out more about the history of chocolate and how it became the sweet treat we enjoy today, then Choco Story is for you. 

I’ve previously visited a chocolate factory in Ecuador so I was interested to find out more. 

Choco Story costs €12 to enter (as of September 2022), although if you also plan to visit the Belgian Fries Museum (Frietmuseum) you can get a combination ticket which will give you a discount. You don’t need to visit the two museums in a day – in fact the ticket is good for up to a year. 

Upon entry you’re given an audio guide and a chocolate for you to start your tour off with. As you go round you find out about the origins of cocoa in Central America, how it was flavoured and how it was used. The museum then moves on to cover the Spanish colonisation of Mexico and how that brought chocolate to the European aristocracy, before then making its way to people like me and you. 

Finally, I arrived at the factory section of the tour, where you can marvel at chocolate creations handmade by artists. You can also stuff yourself with free chocolate, and if the time is right, you can get a demonstration of how pralines are made. Yes, you get to try one at the end!

If you’re strapped for time in Bruges, there is also a Choco Story in Brussels too.

Go shopping!

You can easily spend a day just wandering around the shops. In addition to chocolate, Belgium is famous for lace and so you can pick up a traditional piece here. There are also a few places you can pick up quality tea and coffee.

There are also a swathe of clothing shops if fashion is more your thing, ranging from very high-end to some that are much more affordable. As a Brit, I enjoyed taking a look round C&A and Djille and Kamille (Hema was sadly closed during my visit).

Indulge yourself at the Bruges Beer Experience

I’m not really much of a beer fan (other than fruit beer) so I must admit the Bruges Beer Museum wasn’t super high on my list. When it started raining during my visit though I made a last-minute decision to go – and I am so glad I did.

As of September 2022, it was €12 to enter, however parting with an extra €6 will get you three glasses of beer at the bar before you exit. It is well worth it I reckon!

Upon entry you’re given an iPad which you use to scan objects to find out more. It’s not always clear what objects are included or not, though – I ended up trying to scan some barrels for about three minutes. 

Once you’ve scanned your item correctly, you can select either a written or verbal explanation of the object. There are also games you can play, quiz questions you can take, and opportunities to sniff various aromas. 

You’re also taken through the origins, ingredients and methods used to create beer. I actually learned loads – about the different types of beer yes, but also the more social aspects, as well as the role of women in the beer-making process. 

Beer time!

At the end of the tour you can purchase beer in the bar to try, or, if you bought the full-priced ticket, you’re given tokens to exchange for beer. I had wondered if it was going to be a pre-set menu but you can pick your beers from about 10 on offer which span all types, including two fruit beers, hooray! The staff are super helpful if you’re after some recommendations.

After three tasters I was feeling rather tipsy and stumbled out. I’d advise going later in the day so you don’t accidentally get too drunk and end up missing out on what Bruges has to offer. 

 

See some religious art

Basilica of the Holy Blood is a small church just off of Grote Markt. It’s quite dark inside due to its location and the use of dark wood throughout but there is some impressive art to see here.

It’s free to enter, and as the name suggests, If you’re there between 2 and 4pm you can see the vial that is said to contain the blood of Jesus. 

Whereas the Basilica of the Holy Blood is rather dark inside, St Salvators Cathedral is unexpectedly bright. The stained glass windows are massive, colourful and incredibly detailed, and if you’re into religious art there is plenty here for you to appreciate. St Salvators is along the main shopping street (Steenstraat) so you can’t really miss it.

Travel back to the 1400s at the Historium

In the main square (Grote Markt) of Bruges is the Historium, an immersive experience taking you back to the golden age of Bruges in the 1400s.

I opted for the full experience, which includes the 8-minute VR experience, main exhibition, and the tower climb. It cost €25 euros (as of September 2022).

Although the VR experience wasn’t long, it set the scene for the rest of the museum and it was rather fun flying through the air. It was also fun to watch people who had clearly never tried VR before! 

After the VR experience, you go on to the main exhibition. Part fictional tale, part audio tour, you follow the story of Jan van Eyck’s apprentice on his mission to collect the girl and parrot who would act as the inspiration for van Eyck’s famous Madonna painting. Although the tale is told through film, it also incorporates immersive, authentic scenes – there were real sets, smells, and even cold and snow! I can’t do it justice but it was really well done and very engaging. It certainly wasn’t like anything else I’d experienced before. At the end of the narrative section you can also see a ‘behind the scenes’ film showing how they created both the film and the accompanying experience. 

Following the story you can listen to and read information about the growth of Bruges during the 1400s and its growth in reputation as both a global trading hub and a centre for artisanal excellence.

The middle ages is really not a period of history I’ve been very interested in, but visiting the Historium definitely changed my mind!

Up the tower

Following the exhibition you can walk up the tower to see the city of Bruges from on high. The climb wasn’t too bad but at the top it is very narrow. It’s completely safe i.e. you can’t fall off, but you can’t really turn around, so you more or less have to just take photos as best you can, walk one way around the top, and then go down. It was really worth it to see all the towers and gorgeous buildings from a different perspective. 

Of course it was absolutely chucking it down when I went. Sod’s law!

Learn about fries at the Belgian Fries Museum (Frietmuseum)

You may already be aware that I love a niche museum (for example the Butter Museum in Cork) and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect here to be honest. 

Starting around the exhibit (the nice chap behind the front desk said I didn’t really need an audioguide) it’s all rather factual. You learn about where the potato originated from (Peru), and how they came to Europe, as well as how potatoes grow and pests that can affect them.

Things got a lot weirder though when I was going up the stairs to the first floor. I could hear a lot of shouting and I honestly thought there was a school group visiting or an argument going on or something.

When I reached the top of the stairs I was not expecting to be completely alone. I was also not expecting the potato/fry-based digital cabaret show that greeted me. 

Yes, you read that right. The potato-based digital cabaret show. 

What was initially a rather serious museum then descended into wonderful silliness that I was 100% there for. There was 3D art, there was a video of people playing music with potatoes, there were even cooking tips.

At the end of exhibit you can buy yourself some chips (I didn’t as I’d had a waffle previously). Overall though, I would rate the fries museum 10/10 – unexpected, hilarious, crackers.