Brugge is an absolutely beautiful city which I strongly advise everyone to see at least once in their lifetime! It honestly looks like something from a Disney film, its so fairytale like and picturesque. When I visited It was summer time and it was packed with people sipping on their Belgian beers in the various beer gardens and eating waffles like they were going out of fashion.
Accommodation wise I suggest staying somewhere walking distance from everything, something which is definitelyin the centre of Brugge. You can find some really lovely places on Air bnb, or if you're looking for something a little more luxurious there are several hotels around.
Here is a 2 day plan for Brugge, In order to see everything you need to. It is definitely a weekend trip as it is so easily seen in 2 days!
Day 1:
I would personally suggest to go quite full on in day one, especially as if its a nice day you don't want to chance not doing everything and not being able to do things the next day because of bad weather. I'd suggest firstly to make your way into Markt Square, the main square in Brugge, where the famous Belfry Tower is, and from here to walk down to the canal point on Wollestraat and take a canal tour for 8 euros per person.
After this you could pop for a drink at The Beer Wall which is just opposite the ticket booth for the canals. In here they offer tasting menu's in which you pay 10 euros and get 4 mini pints of certain beers to try (you can choose which category, light, dark or combi) with some Belgian cheese and salami. After a drink or two at the beer wall you could visit the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which is just around the corner in Burg Square. This is where a piece of cloth is, which apparently contains jesus' blood.
After, you'd probably be feeling a bit peckish by this time, so on your way back to Markt Square you could pop into Chez Albert for a famous Belgian waffle or the shop directly opposite which sells waffles on sticks with a topping of your choice! If you're not feeling something sweet, try some of the chips in the green food vans outside the Belfry Tower, they also sell some strange sauces to go with it! After filling yourself up, now would be a good time to walk all of that off, by walking up the Belfry Tower. 366 steps later, you will find yourself looking at the most spectacular view of Brugge there is!
Once coming out of the Belfry tower, on your left there should be a street called Steenstraat, where you can shop till you drop! For dinner you could try De Vlaamsche Pot, a favourite within the locals for mussels and chips, Brugge's specialty dish. After dinner you could head back towards Markt square and go for a quiet drink in one of the restaurants around the square, like Le Grand Cafe Belfort, with a fabulous view of the whole square and the lit up Belfry Tower.
Day 2:
Day 2 is definitely going to have you on your feet a little more. Lets start with an early morning market visit. You can find the market timetable here, whether its a flea market on or flower market or even food market on, I suggest going just to see what its like and mix with the locals! Also try some food from the food stalls for breakfast as they sell delicious hot chocolate and mini waffles!
From here I would suggest visiting Minnewater park and exploring around there for a few hours as I know there is quite a lot to see including a museum. You could either stop at a near by shop and get some supplies for a picnic or you could stop in a nearby restaurant near Lago Del Amor (the Lake of Love), like 't Oud Kanthuys. On your way back to Markt Square you could stop at De Halve Maan for a drink or guided tour - or both! This is a family run brewery which brews the famous Brugge beer called Brugge Zot. From here you could begin to wander back to Markt Square and on the way stop at a museum, there are lots around including a Salvador Dali one, Classical Flemish art and even a fries one!
Before heading off for some more exploring you could stop by Godiva, a chocolate store, to try some Belgian chocolate, on strawberries, around marshmallows or on its own! For one last bit of shopping you could stop by Geldmuntstraat where there is less well known, Belgian clothes shops, for some different fashion. When deciding where to eat you could choose to either go near the square or back near Minnewater for a more romantic setting. For some after dinner drinks popping into Le Trappiste for a last bit of beer tasting would be a good idea. They sell over 100 beers in there and the majority of them are on tap. They also sell beer which comes in a special horn glass (ask which one). If you're feeling keen to go out there are a few bars/clubs which are lively on Geernaartstraat, like Club 13.
Do you have any tips or tricks for visiting Brugge? feel free to let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
Annie 🌻
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