A Day Trip to Bruges, Belgium
Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium was highly recommended for us to take a day trip after our few days in Paris and Brussels. We knew nothing about the city except that it was the capital of the province, North Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium and was only a short train ride from Brussels. Little did we know, we'd fall in love with the city of canals and cobblestone streets.
Bruges by Land
Upon exiting the train, we wandered aimlessly through the quiet cobblestone streets until we were dumped out in the middle of town. The atmosphere shifted from peaceful and hidden to lively and loud very quickly.
If you're not climbing hundreds of stairs on your vacation, are you even in Europe? We started our site seeing with a hike up the 366 stairs to the top of the Bruges Belfry. Located in the heart of Bruges, and part of the Belfort, the medieval bell tower is one of the city's most recognized structures. The history is fantastic, but the views from the top are even better!
Back down on the ground, we explored the city center, stopping at various sites along the way. Favorites included The Brugse Vrije (Liberty of Bruges), The Bladelin Court, Gruuthuse Museum, Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Palace), Tolhuis, and Schuttersgilde Sint-Sebastiaan (Archer's Guild). The church that proved to be our favorite, was Sint Salvatorskathedraal (Saint Savior's Cathedral). We visited Simon Stevin Square, (Simon Stevinplein), named after the mathematician and physicist who was born in Bruges, and hung out in the Markt and Tanners Square (Huidenvettersplein). We relaxed in the afternoon with a red beer at The Bruges Brewery, Bourgogne des Fandres.
Bruges by Water
The gothic architecture, cobblestone streets, and historic sites are quintessentially Bruges, but the most magical part of the city, are the waterways. I could stroll the canals and photograph the bridges for my entire vacation and not tire of the scene. These beautiful hotspots include, Groene Rei, Bonifacious Bridge, and Rozenhoedkaai. Follow the canals to the picturesque Minnewater Lake.
While Bruges has that cute little village look to it when you're on the water, the city has many things to occupy your time. Additional points of interest, to fill your itinerary, include: The Old Chocolate House to make your own hot chocolate, The Chocolate Museum to learn about the best chocolate in the world, The Public Observatory to see the sun, moon, and stars and definitely don't miss out on a Canal Cruise.
Bruges will always have piece of my heart and will be one of the prettiest cities I've visited. Maybe next time we'll call Bruges home base and take a day trip to Brussels (and Antwerp) instead! What are other pretty small cities in Europe that we should explore?
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