Bruges is an ancient city of cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, marketplace squares, and canals. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is one of the most popular cities in Europe, because of this it can be quite touristy. We visited Bruges in March, and it was surprisingly quiet and un-touristy (if thats a word), so I highly recommend visiting in the off season, in spring or fall. This city is extremely charming, with photo ops around every corner. Its a quiet city with a few museums, and plenty of shopping, perfect for a 2 day visit!
Where to stay?
Bruges is a tourist town, so there are a ton of options when it comes to hotels or BnB’s. While traveling through Belgium we decided to visit Bruges the day before, so we booked our BnB that day. We used Airbnb to reserve our stay, and we couldn’t have been more happy with our choice. We found a BnB for 107 euro per night, including breakfast. The best part about our BnB, it was literally a block away from the town center. When booking with airbnb make sure you do your research on where you want to stay, and be sure to check the reviews. If you prefer to stay in a hotel, there are a ton of modern European and American hotels to choose from.
Transportation
This city is so compact that you don’t really need to rent a car, everything is walkable. If you need to catch a taxi it can be anywhere between 8-12 euro to get to your destination in the city. The above ground tram system is really convenient and easy to use, its only 3 euros per trip. Biking is also a great option, the streets are mellow so your completely safe, and bike rental is about 10 euro a day.
Cost of Food
There are a ton of great places to eat in Bruges, from fast food, to cafes, to higher end restaurants. You can expect to pay about 12 euro at a cafe, and average dinner at a restaurant was 20-25 euro per person. Because Bruges is a tourist town, we found the food at restaurants were pricier then other small towns. Do your research on the restaurant before visiting, we searched trip advisor, checking reviews and the price range of the restaurant. As with most tourist towns, by avoiding restaurants on the main streets and sticking to the local areas, we found some hidden gems that were reasonable.
What to do?
- Take a brewery tour at De Halve Maan. This brewery has been around for centuries, and you can learn the history and beer making process with a tour. They offer two types of tours, a 45 minute tour that includes a glass of beer at there restaurant, and they also offer an XL tour which takes about 90 minutes. In the XL tour recommended for beer lovers, you will visit the brewery in a smaller group, followed by a professional beer tasting in the cellars of the brewery. The basic tour is 10 euro, and the XL is 19 euro.
- Tour the city on bikes. This was the ultimate highlight of our trip to Bruges! There are a ton of places to rent bikes in and around the city, we paid 7 euro for a 2 hour rental. I recommend riding around the perimeter of the city, there is a nice bike path and you will come across windmills and various gateway forts that once protected the town. You can weave in and out of the inner city and its a great way to explore. Biking in Belgium is extremely safe, cars give cyclers the right of way, there are no traffic lights and all streets are bike friendly.
- Visit Bruges historic markt. Make sure to check out this beautiful open square surrounded by medieval architecture, restaurants and cafes. Grab a sandwich or coffee and sit in the center of the square to watch the tourists and locals bustling through the square.
- Eat chocolate and lots of it! I have never seen so many chocolate shops, it seems like every third business is a charming little chocolate heaven. In Belgium they are famous for there chocolate, so grab an assortment of chocolate for an afternoon snack or make sure to bring some home for your loved ones.
- Visit the museum St Janshospital. I was really bummed I didn’t get to see this museum while we were there, all museums are closed on Mondays in Bruges, and we just so happened to be visiting on a Monday! This isn’t an ordinary hospital, it has an 800 year old history of caring for pilgrims, travelers, and the poor and sick. The hospital is beautifully restored with open beams and art masterpieces, and there is a restored 17th century pharmacy. The museum is 12 euro per person.
Don’t miss this picturesque medieval fairy tail town! Looking for other towns in Belgium to visit? Check out “5 Things You Must do in Ghent, Belgium“.
Have you been to Bruges? If so, please leave your comments below on what you enjoyed most.
