If you have seen images of colourful gingerbread houses with cobblestoned streets on Instagram captioned - visit this fairytale village in Europe, you are likely seeing images and videos from Bruges. The main market square in Bruges is also the setting for their annual Christmas Market and winter festival called Winter Glow, where the town turns into a Winter Wonderland that starts from around Thanksgiving to the first week of January in the New Year. From the places to visit to the things to do in Bruges to the best Belgian waffles and Belgian beer in this dreamy town, we have you covered. Bruges is an equally picturesque medieval town to visit in the summer months and the most accessible by train from Brussels in Belgium.
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Why is Bruges so famous?
Other than its aesthetic appeal and Flemish architecture, Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage site as it is a well-preserved medieval town. In the Middle Ages around the 15th century, Bruges was a strategic city with a network of canals built on the River Reie that flowed into the North Sea. Today, it is probably the most popular place is Belgium that tops the bucket lists of travellers.
How do you get from Brussels to Bruges?
If you’re not driving in Europe, then the train station is your best bet to get to Bruges from Brussels. You can take a train from the Brussels-Nord or the Brussels-Midi station (you may have to check on your date of travel) and you should reach Bruges in an hour. Some buses ply about three times a day from Brussels to Bruges from Brussels north. However, the train is the most convenient way of travelling as Bruges is best explored by foot and you will not find a lot of cars in the city centre.
Day trip to Bruges v/s Staying a night in Bruges
As an Indian traveller who typically carries at least one big bag on a trip to Europe, I would recommend staying a night in Bruges as this would mean you will have to drag your heavy suitcase from the station to your hotel. Also, it isnt the easiest for one to drag a suitcase over the cobblestoned streets. However, if you are really keen on experiencing Bruges both in the day and at night when the twinkling lights come to life in the market square, then you can stay for a night or two. Staying over would also give you more time to explore the canals, the Belgian beer scene in Bruges by brewery hopping, taking walking tours, and food tasting tours in the idyllic medieval town with some of the best front doors I have ever seen.
Things to do in Bruges
Nothing beats a stroll around Bruges without an agenda and discovering gothic architecture, stopping by to let horse-drawn carriages pass by at the market square and listen to the tolling of the bells that make you realise the town still binds you in an otherwise sleepy town where time stands still. However, here are a few things to do in Bruges:
1. If you are not planning to visit Amsterdam in that same trip to Europe, you must take a boat ride through the canals of Bruges.
2. You can either meander around the town appreciating its architecture by yourself or take a walking tour to know more about the history and culture of Bruges.
3. You can climb atop the Belfry for a EUR 5 fee and get some great aerial views of the city center. It is a steep climb, but the breathtaking views make up for it.
Vegetarian Belgian Frites in Bruges
If you thought the humble Belgian Frites were just oil and potatoes and vegetarian-friendly, then you are mistaken. Traditionally, Belgian fries are fried in animal fat. Hence, if you are a vegetarian you need to ask for fries that have been fried in vegetable oil. We came across a great place called FritBar that served vegetarian fries and enjoyed their loaded fries along with a glass of Belgian beer while sitting at their classic window-facing tables, people-watching as we chomped off all the debris of potatoes from our disposable plates. If you are a non-vegetarian you could try local fries that they sell on green carts around the Belfry with the Andalouse sauce.
Best Belgian Waffles in Bruges
You cannot go to Bruges and not have some of the best Belgian waffles. Most waffles will contain eggs, so you may want to ask for vegan waffles if you do not consume eggs as a vegetarian. There are two types of Belgian Waffles - the Brussels waffles and the Liege waffles. The Brussels waffle is rectangular and feels slightly lighter and softer to taste. The Liege waffle doesnt have a definitive shape and is harder and heavier in its texture. We went to House of Waffles in Bruges and had their Brussels waffles with cherry compote and some vanilla ice cream. It felt great after walking about 10,000 steps on ancient stone and probably we had a few thousand steps more to go. Another place that came highly recommended in Bruges is the for the best Belgian waffles is Chez Albert, however, we could not try it.
Belgian beer and the best pizza in Bruges
Bruges has a vibrant Belgian beer scene, however, the two beers that stood out to me were Chouffe which is a cherry-flavoured beer with a sweet aftertaste, and Trappist beer which is a beer brewed by Trappist monks using their traditional brewing methods. Only about a dozen Trappist breweries are left in the world, and six out of them are in Belgium. If you’d like to experience a Trappist brewery (although not an authentic one) in Bruges, then you must visit Le Trappiste Brewery, a bar in an 800-year-old medieval cellar. If you are staying over in Bruges, then do pay this place a visit in the evening hours. Belgian Trappist beer has a relatively higher alcohol content than regular beer, anywhere between 6% to 14%.
A good spot with terrace seating a little further away from the market square for dinner is the Otomat Pizzeria which serves some of the best pizza in Bruges and has a few vegetarian options as well. If you’re up for some dessert before dinner then not very far away from Otomat is the Old Chocolate House which is a charming cafe that serves some indulgent Belgian Hot Chocolate. However, the place shuts by 6 PM so is best visited earlier.
Not French pharmacy but Belgian skincare shopping in Bruges
While the only things you may pick up from Bruges are the gingerbread house fridge magnets as souvenirs and some Belgian chocolates, we did come across a great Belgian skincare shop called Bubbles at Home. While everyone talks highly about French pharmacy, I found this Belgian skincare brand to be no less with macaron-shaped bath bombs, shampoo soap bars, and Dead Sea mud masks. What caught my attention was that their skincare was suitable for people suffering from skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis that almost no other mainstream skincare brands talk about. As an eczema warrior myself, I felt seen and heard and the skincare was also not all white, it was fancy and also had a light fragrance.
Last word: If you are visiting Bruges, should you also visit Ghent?
You’ll find a lot of online itineraries and group tours recommend a day trip to Bruges and Ghent from Belgium. However, unless you’re a medieval history geek, you can visit one of the two European towns as both have a similar medieval setting with Bruges being more Instagram-friendly than Ghent on account of the splash of color in the market square. We visited the Battlefield of Waterloo from Brussels in the morning to dive deeper into French history and the Napoleonic era and then headed to Bruges in the afternoon. Although Bruges and Ghent fall in the same route and Waterloo is a bit of a detour, it was a day well spent in two different Belgian towns with a rich history that were centuries apart.
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