Bruges, a city to visit a thousand times

Bruges: city of a thousand wonders

Bruges: Venice of the North by nature

Bruges, located in the province of West Flanders, in the northwest of Belgium, is called the 'The Venice of the North' by a lot of people. It truly deserves this nickname since this extremely beautiful medieval town became a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. Bruges, as one of the most picturesque cities in Europe, has a very rich history, going back almost 900 years ago, to 1128, when Bruges got its city charter. The name Bruges stems from the Old Norse word Bryggja, which means ‘landing stage’ or ‘port’ and may have the same origin as Norway’s Bryggen. In 1128, Bruges got its city charter and this led to the beginning of the rapid expansion. As soon as 1215, Bruges was already an crucial part of the Flemish cloth fairs circuit and the city’s entrepreneurship reached out to as far as England and Scotland’s wool-producing districts. About one hundred years later, the famous Bourse opened which turned Bruges into one of the most sophisticated mony markets of the entire Low Countries. The city kept growing throughout the centuries: by the 15th century, the population had risen to nearly 40.000 people. In the late 1800s Bruges was well known to be one of the first majour tourist destinations attracting people worldwide.

Nowadays some 120.000 people live in Bruges, of which 20.000 live in the historic centre of the city. All residents are enormously proud to be living in Bruges and are always very friendly and try to impress you every time with their charm and enthousiasm to show you around the city.

Bruges and Belgium

When planning a trip to Belgium, Bruges has, next to Brussels (like on the picture above), Ghent & Antwerp, everything to make your stay exciting. Practically all hotels in Bruges are located along old cobbled pedestrian-only streets and alleys and offer views on romantic canals everywhere you look. The combination of old, not so old and new fascinates everyone who first sets foot in Bruges. The best way to visit this extraordinary town is to spend at least one night in one of the many charming Bruges hotels.

The reason why Bruges architecture is so amazing is because the authorities have done their absolute best to preserve the medieval image of the town. Many of its buildings are famous worldwide, including the Church of Our Lady, one of the world’s highest brick towers. Some other examples are: The 13th Century Belfry Tower, The Burg and The Beguinage. You can still hear the 47 bells, as the full time traditional bell ringer puts on regular free concerts for everyone around. There are a few hotels brugge that can be found in the shadow of the Belfry. Bruges is not only worth the visit for its old culture. At the newly built Concert Hall, one of the most prominent music complexes in Flanders you can enjoy high quality contemporary culture on a daily basis. .

Don’t be depressed when it rains or when it's freezing cold because Bruges, unlike other cities, keeps its beauty all the year round! One could hardly forget their stay in Bruges once they have marveled at it on a snowy day in December or January or on a hot summer day in July. You should also pay attention to the fact that Bruges can be very crowded during the day. But here's a hint: late at night, when the vast majority of tourists are asleep in one of the many hotels in Bruges, the city totally reclaims its charm and quiet, just like the old days. If you had enough of the crowdy shopping streets throughout the day, a wise thing to do is to try walking along the streets and canals all the way up to the north of the city centre where the ‘Vesten’ are (ancient fortifications surrounding the egg-shaped city). Seemingly endless lawns and age-old trees can be spotted there, accompanied by some marvellously renovated traditional windmills.

Restaurants and museums in Bruges

City of food & beverages

If you've had enough off all the buildings and culture, it's time to sit down and relax. Bruges ranks very high when it comes to excellent restaurants, lunch adresses, coffee bars, pubs or clubs. Fill your stomach with typical Belgian chocolate and waffles, or the countless varieties of famous Belgian beers, or let yourself go gastronomically in one of the many restaurants or hotels in Bruges. A lot of the restaurants in Bruges and the romantic hotels in Bruges are a must-do for everyone who likes to look on the bright side of life.

A couple examples of very good (and affordable) restaurants in the city centre are: Restaurant Aneth and Restaurant Arthies or perhaps you can take a look around on this website about restaurants in Bruges.

City of museums

Besides its wonderful medieval architecture, Bruges is also very famous for its museums. You can find one on almost every corner. The biggest strength of Bruges’ museum collections is the enormous diversity, from the Flemish Primitives to contemporary art, form the classic ‘fine arts’ to archeological excavations, furniture, silverware, folklore, etc. There's the Groeningemuseum, with 600 years of different style paintings, the Memling Museum, the Gruuthusemuseum, the Museum of Folklore, the Guido Gezelle Museum, St. John's House, the Old St. John's Hospital, the Basilica of the Holy Blood (displays an ampul allegedly containing the blood of Christ), the Diamond Museum, etc. Various ‘Flemish Primitives’ Masters, such as Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck lived and worked most of their life in Bruges. Also, the only work of art made by Michelangelo to have left Italy during his lifetime, a marble statue of Our Lady, can be admired in the Church of Our Lady. All hotels in Brugge are close to the museums in the city centre.

Hotels in the centre of Bruges

Hotels in Bruges

After a long day filled with pleasure, it's time to chill out and to go back to your hotel. Bruges offers a very wide diversity of small and bigger hotels. In general, Bruges hotels appeal to practically every visitor, whether you come alone or bring your entire family. Most hotels in Brugge are cosy family hotels with under 30 rooms. Also, most Brugge hotels can be found in the historic centre, making all the architectural and artistic treasures very closeby.

Hotel Duc De Bourgogne Bruges: Located in the city centre, in the shadow of the Belfry’s Beiaard and only a stone’s throw away from the Burg, hotel Duc de Bourgogne in Brugge is a fine place to stay. This authentic historical hotel offers breakfast while enjoying magnificent views of the best know canal in Bruges. Hotel Duc de Bourgogne is one of the finest authentic hotels Bruges has to offer.

Hotel Bryghia in Bruges: Dating back 500 years, the stunningly charming Hotel Bryghia in Brugge assures you af a warm welcome in the very heart of Bruges. Handsomely restored Hotel Bryghia in Brugge is a perfect starting place to explore the medieval city.

Hotel Fevery Bruges: This recently renovated, 10 hotelrooms counting Hotel Fevery is only a 10 minute walk form the city centre and only a couple hundred meters away from those stunningly beautiful canals in Bruges. Hotel Fevery is family runned and has more than 40 years of tradition.

Visit more than Bruges alone.

Hotels in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent or Leuven

From Bruges, it’s very easy to visit Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent or Leuven. Journeys by train e.g. take less than 1 hour. Hotels in Bruges are generally comparable to hotels in Antwerp, hotels in Brussels, hotels in Ghent or hotels in Leuven, although hotels in Bruges are likely to be a little smaller in size. Hotels in Brussels tend to be further away form the city centre than hotels in Bruges (since it’s a lot smaller). The distance to railway stations is the same for hotels in Bruges than for hotels in Antwerp, hotels in Brussels or hotels in Leuven.