Bruges

Belgium·Europe

Currency

EUR

Language

Dutch, French

Timezone

Brussels

Continent

Europe

Our guide

Discover Bruges

Bruges prospered in the Middle Ages then fell asleep when its access to the sea silted up, which paradoxically saved it: the city was never modernised and its medieval centre is intact. The Belfry stands eighty-three metres over the main square and is climbed by three hundred and sixty-six steps. The Basilica of the Holy Blood keeps a relic brought back from the Second Crusade. The Church of Our Lady holds a Michelangelo Madonna, the only one of his sculptures to leave Italy in his lifetime. The Groeningemuseum has the Flemish primitives, and the Begijnhof Ten Wijngaerde its enclosure of white houses.

When to go

May, June and September: mild, bright, and without the July–August crowd that makes the city hard going by day. Winter has charm, especially around the Christmas markets, but the days are short and damp. In any season, coming midweek changes everything — Bruges fills at weekends with day visitors who leave in the evening.

Getting around

Everything is on foot: the historic centre fits in a two-kilometre oval and no distance exceeds twenty minutes. Cycling is the other natural option, the city being flat. Boats run the canals in half an hour and give the other viewpoint. The station is a quarter of an hour's walk from the centre.

Where to eat

Mussels and chips, waffles and chocolate are the three clichés, and they are earned. Belgian beer is drunk here as Trappist and abbey ales, at strengths that surprise — a 33 cl glass at 9 % is not unusual. Chips are eaten from a cone with mayonnaise, at a friterie rather than a restaurant. Two halal addresses are listed.

Good to know

The euro is the currency. Bruges is small and heavily visited: the restaurants on the main square are the most expensive and the worst in town, and two streets away fixes it. Cobbles are everywhere and punish wheeled suitcases and thin shoes alike. And staying a night transforms the trip: the city empties in the late afternoon and becomes unrecognisable.

Smart Planning