Bruges is the perfect destination to spend a day having lots of fun and enjoying breathtaking views. This capital city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish region of Belgium, has an unmatched charm about it. Also nicknamed Venice of the North for its extensive system of canals and bridges, you could choose a relaxing boat ride, take a leisurely walk through the beautiful streets, visit a couple of museums, do some shopping, go pub hopping in the evening, eat at one of the famed restaurants offering specialties like waterzooi stew and moules-frites (mussels and fries) or relax over some strong coffee or local beers at one of the many pavement cafes. And of course you must feast on some Belgian chocolates. Even after all this you would still have time to just relax at one of the parks or the squares and enjoy watching holiday makers like us, living their heart out. Come let’s enjoy a beautiful day ahead as we reach here after Visiting Ghent on a day trip from Brussels,Belgium and head straight to the center of town.

Bruges was founded during the eleventh century surrounding a fortress which was established in the ninth century. Until the fifteenth century Bruges was one of the wealthiest cities on the continent due to it’s strategic location and the hunger for trade in goods such as fabrics, Portuguese spices, grains and wines from Normandy. At the end of the fifteenth century, the Zwin channel which had been responsible for the city’s good fortune began to stilt and the city fell into decline. At the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, Bruges was run down and poverty-stricken. However over this period it was completely restored and quickly became a fashionable tourist destination. As one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world, this canal based town has rapidly transformed itself into one of the most important commercial centers in the North of Europe. Currently over 8 million people visit the city’s cobbled streets every year, making it Belgium’s most visited town, even above Brussels. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Let’s explore.

We are now at the Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde Monastery. This beguinage in Bruges dates back to the 13th century and it counts as one of the best preserved. Most of its buildings are not as old and from the 19th century, but the original layout of the Beguinage has been kept as well. The Beguines were a movement of single or widowed women who wanted to live in a pious way but outside the walls of a convent or monastery. So in many north Belgian and Dutch cities beguinages were set up where these women lived and prayed. The beguines led an industrious life, earning their income with looms stitching laces. No vows were taken but they kept to a strict regime under a mistress who guarded the independence of the establishment. The last beguinage nun left in 1927 and since then it has been home to a community of Benedictine nuns.

There has been a church on this site since 1245 although the first burned in 1584. The Gothic replacement built in 1605 was given a Baroque facelift around 1700. It is dedicated to St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the patron of quite a number of beguinages and the rather obscure St. Alexis, reputedly the son of a wealthy Roman family who chose poverty and charitable work over riches. This is still an active church with daily services led by the Benedictine Sisters who occupy the former beguinage.

In the corner to the left of entrance of the beguinage is this small museum which recreates the living quarters of a beguine. There is an excellent gift shop here selling a wide range of Catholic related goods. Let’s now move into the busiest and happening part of Bruges, away from these quiet surroundings. We were feeling quite hungry by now as we had our breakfast very early. When on a holiday we normally prefer a light lunch and a sit in relaxed dinner. Our guide suggested we check out ‘Vivaldi’ and so I went in to have a look and check the menu. The place looked crowded and the menu too elaborate for a quick lunch. So we decided to instead head to this relaxed place with the options of a chicken burger, fries, nuggets, a beer and some ice cream. With a tummy filled up a little more than required, it was time to do some walk and quick shopping of souvenirs and an item Bruges is famous for since time immemorial. Laces. The deft hands of thousands of women and girls earned Bruges worldwide lace fame. At one time, a quarter of all the women in Bruges were lace makers. Even nowadays you could opt for a ‘Lace Walk’ to see traditional Bruges lace-makers at work in some of the lace shops and buy the innumerable varieties available. There is even ‘The new Lace Museum’ which offers courses where experienced and enthusiastic lace-makers teach you the finest tricks of the trade.

A trip to Bruges is incomplete without a boat tour on the canals enjoying the beautiful architecture of this pretty city. That is exactly where we are heading right now.

Come enjoy a bit of this beautiful journey with us as the boat takes off..

We are now at Groeningemuseum, Bruges’ most important art museum. Here you can see paintings by Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes, Gerard David, Hieronymus Bosch, Ambrosius Benson, Lancelot Blondeel and others who completed assignments here in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Several of these paintings are regarded as milestones in the history of European art.

We are now at Market Square. The Market Square , in the shadow of the majestic belfry tower, was the scene of medieval festivals, fairs, tournaments, uprisings and executions. A place full of history. Today, the square serves as a meeting place for the locals and the eight million visitors or so who flock to the town every year. The most striking building is without any doubt the Belfry. The rest of the square is occupied by restaurants and cafes located in guild houses.

The Belfry of Bruges known as the Belfort was built in 1220, with additions in 1240 and reconstruction after it burned down in 1280, 1491, and 1781. Standing 83 metres high, it is well worth the 366-step climb to view the entire city. On your way up the narrow spiral staircase, you can stop and catch your breath in the different rooms along the way. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the North Sea. The statues at the center of the Market Square are of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, two freedom heroes in the struggle against the French at the beginning of the 14th century. Jan Breydel was head of the butchers and Pieter de Coninck was head of the weavers is how the story goes. Let’s go around a bit. We are now approaching Burg Square. Burg Square used to be a former fortress in Bruges. It is the other main square of the city after Market Square and a great place to relax and visit few more attractions.

Now it’s time to visit two interesting landmarks for Beer & Chocolate lovers. Come let’s head there.

We picked up a few exotic beers, that I had never tasted before, for the evening and now it’s chocolate time as we head to ‘The Chocolate Line’ by Dominique Persoonee. Dominique Persoone, the man who runs ‘The Chocolate Line’, is a legend both at home and abroad. The Chocolate Line is 1 of the 3 chocolate shops that is mentioned in the Michelin guide. Dominique Persoone revealed his chocolate secrets on Njam and his book ‘Cacao de chocoladeroute’ (’Cocoa the chocolate road’) won him the prestigious accolade of ‘Best Chocolate Book In The World 2009’. Dominique lives by his motto “follow your dreams”, and so the story continues.. We decided to taste one piece of six odd varieties that appealed to our eyes and then packed enough of four out of them to take back. Enough to last us the balance days of our European journey. And then we took the walk back enjoying every moment of the feast for our eyes. Bruges is a small beautiful place and small enough to walk it all. But if you are a senior citizen who has limitations, there are two other wonderful ways to explore the city.

If you think you have experienced it all, hang on for a bit of surprise. Come walk with us to sense the beauty of Bruges that mesmerized us and left us speechless, as we walked towards our bus for the journey back to Brussels.

Bruges. Charmingly beautiful. And a perfect place to live life for a day.

Wish to get lost in the beauty of Bruges again. PIN it for later