6 of the Best Things to Do in Bruges, Belgium

Oooooooh, Europe! I have to admit, the very mention of it gets me thinking about cobblestones and architecture and foreign languages and art and piazzas (and pizzas!). Last night I happened to be watching an episode of the TV show House Hunters International, which featured the city of Bruges, which got me thinking about a trip we had taken there years ago. Bruges (or Brugge) was one of the most beautiful cities we have visited, and even on a short stay we fell in love with this picturesque canal town. If you ever find yourself anywhere near this beautiful Belgian city, you might want to follow in our footsteps and check out some of the best things to do in Bruges. 

1. Drink in the Beauty of Bruges

If you do nothing else when you visit Bruges, just spend time exploring the streets and looking. Look up, look down, look at the markets, look at the gargoyles, look everywhere, because Bruges is beautiful in the fairytale-towns-illustrated-in-storybooks kind of beautiful. Block after block of stepped-roof houses, opening onto squares large and small that make you just want to sit your ass down and LOOK! There’s a reason why in 2000 the city received the title of UNESCO World Heritage City: it’s magical.

I say this because I have to confess, I had never heard of Bruges until I began planning a visit to the Netherlands and Belgium, and someone suggested I should visit Bruges. Which turned out to be one of those wonderfully unexpected discoveries that blew me away. Maybe because I wasn’t expecting anything, or maybe because I hadn’t researched it to death, but when you see the medieval architecture of this town, you’ll feel like you just stepped into the pages of a Grimms fairytale.

2. Eat Chocolate…because it’s BELGIAN Chocolate!

Need I say more? Even the shops where they sell it are picture-perfect.

3. Take a Canal Tour

Who knew there were so many cities in the world with canals? Of course we all know Venice, but I had never given much thought to other cities that are interlaced with these pretty waterways. And yet there are lots of them scattered around the world, from Birmingham in England, to Alappuzha in India. So a canal cruise in Bruges is mandatory, and unlike the gondola rides in Venice, won’t cost you a fortune for the photo op.

4. Introduce Yourself to a Famous Blonde (as in Beer!)

It’s only fair that Henk gets to spend some quality time with another blonde while I’m eating chocolate. I’m talking about beer, of course, which the Belgians are pretty good at making. If you’re into serious beer tourism, you’ll want to visit some of the local beer houses and cafes in Bruges, but even if you’re not a beer aficionado, you should introduce yourself to at least one blonde while in Belgium! 

5. Stroll the Grounds of the Begijnhof Convent

If ever I was tempted to follow the dictate “Get thee to a nunnery”, the Beginjnhof Convent in Bruges would probably be the one I would choose. Partly because the Beguines who have lived here for seven centuries are a little less traditional than your typical nuns, and aren’t required to take the fully restrictive vows of other orders; and partly because the grounds are so pretty, with whitewashed houses on a treed commons that offers a tranquil place to spend some time away from an otherwise busy town.

The public is free to wander the grounds when the convent gates are open, remembering of course to respect the residents and the purpose of the place. Although the gardens boast a riot of daffodils in the spring, we went in October, long after the summer tourists had left, making it even more of a quiet escape.

TIP: October is a great time to avoid crowds and is also a much better season to really enjoy a proper hot chocolate – which you can do at a cafe right outside the gates to the Begijnhof.

6. Climb the Belfort Tower

If you are a fan of the movie, In Bruges, with Colin Farrell, you should definitely climb Bruges’ Belfort tower, as its belfry was the location of a significant scene in the movie. But even if you don’t know the movie, a climb up this 13th century tower gives you an up-close view of the 47 bells within it, some of which weigh 11,000 pounds. And you cannot beat the views over the historic centre of Bruges, either. 

Watching Bruges featured on a TV episode of a favourite show brought back all of these memories of Henk’s and my visit to this Belgian jewel. But the icing on the cake was when the camera panned by the actual B&B where we had stayed, a delightful place right on one of the canals. If you’re looking for a beautiful B&B close to everything, check out Barabas B&B. Like everything else we discovered in Bruges, it was a charming surprise.