Brugges

admin August 11, 2011
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Brugge

Brugge or Bruges is in my opinion the most romantic city in Belgium and inspires anyone who visits the city. But don’t worry if you don’t fancy a romantic weekend, Bruges has a lot to offer for anyone!
Bruges imageIf you arrive by train or car for that matter you will most likely enter Bruges via its park. The park will guide you towards your first romantic moment, namely a little bridge that has great legend attached to it. So it is said that a long time ago there was a couple on their honeymoon who were stood on this very own bridge on their way to their hotel when a tragic accident occurred and the husband sadly didn’t survive the incident, his wife miraculously disappeared. Although police searches were held for day, the woman was never discovered, they only thing they found was a note saying “I have found the druids! Goodbye!” Now it is said that if you visit the bridge at night you might see an image of a white lady, waiting for her husband to return.

The next point of interest on your walk through Bruges will be the “Begijnhof” or “Beguine court”, this place of peace and calmness was built in 1245. The pretty looking houses have no doubt been the witness of a turbulent past but this recluse space within the city takes you away to a very relaxed state of mind. The people who used the live in the court were part of a secret religious movement that dates back to the 13th century. Nowadays although the court is still inhabited by nuns, it is a popular place for tourists and locals to think and avoid the busy city life.
For a small entrance fee, you can visit a museum on the court that will explain you about the past of the beguines and Bruges.

When you exit the court via the big gates you will enter the historic city of Bruges. You will almost believe that you are back in the middle ages. Little to no cars are allowed in the city and therefore you are left with the options to walk, use the boats or have a ride in a horse driven carriage.
Bruges image at nightThe boat or coach trips are highly recommended as it is the best way to see the whole city and will give you a guide tour of the city with more interesting facts, myths and legends about the city. When you walk through the pretty little streets, you will no doubt notice the works of lace makers. Bruges has been recognised as a top producer of lace since the Middle Ages ad continues this tradition today; it is a great souvenir to remember your visit! If you are really interested in the art of lace, you might want to visit the specially designed lace centre, which is a Museum where you will be shown the past of lace-making or demonstration to teach you how to make your own lace.

Bruges has a wide variety of churches, so if you are planning a cultural holiday, a couple of churches will be a must to visit while visiting Bruges. The first church to visit is the” Onze-lieve-Vrouwkerk” or translated as the church of “our-sweet-lady”. The church itself was intended to be turned into a cathedral based in Sienna, but instead was brought to Bruges in the 13th century. Although the church is a beautiful example of the gothic style, most tourists visit the church to admire the Madonna by Michelangelo, this world’s famous work by Michelangelo was originally also destined to be displayed in Sienna, but is now displayed daily in Bruges.
The next church that is a must see for anyone is the “Heilige Bloedkapel” translated as the “Holy Blood chapel”, you will be able to recognize this chapel by its unique architecture and the black decorations, it is positioned on the right hand side of the guildhall.
The Blood chapel is renowned to hold the holy blood of Jesus Christ, every year the Holy Blood is taken on a procession through the town.

If you enjoy Belgian beer then why not visit Bruges most well-known brewery, “de halve maan”.
The brewery produces an excellent blonde beer, called the “Brugse Zot” which would literally be translated as the “crazy Bruges”. The brewery holds daily guided tours around the still functioning brewery. During the guide tour you will not only get to know all about beer and beer making, you will also be treated to a stunning 360 degree view of Bruges.
Although this guided tour is definitely worth while, I would not advise it to people who are scared of heights or have difficulty with walking as it involves a lot of steps, for those people it is probably better to enjoy the beer rather than to learn about it.
The market square of Bruges features one on the best-known monument, namely the 12th century Belfort tower. Belfort Tower imageThe Belfort or the “Halletoren” originally existed out of an indoor market that would have been used during the Middle Ages for storage or trade, the tower started to play a greater role in the city’s history as it contained for a long time the treasures of the city.
The Belfort is 83 meters high and leans slightly to the left; you can nowadays visit the tower but be aware as it takes you 365 steps to get to the top. The tower also played an important role in the film “In Bruges”.
Furthermore you will find on the market square tons of restaurants and cafes, you will also be able to enter Bruges’ busy shopping street via the square.
If you fancy chocolate, you could visit the Choco-story museum in Bruges. This museum is very informative but is often criticised for the lack of engagement, so maybe not the ideal day but still very educational! On a rainy day, after having filled up on Belgian chocolate you might just want to known how this delicious product is created.
Art-enthusiasts should make Bruges a top priority on their list of places to visit as it displays some of the best paintings and artworks. Bruges has 16 top museums that display a wide range of art, whether you fancy classical, modern, folklore or literacy, you will no doubt find it in Bruges.
The best know museum is the “Groeningenmuseum”, this museum offers a rich and interesting summary of the Southern Netherlands art for the last 6 decades (which includes Belgium, the Netherlands, small part of France, Luxembourg and a small part of Germany). In this museum you will be able to find the art of “Flemish primitive”-painters who have no doubt set an example in 15th and 16th century painting. Flemish primitive painters include Van Eyck, Memling, Metsys,…

Trying to find a place to stay in Bruges should not be a problem as it counts numerous hotels and B&B’s. belgium-holiday.com does however recommend picking a place not to close to the market square as it can be very noisy at night due to the many events and you wouldn’t want your holiday in Belgium disturbed by a noisy bunch of students!
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