If you’re longing for a trip back in time then book a flight to Bruges and transport yourself to the 13th-century. The preserved medieval city has some of the finest examples of Gothic architecture and art in Europe, drawing millions of tourists each year, making it Belgium's most visited city. Adding to its popularity is the Unesco World Heritage status it was awarded in 2000 and then in 2004 being recognized as the European City of Culture.
The best way to explore this picturesque city is on foot. Stroll through its quiet cobbled streets and stop into a church or two along the way. Boat rides along the canal and a guided tour of the city on a horse-drawn cab are a must. Or venture further east to the quaint village of Damme and visit the 15th-century mansion, the Saint-Jean d'Angély House, then have lunch in one of the town’s excellent restaurants. Book your Bruges flight in spring when the weather’s pleasant and the hordes of tourists haven’t arrived yet.
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Belgium has mild summers and cold winters because of the icy Baltic winds. Bruges is no exception to this climate. Summer temperatures can reach the mid-20s (Celsius), but the winter cold is unrelenting between November and January; the canals can freeze up enough for ice skating. Spring is beautiful and mostly mild but can have chilly days.
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Peak Season:
One of the most perfectly preserved medieval cities in Europe, Bruges is the most popular tourist destination in Belgium and is packed with visitors in summer.
Tourists start arriving around Easter. The procession of the Holy Blood in early May is one of the oldest and most solemn religious events in the world and attracts thousands.
The city continues to be quite crowded through the summer, particularly on weekends and during school holidays.
Off Season:
Spring and autumn are not too chilly and there are fewer crowds, making it the best time to book a flight to Bruges.
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The train station is located on the lower level of the airport (first floor). There is a train shuttle service from the airport to the North, South and Central stations of Brussels. The shuttle runs every 15-20 minutes and the journey takes approximately 20 minutes. It operates between 5.30am and 12.20am from the airport. There are also buses that serve Brussels, Antwerp and Eindhoven; the bus station is below the Arrivals hall. An airport bus link also operates between the Brussels-Luxembourg railway station and the airport. There are metered taxis available outside the Arrivals hall; the 30-minute journey to Brussels costs around €30.
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The old city of Bruges is perfect for walking, but bring comfortable, sturdy shoes for the cobblestone streets. The centre is flat and compact, filled with pedestrian-only streets, and all major attractions are within the old city walls. To get into the atmosphere of the city, a canal cruise is fun as is a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
Cycling is popular, although the cobblestones make for a bumpy ride. Bicyclists are allowed two-way travel on some one-way streets, but on other one-way streets you will be fined for riding against traffic. Also watch out for pedestrians stepping out in front of you. Bicycles can be rented from bike-rental stores and the train station, and many hotels rent bikes to their guests.
A small network of buses covers destinations in and around Bruges. (Bruges does not have a subway or trams).
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- Bruges (along with Brussels) is famous for its chocolate. You can smell chocolate being made throughout the city year-round. The most famous chocolate from the area is the BrugesSwaentje – the Bruges swan. Try it at any chocolatier.
- If this isn’t enough to satisfy your cravings, head for the Choco-Story, a museum dedicated to chocolate, which has the mouth-watering mission, “to make known the story of the transformation of cocoa into chocolate and to promote the health and quality aspects of Belgian chocolate”.
- Bruges is small and you can walk across the city centre in half an hour. Sign up for a walking tour if you want to make sure you don’t miss the best bits. A range of different walks can be booked at the tourist office, from the traditional, which takes in all the monuments, to the more unusual, entitled “fiction and fantasy” or “the sleeping city”.
- The Grote Markt, or city square, is one of the first destinations for most visitors to the city. Pedestrianised in 1996, the attractive and colourful square is home to an excellent food market on Wednesday mornings, open from 8am-1pm. Join the locals buying their weekly food.
- Bruges’s canals are the reason it is christened (along with many other cities) the “Venice of the North”. For a different view of the city, take a boat trip along the canal. Open throughout the summer (most canal boat trips are closes from November to March), you can book at the tourist office, or just arrive at one of the landing stages. The trips are understandably popular with tourists, so arrive first thing in the morning if you want to beat the long queues.
- The Groeninge Museum has paintings by well-known artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Hans Memling, and Jan van Eyck, all of whom lived in Bruges.
- Visit the lace museum in Dijver 16 and 17 housed in some of the town’s many almshouses (godhuizen). You get a good sense of what a rich sponsor provided for the poor and elderly, who in return, prayed for his soul and usually made lace.
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