On Wednesday the 3rd December Mel and I caught the train to St Pancras London to stay at the Kings Cross Hotel as we had to be at St Pancras at 0548 hours to catch the Eurostar to Brussels the following morning.
On Thursday the 4th of December we caught the Eurostar to Brussels, then a quick exchange of trains to catch a train to Bruges.
We exited Bruges Train Station and ordered an Uber to take us to out B&B. The driver was very chatty and friendly and spoke very good English. A refreshing change from UK Uber drivers in London!
We arrived early to our B&B called B&B De Vifj Zuilen on the outskirts of the city. The owner Ginette met us and let us into our room early and told us once we were ready we were to meet here for a free drink in the man cave and she can tell us more about the city.
A very comfy and quirky room it was too!
We met Ginette in the man cave, Mel had a cold drink and I had a Jupiler beer, whilst we were given a map of the city and Ginette marked out all the sights and we were told how to get into the city by foot (about 30 min walk) or by bus.
We made our way to the city centre by foot, a little way into the walk, it started to rain lightly and it was a bitter cold rain too! But it didn't matter what a pretty city so far!
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in Belgium. The predominant language is Dutch (West Flemish).
Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg, it is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North. Bruges has significant economic importance, thanks to its port, and was once one of the world's chief commercial cities. Bruges is a major tourism destination within Belgium and is well-known as the seat of the College of Europe, a university institute for European studies.
The name probably derives from the Old Dutch for 'bridge': brugga.
We reach the city centre and we are trying to make our way to the Market Square(Grote Markt).
On the south side of the square is one of the city's most famous landmarks, the 13th-century Belfry.
The square has attracted many people since the 10th century and the first international annual fair was held around 1200.The first hall was built around 1220 as a place to sell merchants' goods. They were small wooden buildings on the south side of the square. Around 1240, a larger building with a wooden tower was built. In 1280, it was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in stone from 1291 to 1296. It was also decided to build a "Waterhall" over the Reie river nearby, on the east side of the square. The Waterhall was a covered unloading and storage place for boats from Damme. Before the Waterhall was built, the goods were loaded and unloaded in the open air at the Reiekaai on the square.
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| Historium Bruges |
Historium Bruges is an experience attraction that transports you back to Bruges in the 15th century, a period when the city was flourishing as a centre of trade, art and culture. In Historium Story, you follow Jacob and Anna: Jacob is an apprentice serving the painter Jan van Eyck. One day in 1435 he is tasked with collecting Anna from the port district. She will sit as a model for Mary in Van Eyck's painting ‘Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele’. Film, sets, special effects and an audio guide bring their story to life in seven themed rooms.
Among the eye-catchers in Historium Story are the Water Halls, a construction that stood on the east side of the Market Square until the late 18th century. The Market Square, close to the port, has served as the city’s commercial and economic hub since the 12th century. In the imposing City Halls, at the foot of the Belfry (13th-15th century), goods were stored and traded. When the City Halls became too small, the New Halls were erected at the end of the 13th century. The gigantic building was conceived as a roof spanning the Kraanrei canal and for this reason soon became known as the Water Halls. The hall served as a maritime station where ships loaded and unloaded their goods, the attic served as storage space and all kinds of sales stalls could be found alongside the square.
After the decline of trade in Bruges and the silting up of the port, the Water Halls gradually fell into disuse and were eventually demolished. Where the Water Halls once stood, you will now find Historium Bruges, Provincial Palace and the former post office building (now the home of Bruges Beer Experience, among others). The Kraanrei river still flows under the Market Square! In Historium Bruges the lost Water Halls are brought back to life in different ways, including an innovative augmented reality model of the building.
There has been fish trading on the square since 1396. The fishmongers' craft house was on the north side of the square, close to St. Christopher's Church. In 1709, a kind of iron fish market was built, which moved in 1745 together with the fish market to the Braamberg, where the fish market still is today. The corn market was moved from the Braamberg to the square in the same period. Major events, jousts and tournaments were also held then in the square, as well as executions, which attracted large audiences.
In the period between 1807 and 1810 the square was called the "Place Napoléon", then the "Grote Markt". The renaming to "Markt" took place in 1936. The Markt was completely renovated in 1995–96. Parking spaces on the square were removed and the area became mostly traffic-free, thus being more celebration friendly. The renovated square was reopened in 1996 with a concert by Helmut Lotti.
The Markt contains several historical structures, including the 12th-century Belfry on the south side of the square and the Provincial Court at no. 3. The latter was originally constructed as the Waterhall. In 1787, it was demolished and replaced by a classicist building, which served as the provincial court from 1850. After a fire in 1878, it was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style nine years later.
No. 16 was historically the site of a mansion, where Archduke Maximilian, heir to the Habsburg Empire was imprisoned in 1488. It has since become a café.
In the centre of the square is a statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, fighters at the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. It was originally unveiled in July 1887 in a local ceremony, followed by a formal opening that August by King Leopold II.
We walk into the Christmas Market here for a look about!
The Bruges Christmas Market, known as Wintergloed, centres around the historic Market Square (Grote Markt) and Simon Stevinplein, offering festive stalls with crafts, souvenirs, waffles, chocolates, and glühwein (hot wine) amidst beautiful medieval architecture and lights. Expect fairy lights, an ice rink, and a magical atmosphere, with main market dates usually running from late November into early January (e.g., Nov 22, 2025 - Jan 5, 2026), featuring extended hours on weekends.
Bruges had a strategic location at the crossroads of the northern Hanseatic League trade, who had a kontor in the city, and the southern trade routes. Bruges was already included in the circuit of the Flemish and French cloth fairs at the beginning of the 13th century, but when the old system of fairs broke down, the entrepreneurs of Bruges innovated. They developed, or borrowed from Italy, new forms of merchant capitalism, whereby several merchants would share the risks and profits and pool their knowledge of markets. They employed new forms of economic exchange, including bills of exchange (i.e. promissory notes) and letters of credit. The city eagerly welcomed foreign traders, most notably the Portuguese traders selling pepper and other spices.
We walk down Steenstraat to visit the Club Brugge shop to get George a pennant from there.
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging known simply as Club Brugge (in English also: Club Bruges), is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges, Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,042. They play in the Belgian Pro League, the top domestic league in Belgian football.
One of the most decorated clubs in Belgian football, Club Brugge has been crowned Belgian league champions 19 times, second only to major rivals Anderlecht, and shares the Jan Breydel Stadium with city rival Cercle Brugge, with whom they contest the Bruges derby.
Back in the Christmas market we have a Hot Chocolate in a keepsake Bruges Christmas market mug.
We walk on to explore more of Bruges.
We pass The Old Chocolate House on Mariastraat, it all looks so yummy!
This family company, today run by Françoise Thomaes and her children,, impresses through an extensive assortment of chocolate, a fine range of artisanal cookies and gingerbread and a collection of pralines that associates the two. Those with a sweet tooth will immediately also take home a stock of home-made marzipan or truffles and no one can spurn the world-renowned chocolate milk here. To be tasted in the tearoom and also available in hip take-away version. A sure fire hit with tourists and Bruges residents alike.
Further up the street we visit the Brewery shop and then into Sculptures-Paradise.
We walk on further and pass the Church of Our Lady.
The Church of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) is a Roman Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium, dating mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its 115.6-metre-high (379 ft) tower remains the tallest structure in the city and the third tallest brickwork church tower in the world (after St. Mary's Church in Lübeck and St. Martin's Church in Landshut, both in Germany).
Opposite is a shop/café called Gruuthuse Hof that sells nougat and marzipan.
One of the oldest restaurants in Bruges starting in 1751.
We walk onto Katelijnestraat and cross the bridge over the canal.
Its a very picturesque spot and we stop for a few photos.
We walk on down looking in a few shops.
Belgium is well known for its best fries, beers, waffles & chocolate in the world.
We didn't have to wait long and we have some Belgian fries with Flemish Stew, paired with a beer.
Oh and some meatballs that weren't to our liking much!
Having eaten we walk on visiting the year round Christmas shop.
We take a side street and walk down to Begijnhof, a place inhabited by Benedictine Nuns.
The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde is the only preserved beguinage in Bruges, Belgium. There are no more beguines living there, but since 1927, it has functioned as a convent for Benedictines, founded by canon Hoornaert. In the same year, the houses at the west side were also reshaped and enlarged into the Monasterium De Wijngaard, a priory of Benedictine nuns.
Already before 1240, a community of pious women settled at the domain 'de Wingarde' (old Dutch for vineyard), in the south of the city. This name probably refers to low-lying meadows. The beguinage was founded around 1244 by Margaret of Constantinople, after she requested permission to Walter van Marvis, bishop of Tournai, to move over the tomb chapel on the Burg of Bruges to the Wijngaard. In 1245, it was recognised as an independent parish. In 1299, it came under direct authority of King Philip the Fair and it was entitled as "Princely Beguinage".
The complex includes a Gothic beguinage church and about thirty white painted houses dating from the late 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Practically all of these are built around a central yard. The main entrance with gate can be reached via the three-arched stone bridge, the Wijngaard Bridge. In a bay, the image of the holy Elizabeth of Hungary, who was the patron of many beguinages, can be seen. De Wijngaard is also devoted to Saint Alexius. The entrance gate was built in 1776 by master mason Hendrik Bultynck. The first beguine house next to the entrance is furnished as a museum and the exhibition includes paintings, 17th- and 18th-century furniture and lacework, among others. A second gate gives access to the Sas House, via the Sas Bridge.
It was founded in the 13th century as a community for beguines, a group of normal women who lived like nuns but didn’t take the formal vows. Instead, they pledged to remain celibate and devote their lives to prayer, good works, and service to the community.
Begijnhofkerk – This is a 17th-century church is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture. Inside, you’ll find an altar dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary and a painting of the Last Judgment by Jan Garemijn. It’s simple and unassuming both inside and outside, but worth a visit to appreciate a building that is so important to the people living in this small community.
A view below across the Lake of Love. A romantic hotspot par excellence! Once people believed that water nymphs lived here, and thus the lake acquired its name. Add to that a tragic love story, mysterious trees and an abundance of greenery and you get a place overflowing with romance.
The Begijnhof Museum is housed in a 17th-century house and offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the beguines. You can see their living quarters, kitchens, and workshops, as well as religious artifacts and artwork.
We cross the SAS Bridge here next to the Sashaus. To control the water level in the city, locks were built in the 12th-13th centuries, which gave way to the current Lock keeper's house in the 16th century. Did you know that this building regulated the water management for the Bruges canals until the 1970s? These are closed today, but you can still see the reservoir holes where the water flowed through.
Since 2022, these historic premises have been the home base for ‘Handmade in Brugge’, an organisation that supports artisanal and creative Bruges producers. In addition to a craft store, you can still find the drive mechanism that operated the sluice gates.
We walk back through the city and cross the Boniface Bridge besides The Church of Our Lady.
The very photogenic Boniface Bridge may be one of the youngest bridges in Bruges, but it sums up the city perfectly. A mysterious atmosphere, abundantly romantic and fabulous views that fight for your attention. Should you gaze at the little canals and overhanging half-timbered houses, or should you tilt back your head to admire the stately Church of Our Lady, or the adjacent Gruuthuse Palace? A magical place at every hour of the day, and one that must be seen to be believed. Close at hand stands the Gruuthuse Bridge with the white-painted Arents’ House - the only bridge in Bruges with a building standing on it.
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| Gruuthuse Palace |
It stands just 2 metres tall but yes boats can pass beneath taking the middle of the bridge.
We walk on along Dijver and alongside the pretty canal , now glowing beautifully in the night lights.
We reach the very pretty and if you've seen any pictures online if would be here at Rosary Quay.
The city’s most popular spot for photography, a centuries-old Instagrammable hotspot. Once upon a time, rosaries were sold here; today it provides one of the city’s loveliest views. The perfect place for a selfie with your loved one.'
We stop across the road for our first Belgian waffles in Waffle Bar Brugge.
I had the Nutella and Banana and Mel the Belgian Chocolate and caramel. Very nice too!
We walk on crossing the canal into Blind Donkey Street via the Blinde Ezelbrug).
Lovely lit views to the Landhuis van het Brugse Vrije (Manor of the Liberty of Bruges).
From this mansion, the Liberty of Bruges (the countryside in a wide area around the city) was once governed. The building functioned as a court of justice between 1795 and 1984. Today, the City Archive (amongst other things) is housed here, which preserves the city’s written memory. The premises also boast an old assize court and a renaissance hall with a monumental timber, marble and alabaster fireplace from 1528. A tribute to Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), it was made by Lanceloot Blondeel.
We walk on along the Blind Donkey Street and its amazing architecture.
In this street, which runs from the Burg to the Vismarkt , between the town hall and the Civil Registry , the inn Den Blinden Ezele was mentioned in a document from 1490 , which was adjacent to the registry office.
According to Karel De Flou , "Blind donkey" referred to the brewers' custom of blindfolding the donkeys that had to walk on the malthouse's treadmill, thus preventing them from becoming dizzy. It wasn't the only inn to bear that name.
There was a street, inn, farmstead or plot of land that bore the name Blinde ezel in Ruiselede , Sint-Joris-ten-Distel , Oedelem , Diksmuide , Rumbeke , Staden .
We enter Burg Square with its huge Christmas tree.
The Market Square is the heart of Bruges, but the Burg Square is its soul. For centuries this has been the centre of power in the city, and Bruges’ city administration still occupies the 14th century Gothic Town Hall. This grand, majestic square is lined with monumental landmark buildings. These were built over the centuries, and reflect the building style of their age. A handy architectural guide assembled in a single square! From the Basilica of the Holy Blood through the Liberty of Bruges to the Deanery.
The monumental (Stadhuis) City Hall (1376-1421) is one of the oldest in the Low Countries. It is from here that the city has been governed for more than 600 years. An absolute masterpiece is the gothic hall, with its impressive vault and 20th century murals depicting the history of Bruges. In the adjacent historic hall, you can discover the important role played by the sea in Bruges' prosperity in the presentation on 'Bruges and the sea', by means of an interactive exhibition on the lost Zwin ports and some original art and archaeological objects. On the ground floor, you are brought face to face with life-size portraits of the city’s rulers and can also learn more about the evolution of the Burg Square.
Here also in Burg Square is the Basilica of The Holy Rood.
The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Dutch: Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges, Belgium. The church houses a relic of the Holy Blood collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders. Built between 1134 and 1157 as the chapel of the Count of Flanders, it was promoted to a minor basilica in 1923.
The basilica in Burg square consists of a lower and upper chapel. The lower chapel, dedicated to St. Basil the Great, is a dark Romanesque structure that remains virtually unchanged. The venerated Passion relic is in the upper chapel, which was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 16th century and renovated in the 19th century in Gothic Revival style.
The basilica is best known as the repository of a venerated phial said to contain a cloth with blood of Jesus Christ, brought to the city by Thierry of Alsace after the 12th century Second Crusade. Although the Bible never mentions Christ's blood being preserved, Acts of Pilate—one of the apocryphal gospels—relates that Joseph of Arimathea preserved the Precious Blood after he had washed the dead body of Christ; legends of Joseph were popular in the early thirteenth century, connected also with the emerging mythology of the Holy Grail. Popular legend claims that the phial was taken to Bruges during the Second Crusade of CE 1147–1149, by Thierry of Alsace, who returned from Jerusalem with the relic of the Holy Blood presented to him by his brother-in-law Baldwin III of Jerusalem, as the reward of his great services.
Recent research found no evidence of the presence of the relic in Bruges before the 1250s. In all likelihood, the relic originated from the 1204 sack of Constantinople by the army of the Count of Flanders Baldwin IX, during the Fourth Crusade. Ever since, the phial has played a big part in the religious life of the city. Pope Clement V issued a papal bull in 1310 granting indulgences to pilgrims who visited the chapel to view the relic; the blood was supposed to liquefy weekly at noon on Fridays; the miracle apparently ceased the same year, though a recurrence was alleged in 1388. There is no definitive evidence for or against the authenticity of the relic.
We catch the bus back to the B&B after a great first day in Belgium and Bruges!
