Decor / 21.02.2024

The main architectural attractions of Bruges - what you need to see. Bruges: day trip to the surrounding area? Walking route in Bruges

Bruges is ideally located for exploring both inside and outside the city. Continue your adventures in Belgium by visiting other scenic destinations.

Description: With family, Groups, For older people, For singles

Seasons: Spring Summer Autumn Winter

Humble Brussels is the capital of Belgium, Flanders and Europe. The medieval Grand Place is truly grandiose; there are buildings from the 17th century on it. and a flower market open daily. The Atomium (Brussels Eiffel Tower) offers magnificent views of the city and surrounding area. Architecture lovers should visit the Horta Museum, home of Belgian architect Victor Horta. The clubs and bars of Saint-Gery are full of visitors all year round. Seafood fans gather in the area of St. Catherine Street. Don't get stuck in traffic jams, it's better to walk along the narrow streets. Collapse

Belgium"s fourth-largest - and most beautiful - city is home to a quarter of a million people and a flourishing flower export trade. An important port, Ghent"s city center is a pedestrian area that is like a museum to early Flemish architecture and a testament to the city's medieval might. Impressive Gothic sites, such as dramatic St. Bavo's Cathedral and the Castle of the Counts... More

The picturesque town of Mechelen, a hidden Flemish gem, sits between Brussels and Antwerp. Students of the world-renowned Carillon bell-ringing school provide an atmospheric soundtrack for sipping coffee at a sidewalk café in one of the town's charming squares. Many pedestrian areas make this a delightful town to promenade about, admiring hundreds of listed buildings and monuments, many... More

Leuven is an old student town where both a tourist who comes here for a couple of hours from Bruges or Brussels, and a traveler who decides to spend the night here can experience an adventure. Tourists will be able to go on all kinds of gastronomic excursions and look at such masterpieces of Gothic architecture as the Leuven Town Hall. Nature lovers will not be disappointed either. Leuven is home to the oldest botanical garden in Belgium with greenhouses for medicinal herbs and an urban forest where locals relax. It's hard to get lost in Leuven: explore the local attractions on foot or by bicycle, which are on every corner. Collapse

An ancient city in the Flemish province of West Flanders, Ieper (as it’s known in the Flemish tongue) has enjoyed financial and cultural status since the 12th century. Today, visitors can check out remnants of its impressive past, including ramparts that date back to 1385 and an historic moat, which now is a haven for wildlife. Ieper found itself in the middle of World War I and... More

Note. Information is accurate at the time of publication but is subject to change without notice. Please check with the relevant companies for the correct rates and information before planning your trip.

The 3.7 km Quiet Bruges route takes you through quiet areas of the city, where you will discover beautiful churches, almshouses, windmills and many other picturesque places.

Start: Burg Square.

Exit Burg along Burgstraat towards Philipstockstraat. Soon you will see:

1) Chapel of St. Petra(Keersstraat 1). This is the former candle makers' chapel. Currently it is used for the needs of the Protestant and Anglican churches.

At the corner of St.-Jansplein and St.-Jansstraat, a sweet treat awaits you:

2) Chocolate Museum "Choco-story". Inside you can get acquainted with the interesting history of the development of chocolate production and the cultivation of cocoa beans, from the times of the Mayans and Spanish conquistadors to the present day. Free chocolate demonstration and tasting!

3) Church St. Walburgha- a magnificent baroque church built in 1619 - 1642 under the direction of the architect Pieter Huyssens, a Jesuit from Brugg. It is worth paying attention to the marble benches, high altar and pulpit. During the summer, the church is open to the public every evening (lights and music).

Exit at St.-Annaplein:

4)Church of St. Anna. The current church, consecrated in 1624, was built on the site of an earlier Gothic church demolished in 1581. Luxurious interior with marble screen, choir and concession seating, chandeliers and font.

5)Jerusalem Chapel- was built in the 15th century according to the plan of the “Holy Sepulcher” in Jerusalem. Worth seeing: precious stained glass windows and mausoleums of the founders of the church (Anselmus Adornes and his wife).

Near the church there is:

6) Lace Center (Kantcentrum). The museum is located in a carefully restored almshouse, built by the Adornes family. Lace making demonstrations every afternoon (except Sundays). In the museum store you can buy all the lace-making supplies.

7) Folklore Museum(Rolweg 40) - thematic reconstruction of ancient interiors, shoemaker, cooper and hatter workshops, pharmacy, kitchen, classroom, condire shop, as well as the museum hotel ‘De Zwarte Kat’ (Black Cat). The museum's collection includes lace, clothing, traditional objects, tools, etc.

Go through Korte Speelmansstraat to Carmersstraat:
8) English monastery, located at Carmersstraat 85, with a traditional dome, was built in the period 1736 - 39.

9) St. Sebastian Archer's Guild Building- located at Carmersstraat 174. Members of this ancient and honorable guild of the city owned treasures in the form of valuable treasures, important archives and reminders of the membership of the Belgian and British monarchs.

10) Mill De Nieuwe Papegaai- it was originally located in Beveren-Ijzer and was an oil mill. It was reconstructed at this location in 1970. No longer used.

11) Mill Sint-Janshuysmolen- the so-called windmill on stilts. It was built in 1770 and was the only mill in the area until 1914. It has been used again since 1964. During the summer season, the wind rotates the mill blades at full speed. The miller will be happy to show you the mill.

12) Guido Gezelle Museum, Rolweg 64 - the house where the famous Flemish poet Guido Gezelle (1830 - 1899) was born. Today there is a literary museum here.

Via H. Verrieststraat go to Stijn Streuvelsstraat:

13) Z giving to the Archers' Guild of St. George(Stijn Streuvelsstraat 59). Valuable archives are stored here, as well as a unique collection of crossbows.

14) Mill Bonne Chiere- wooden mill built in 1888. It was originally located in Olsene (east Flanders), but was rebuilt in Bruges in 1911. No longer used for its intended purpose.

15) Kruisvest-Kruispoort- an ancient fortified gate to the city, built back in 1402. Unlike the other gates, this one is built of white sand-lime brick. The gate was part of the defensive belt of the 13th - 14th centuries.

In this story about Bruges we will take a walk through the two main squares of the city with short, sonorous names: Burg and Markt.

Bruges sightseeing map. This time I didn’t draw a route for a walk around Bruges, because... There is a ridiculous distance between Markt and Burg.

Having descended back from the observation deck to the ground, we found ourselves in the Belfort courtyard. It is somehow very interesting and almost older than the tower itself. But there was no time to study it, because...

Because for the second time in this story I crossed the St. Bridge. John of Nepomuk and rushed to the Groning Museum. There was nothing left until the cash register closed. But not this time, formally I made it before five, and there were still ten minutes left, but the cash register was already tightly closed. How glad my friend was that I did not torment him with contemplation of Bosch! But it’s okay, I later got my revenge in Brussels.

Even to me, an extremely conservative person, Bruges seemed too correct, sterile, old-fashioned and boring. But in some places it seemed that not everything was so hopeless.

Who's there at the windows?

Laugh, laugh, but at that moment I walked through bridge of St. John of Nepomuk for the third time already. You're counting, right?

I don’t quite understand how this Czech saint ended up in Bruges, but it seems that he is considered the patron saint of bridges, so his installation at this place is quite understandable. By the way, it is always very easy to recognize this saint, only he is given five stars in the place of the halo.

5 stars - golden or shining, five-pointed, are usually located in the place of the halo. Only the Virgin Mary (12) and St. have stars. John of Nepomuk. They appeared at the place where the body of John of Nepomuk drowned. They also mean the word tacui - I was silent(the saint did not reveal the secret of confession), also resemble the 5 wounds of Christ.

Since we didn’t have time to get to the museum, we had to finish exploring the city. We have the last attraction of Bruges left - Burg Square(Burg). The Burg is the most important square of the city (not the Market Square), it was from here that the city originated, the first castle of the local count stood here.

The most noticeable and beautiful building of Burg Square is the Gothic Bruges Town Hall. Unlike similar buildings on Markt Square, everything here is for real, the Middle Ages and all. Well, perhaps the restorers worked hard, because... The town hall was damaged during the French Revolution.

The small and graceful building to the left of the Town Hall with gilding on the facade is an old Court office. If the Town Hall is Gothic, then the Chancellery of the early 16th century is already a transition to the Renaissance.

The facade of the Town Hall is richly decorated; the statues in the niches alone are worth it. Probably every statue represents some real character from the history of Bruges?

Against the backdrop of the Town Hall in the corner of Burg Square, the most important building in the history of Bruges - the Basilica of the Holy Blood - gets a little lost. According to legend, Count Diederik of Alsace, returning from the Crusades to Flanders, received on Christmas Day a few drops of the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ, which he donated to the city upon his return. In honor of this relic, a procession of the Holy Blood of Christ is held every year in Bruges.

The second floor, where the relic of the Holy Blood is kept, was already closed, but people were still allowed on the first floor. By the way, the scenes with the relic in the film “Lie Down in Bruges” were filmed not in the basilica itself, but in the Jerusalem Church.

The first floor of the basilica is Romanesque, austere and modest; in place of the altar there is a statue of a pelican. An ancient legend says that this bird deliberately wounded itself in order to feed its chicks with its blood. This legend symbolized Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for the salvation of mankind.

Much revered in Bruges is the statue of Jesus on the Cold Stone or Ecce Homo "behold, Man".

Here, a local purely Flemish sweet accidentally appeared in the photo Cuberdon, it is also called simply because of its characteristic shape nose. The sweets are poorly stored due to the liquid filling, so it is believed that they should only be eaten in Belgium.

What Cuberdons taste like - if you've eaten Korovka candies, you know that they are hard on the outside and soft (or liquid) on the inside. Here it’s the same thing, only the taste is not milky, but rich, bright raspberry. And the soft filling is more likely not liquid, but jelly-like.

But I’m indifferent to sweets, so I bought myself a waffle. Exactly, a waffle, and not a waffle, such are the costs of Bruges’ tourist popularity. The closer to the city center (and Burg is its very center) - the fewer waffles.

On the opposite side of the Town Hall on Burg Square there is a small park. Two hundred years ago, the beautiful Bruges Cathedral stood here, but it was destroyed during the French Revolution.

This concludes our walk around Bruges. But we decided to wander around the Market Square before dark and drink beer on the way there, and then have dinner at, where in terms of food it seemed cheaper and more interesting to me. Let me not write anything about Belfort? Everything is clear with him.

Opposite Belfort in 2015, such an interesting thing was installed. Firstly, it is mirrored, the area is displayed on its edges, secondly, it repeats the outlines of the tower itself, and thirdly, inside it... there is a privacy room, where, judging by the sign, anyone can hide from the crowds of tourists. I tried the door, but it was locked, obviously someone had already hidden there and did not want to come out back into the light.

But you can fuck up the onion and take a photo!

I already wrote about this side of the Market Square in one of my stories.

We need to draw some conclusions based on our impressions. Moreover, this is such a strange case that I started for peace, and ended for health. No, in fact, while I was selecting photographs for my stories, I read again about the history of the city, its attractions, and somehow became more imbued with the magic of Bruges than when I was walking around it.

I think the main problem with my perception of Bruges is that it is not represented in any way in popular culture. The only exception is the film “Lie Down in Bruges,” which, out of despair, travel bloggers quote in every report on Bruges. I confess, I couldn’t resist either. But there's simply nothing more. I also skimmed through the once terribly popular novel" Dead Bruges", but for a modern person this decadent black stuff is of little interest, although in some places it is beautifully written. That’s all, actually. Compare with the number of books, films, yes, just good guides to other popular tourist places. I’m not talking about or, but take at least the same one, which, to me, seems objectively less beautiful than Bruges, but due to its promotion in mass culture, is perceived completely differently.

What else didn't you like? Traditionally, the Flanders route includes Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. And compared to the rest of the cities of this four, Bruges, excuse me, is the worst. Outside of a couple of tourist squares there are practically no people, this creates a slightly deathly impression. Where all the locals hang out is also not obvious. I suspect that after 10 o’clock there won’t even be anywhere to drink beer here; this is not cheerful and party-oriented Brussels or with its trendy cafes.

But it’s beautiful, I admit. I tried to demonstrate this throughout all four of my stories about a walk in Bruges. I hope it worked.

Bruges is a small Belgian town in the north-west of the country. Many call it one of the most picturesque places in Europe, and for good reason.

The city still retains a medieval imprint, it seems as if it is timeless. Ancient chapels, gingerbread houses and numerous temples and cathedrals have been preserved here. When you walk along the cozy streets, you can’t help but feel like someone forgot to remove the scenery from a historical film. For a moment you forget about the existence of social networks, about the Internet and about the fact that the world is drowning in an information flow, as if it’s not the 21st century on the street at all.

Hotels and guesthouses in Bruges

You will find yourself not only in a beautiful, but also in an interesting city; it is difficult to see all the iconic places in one day. Ideally, you should come here for two or even three days. A popular route in Belgium is: Brussels - Bruges - Ostend. If you are limited in time, then it is optimal to connect Ghent and Bruges. That is, go to Ghent in the morning, from there in the evening to Bruges, spend the night here and the next day go to the coast in Ostend.

Hotels in Bruges, as well as throughout Belgium, are quite expensive, the average room price is from 70 €. Therefore, if you spend money on housing, do it wisely. Here is a small selection of the best accommodation options:

Hostel Lybeer Bruges - rating 10 out of 10;
Hotel ‘T Bagientje – rating 7.7 out of 10;
B&B My Suite Home - rating 9.6 out of 10;
B&B De Bornedrager - rating 9.7 out of 10;

We stayed at this hotel, it is located a 10-minute walk from the central square, where the main attractions of Bruges are located. Spacious rooms, delicious breakfast, convenient location - that's all about it.

How to get to Bruges

The most convenient way to get to Bruges is by train from Ghent, Brussels and Ostend. In the previous article, I described in detail the features: how to buy a ticket and how to save on travel - I recommend starting with it!

The fare Ghent - Bruges is 6.7 € one way. The journey takes about 20 minutes.
Cost Brussels - Bruges 14.7 € one way. The journey takes a little over 1 hour.
The cost of Ostend - Bruges is 4.2 € one way. The journey takes about 15 minutes.

It is also convenient to get around Belgium by car. Our favorite site, we always rent a car here.

When is the best time to go?

From May to September there are a lot of tourists in Bruges, much less in winter (except for New Year's holidays and Christmas), so I prefer winter. If you are not tempted by walks around the chilly city, then at least try not to come here during the most tourist months. The best time to visit Bruges is April and October.

Excursions in Russian

If you want to move away from standard tourist routes and look behind the curtain of the city’s scenery, then the best option is to take a tour from the locals.

Many of our compatriots live in the town, some of them conduct their own excursions in Bruges in Russian.

We chose “Fascinating Bridges” with Olga, who simply adores the city. She spoke about it so vividly and emotionally that you involuntarily begin to fall in love with this place.

Quite high, excursions are no exception. If your budget is limited, but you really want to learn as much as possible about the city, then your option is Free Walking Tour. This tour of Bruges is free, but it is conducted in English and Spanish.

Bruges has collected everything that the country is so proud of: a museum of beer, French fries and chocolate. What's still missing is a comic book museum and Belgian waffles to put together a complete set. Besides, this is where the blood of Jesus Christ is kept, or so they say.

Now, first things first...

Basilica of the Holy Blood of Christ

One of the main attractions of Bruges is the Basilica of the Holy Blood. This is a 12th century chapel that houses a vessel revered in Christian circles. According to the church, it contains the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter how many scientists tried to obtain the right to open the bottle in order to establish its authenticity, none of the attempts was crowned with success. The Church prevents this in every possible way, all that remains is to take its word for it.

We have already been to the holy city of Georgia - where the tunic of Christ is kept, for the sake of interest, we looked here.

Regardless of whether you believe in the authenticity of the vessel or not, I still recommend visiting the Basilica. Although she is small, she is very beautiful inside. Entrance is free, but if you want to visit the museum at the Basilica, you will need to pay 2,5 €.

Address: Hoogstraat 6

Exhibition of Salvador Dali

Modesty is not really my specialty, Salvador Dali once said. The gallery in Bruges is dedicated to the work of an eccentric genius - the showroom is the ideal space to view the surrealist Spanish painter's rich collection.

I’m not a big connoisseur of art, his works reminded me of children’s scribbles, but my mother-in-law, who knows a little, really liked the gallery. The exhibition is permanent, but the collections change from time to time.

The Salvador Dali Museum is located in the very center, in the building of the bell tower of Beffroy. You can view the exhibition of a genius for 10 €.

Address: Markt 23

Chocolate Museum

Who doesn't love chocolate? Raise a hand! Probably everyone loves this sweetness, both adults and children. Therefore, having learned that among the museums of Bruges there is a “chocolate” one, we without hesitation went to see what was inside. In contrast, I liked this exhibition much more.

The Chocolate Museum in Bruges has three floors with exhibition halls. Here they talk about everything: from cocoa beans and their varieties, to the history of chocolate production around the world. It’s true that without a guidebook or audio guide it’s quite boring here; you don’t always understand the essence of the exhibit. However, there are a couple of undeniable advantages:

Visitors are shown a film about the collection and preparation of cocoa beans for consumption. It was a great discovery for me to learn how beans actually grow, how they go through the fermentation stage and how everyone’s favorite chocolate is made from them;
On the ground floor there is a master class on making filled chocolates. MK every 30 minutes, be sure to go to it. A visit to the MK is included in the entrance ticket price;
At the entrance, guests are given a small chocolate bar, such a small thing, but nice.

I wanted to complain to you about the high cost, but I won’t. Such prices apply to almost all museums in Bruges, but unlike others, this one is worth the money. Visit: 8 €

Address: Wijnzakstraat 2 (Sint-Jansplein)

The most beautiful thing about this museum is its name. But you must admit, you won’t surprise anyone with museum complexes of beer or chocolate, right? But the museum of French fries is something new.

Perhaps living in Belgium for almost a year is taking its toll on me, or maybe I'm just becoming boring with age. But I didn’t like it here, from the word “in general.” Perhaps if the cost was a little lower, and not 7 €, then ok, but so...

What awaits you inside:

At the entrance, visitors find themselves in an exhibition hall with plastic Indians and several types of potatoes.
Further along the hall are a couple of the same Indians, but with tools in the field.
So as not to bore the tourist at all, a little interesting stuff begins: machines for cutting fries, a couple of information boards with French, English and Dutch text, dishes, a prototype of a kiosk where they sell fries, and various strange things with images of potatoes.

The only thing I liked was the video on the screen of how the fries are prepared.

My advice to you: if you are limited in money, but really want to learn about it, then it’s better to go to a real kiosk. There you can see with your own eyes how it is actually prepared and ask questions to the seller, they don’t bite in Bruges.

Oh yes, I almost forgot... On the -1st floor there is a cafe where you can order the above-mentioned dish. Museum visitors are entitled to a discount of 0.4 €. In total, the potatoes cost us 1.6 €. We paid for the entrance 7 €.

Address: Vlamingstraat 33

Beer Museum

But with the beer museum it’s exactly the opposite. And this is not at all because I like to drink, I’m also “not a fool” to eat. Here, visitors are given an iPad with an audio guide; the tour can even be listened to in Russian, and this is very rare for Belgium.

This museum tells about the history of the appearance of beer in Europe, why Belgian beer became so popular, about Belgian varieties, about abbey beer and some interesting facts. In my opinion, the excursion is very interesting, but the exposition is so-so, very small and boring. Entrance ticket price is 10 €, with tasting - 15 €.

Address: Markt 7

beffroy

The beffroy building is visible from almost anywhere in the central part of Bruges. Exactly the same as with the observation deck of the beffroy, the whole city is at your fingertips. During its long existence, there was so much here: a market, a city archive, a city hall, and even a bell tower. On the second floor there is a carillon of 47 bells, and after climbing 366 steps along a narrow spiral staircase, visitors are treated to a beautiful panorama from the observation deck.

If anyone watched “Lie Down in Bruges,” then it was in this building that the key outcome of the plot took place. In one of the episodes of the film, the entrance ticket back in 2008 cost 5 €, but today it costs as much as 10 €. Is the examination room worth the money? Probably worth it. This is the case when both yes and no at the same time.

Those who have nothing special to compare with will like the view from the observation deck. On the other hand, climbing up a narrow staircase when other tourists are coming down towards you is quite difficult. With bated breath you overcome the last steps and realize that there are dozens of people just like you who want to enjoy the views of Bruges. It’s neither for you to take beautiful pictures nor for you to be in silence.

In general, my advice to you: if you still decide to go to the examination, go early in the morning. They open at 9:30 am, which is the time when there are the least number of tourists there.

You can climb the beffroi for 10 €.

Address: Markt 7

Helpful information

All the main attractions of Bruges are located in the center. The best way to explore the city is on foot. But if you want to see non-tourist places, visit a residential area and look at the life of the locals, renting a bicycle would be a good idea. Popular Bruges Bike Rental.
If you are tired of walking and just want to create, from March 1 to October 31 you can take a half-hour boat tour along the canals. Cost 8 € per person. Address: Nieuwstraat 11.

Still have questions? Ask in the comments!

Video of a flight over the monuments of Bruges in HD format.
Use Full Screen mode.

Bruges, and Belgium as a whole, are unthinkable without its iconic architectural structures. Belfort, St. Salvator's Cathedral, St. Anne's Church, Sacred Heart Church, Gate of the Holy Cross, Stadtschauburg City Theater, and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior today define the historical and architectural face of Bruges. Let's take a closer look at them from a non-trivial angle - just fly over them! The adjacent video series offers a flyover of all the mentioned architectural monuments of Bruges in HD format. Below, we will supplement this perspective with the most interesting historical facts for each structure. An overview map of all the iconic monuments of Bruges is attached at the bottom of the page.

Belfort, Bruges

» Belfort is a watchtower built in 1240. The tower served as the main observation point, from the height of which the enemy could be seen from afar.
» The height of the tower is 83 meters.
» The tower is one of the symbols of modern Bruges.
» On the lower floor of the building there is the Museum of Archeology, containing historical relics and art objects. The tower also houses an art gallery and observation deck.
» Belfort is also a bell tower with 47 bells, the largest of which is named after Mary and was cast in the 17th century.

Cathedral of St. Salvator, Bruges

» The Cathedral of St. Salvator or the Cathedral of the Holy Savior is located on the site of the first church, founded in the 9th century. And over the course of many centuries, the buildings were completed and rebuilt several times.
» The status of the Cathedral was assigned to the church in 1834, when Belgium gained independence.
» The rich interior decoration of the cathedral is somewhat dissonant with its modest appearance. Within its walls are preserved many ancient relics and objects of art.
» Some of them were transferred from the Church of St. Donatius. These are antique tapestries, woven in 1730 at a weaving factory in Brussels, commissioned by Bishop Van Susteren.
» Of great interest are the benches on which the coats of arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece are carved. This order was established in 1430. It included many European rulers.
» Among the ancient relics are paintings by medieval artists, a silver shrine with the relics of St. Donatian (1700), a memorial plate of Princess Gunilda (1087), an organ created by master Jacob van Jande in 1717. Entrance to the cathedral is free, but admission to the treasury is paid.

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The main architectural attractions of Bruges - what you need to see. Bruges: day trip to the surrounding area? Walking route in Bruges