Belgium: Bruges

[bjorn]

During the 14th and 15th centuries, Bruges was one of the most important seaport towns in Europe. Bruges' burghers grew rich from their profits from the sea and built churches, palaces, and public buildings situated around the city's lovely canals. Then fate played what, at the time, was a dirty historical trick. Bruges' river to the sea became filled with silt, leaving the maritime city isolated and inland from its connection to the world.

Today, Belgium's most visited city is a beautifully preserved medieval marvel. It's the perfect town to see on foot, from above, or from the water. The center of Bruges is virtually reserved for pedestrians. You can walk everywhere - from the stately Stadhuis and the 18th century Vismarkt, to the octagonal Belfry that provides a bird's eye view of the old town. From a quiet boat ride along the canals, you pass ancient bridges and picturesque houses. Walk arm in arm with your sweetheart along the wonderful old streets by the canals. Enjoy the local markets and the impressive museums. Feel the medieval atmosphere all around you in historic Bruges.

When to go:
Summer is high season here, so it gets pretty touristy (particularly on the weekends) during July and August (same time as the National Day festivals). Locals will tell you that Bruges is always lovely, even in the winter, when temperatures hover just around the freezing mark, but spring appears to be your best bet, despite the rain.

What to Do:
History/Ruins:
This city is a walking Belgian and European history lesson. Bruges was spared from the destruction other cities suffered over centuries of war, and became one of the Middle Ages' top three in trade and politics. Still Bruges boasts Gothic remains, art, and architecture galore.

Museums:
There are some who say the city itself is a museum, and once you get there, surrounded by gothic and medieval architecture you'll understand why. There are lots of actual museums in Bruges, too, many disguised as mills or churches, or just ancient buildings.

Bruges is where Flemish painting began. Jan Van Eyck discovered painting with oils in the 1420s. Many of his works are on display at local museums. If you're coming for the art, you can't miss the Groeninge Museum (Museum of Fine Art), which displays Belgian and Dutch art over the span of 600 years. If you're craving something different from a museum, go to the Gruuthuse Museum which has artifacts dating back to the 6th century, as well as weapons, tapestries, musical instruments, and coins. The Museum Combo ticket covers your entrance to these two, plus a couple of others.

Shopping:
You can find the more posh shops and boutiques around the Markt and 't Zand, and, of course, there are souvenir shops everywhere. Besides handmade lace (which is available everywhere, but expensive), Bruges is known for its diamond polishing technique. So if you're in the market for one, this may be a good place to make that once in a lifetime purchase. Upmarket shops and boutiques can be found in the streets around the Markt and 't Zand, including Geldmuntstraat, Noordzandstraat, Steenstraat, Zuidzandstraat, and Vlamingstraat. There are souvenir, lace, and small specialty shops all over.

Side Trips:
Check out the shops and lovely beaches at Zeebrugge, Ostend, and Knokke, which are about 10 or 15 miles from Bruges. Or take a day trips to the famous poppy-filled battlefields of Flanders.

Food/Culinary Info:
Want a sampling of the local specialties? Try the cheese fondue at virtually any restaurant or cafe, or pick up some of the Oud-Brugge cheese at the Markt. Want a beer? There are plenty of local breweries to choose from like the Straffe Hendrick, Brugse Tarwebier, and Brugse Tripel.

You can find friendly people and (rumor has it) 200 kind of ales at a little bar called 't Brugs. If you're into chocolate, make sure you don't leave Bruges without a box of their delicious handmade chocolate pralines. Visit Straffe Hendrik Brewery to take a tour of their working family establishment and partake their world-renowned beer on the garden terrace.

You can get good, basic Flemish food for decent prices at most of the cafes and restaurants in Bruges. Just beware of the serious tourist crush in the city center, particularly in the summer time.

Beach:
Try Ostend or Knokke for great beaches.

Adventure:
If you want to stretch your legs, rent a bicycle and tour the surrounding countryside.

Natural Wonders:
There's good reason why this city is called the Venice of the North: canals funnel through most of the city, and one of the best ways to see Bruges is from the canals by taking a ride on one of the boats available for touring.

Cultural Comments:
The people are friendly, the food is good and cheap, the hotels are inexpensive, and the history runs deeper than any other city.

Arts:
In addition to history, the arts are alive and well in Bruges. With exhibitions spanning the ages, you can see Jan van Eyck, Modigliani, and Dali, in the same day. The only work of Michelangelo to leave Italy, his Madonna and Child, is on display at the Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk), which dates back to the 15th century. In addition to the fine arts, you can find performing arts like theater, dance, and film screenings in and around the city; the free monthly brochures Exit and Agenda Brugge will help you find the venue of your choice.

Nightlife/Bars:
Bruges is a good town for taking quiet walks at sunset, or stopping in for a beer at one of the bars or cafes, with your sweetheart. The free monthly brochures Exit and Agenda Brugge will tell you what's going on after the sun goes down. Pick one up at the tourist office or your hotel. Among other things, Bruges is also known for it's homemade beer, which you can find in bars and cafés throughout the city. Several breweries, like Straffe Hendrick, will take you on a tour of their family establishment that goes back generations.

Cafe Quotient:
Cafes line Market Square. Sit, have some coffee, sample the pralines, and soak up the history.

Cost:
Restaurants and accommodations tend to be less expensive the farther you go from the city center. If you can, make reservations ahead, because inexpensive hotels with vacancies can be a challenge to find, especially during high season. If you're careful, you can get away with spending about US$35 per day; if you plan to eat at fancy restaurants, you're looking at closer to US$50-55.

Getting Around:
Bruges is about an hour by train from both Brussels and Antwerp, and even closer to Ghent. There are buses too, which you can take around town, but as anyone who's been to Bruges will tell you, it's a city best seen on foot. Bikes and mopeds are available to rent, and the flat landscape makes it an easy ride around town or into the countryside. You can rent a car as well; the little streets and canals, in addition to the legendary speed and daring of Belgians behind the wheel make driving around this burg inconvenient to verging on treacherous to the uninitiated.

Belgium has two international airports: Zaventem, which is about 8 miles north-east of Brussels. The other one, Deurne, is close to Antwerp and has less frequent flights to Amsterdam, and a couple of major cities in the UK. It may be less expensive to fly into a hub airport and take the train into Bruges.

Safety:
You should use your traveler's common sense here, because there are so many tourists, but you can feel relatively safe.

Language:
Like most of the rest of the region of Flanders, you'll here Flemish (Dutch, with sort of a French accent) spoken here. It's a little different from the Dutch you hear in the Netherlands and there'll be some French (though not a lot), and just a smattering of English, so you may want to bring along a phrasebook.

Party/Social Scene:
There are plenty of friendly bars and cafés filled with locals (and tourists) to chat with, a night club or two, but this is a pretty quiet city as far as nightlife goes. A better time may be had walking with your sweetheart after a glass of wine at a cafe, counting the stars, or seeing them reflected in the waters of the canals.

Other Info:
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