Distinguished by its picturesque canals, old cobblestone streets and medieval buildings that surround the many bars, museums & shops within.. annnd home to really, really great (and strong) beer!
Bruges is what we'd call quite a self-explanatory place to visit really. Everything is within walking distance and it's not difficult to navigate your way around the city. Having said that, with so many little streets to explore it can still be quite easy to miss out on some of the little hidden gems Bruges has to offer. To get you started, here are some highlights from Bruges that we enjoyed on our long weekend trip, along with some snaps of the city...
The Markt (Market Square) of Bruges
The Belfry of Bruges (272ft tall)
Our first stop was 2be bar (Wollestraat 53, just a 3 minute walk from Market Square). Enter and walk past the beer wall...
...and into the bar for a huge selection of Belgium beers on tap... Here are just a few we can recommend you trying: Gouden Carolus Classic, Paix Dieu, Troubadour, Kwak, Affligem... and they also have coconut or cherry flavoured beer if you fancy something a little fruitier.
Find yourself a spot in the garden with a peaceful view of the canal.
Next we went on to find and try De Garre which is the house beer for the famous pub under the same name, De Garre! The pub is well concealed down a long alley that you'd quite easily miss and walk straight past without realising. The entrance to the alley can be found on Breidelstraat street just off Market Square (behind the bell tower). It is to next to a shop called "LA CURE GOURMANDE".
They serve this delightful beer with a portion of cheese as well, which is pretty awesome!
Horse and carriage ride through the streets of Bruges
We were given some fascinating historical facts about Bruges from our rider as we past by certain buildings and areas. It was a decent way to finish off an afternoon of beer tasting. The horses are all in great shape and beautiful condition, they are well looked after and given plenty of breaks with food and water by their riders.
We paid Ribs 'n Beer a visit one of our evenings. It was approx. 18 euros for an unlimited supply of the tastiest ribs we have ever eaten, along with a great choice of different flavoured sauces including smokey BBQ, beer & chocolate and hot & spicy. I'd highly recommend this place if you have a decent appetite and are a fan of ribs!
On one of the days we hired bikes, which we'd definitely recommend doing. It's a really good way of getting around, seeing the city, and finding new places!
There used to be an annual pop-up beer café called Urb Egg that moved to a different location in Bruges each year, and was only open for 4-5 months between May and September. We checked it out whilst we were there and they had a fantastic selection of beers on tap. The location for Urb Egg 2017 was in Stationspark next to a nice quiet canal. It was great! I went for a Quadrupel Straffe Hendrik at 11% which was delicious and now one of my favourites.
Unfortunately as far as we know Urb Egg is no longer in operation. But maybe it will return again one day!
The buildings in Bruges often feature a crow-stepped gable. This would have provided convenient access to the roof ridge in earlier times for people such as chimney sweepers and roofers, since cranes were non-existent.
Bruges definitely provided a cheerful and peaceful environment that was perfect for slowing down and watching the world go by - whilst drinking beer...
Recommendations
Places to see: The Markt (Market Square), The Belfry of Bruges, Old St. John’s Hospital, Medieval architecture and step-gabled buildings along with many canals and parks.
Places to eat: Ribs 'n Beer. Say no more!
Things to do: Drink beer of course. Explore the many bars and pubs such as 2be, De Garre, Delaney’s, and Le Trappiste to name a few. Take a boat ride down the canals or a horse and carriage down the cobbled streets and learn about the history of this city. Rent a tandem (or just a normal bicycle) and ride around the peaceful perimeter of Bruges. Eat waffles and ice cream. Climb the bell tower. Drink more beer.
Things to be careful of: Don't underestimate the strength of a Belgium beer!
Thanks for reading.
Dan & Lois
