Bruges Travel Guide

Step into a fairy-tale world of winding cobbled streets, canals, quirky beer bars and chocolate shops on every corner!

I had wanted to visit Bruges for years so we made it the first stop on our Eastern Europe road trip!

The reason I am writing the city guides individually instead of as a "road trip" post is because we did a very unique and in some ways an unrecommend way of travelling here. Basically, my partner works in Finnish Lapland during the winter months and we live in France the rest of the year. So...this year we decided to take our car with us to Finland so drove the whole way from France to Finland in 12 days! It was an epic trip and we made sure to explore as many cities as we could along the way, but of course would not expect you to replicate this exact road trip because it certainly isn't a loop, it's just one way.

Anyway..back to Bruges!

I am sure that Bruges is beautiful all year round but I would highly recommend visiting in Autumn for 3 reasons.

The canals and streets are surrounded by gorgeous old trees that have the most orange and red leaves that really enhances the beauty of the city.
It is still busy but much less crowded than Summer and Christmas market time.
The temperature is just perfect for some hot chocolate stops during your visit!

In my opinion 2-3 days is a good length of time to spend in Bruges because it's quite small compared to other cities.

What to Do in Bruges

Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage City which means that it's full of beautiful architecture and museums.

1. Walk alongside the canals

The city has lots of canals running through it which makes it a great idea to spend some time enjoying them by taking a stroll or having a drink at one of the many canal side bars and cafes. I would recommend a drink at T Klein Venetie for the best view of the canal if you have a seat on the terrace.

2. Go to the Market Square

The Market Square is the heart of Bruges, full of traditional coloured houses, horse and carriages and of course yummy waffle stands!

3. Drink the best Hot Chocolate in the city at The Old Chocolate House

The Old Chocolate House is where you will find the best hot chocolate in Bruges. The owner started his own café because he wanted to give people the "real hot chocolate" that he had as a child! Just a bowl of steamed milk and some chunks of chocolate.

The menu is huge, offering many different styles and types of chocolate drinks. I ordered an "Aztec Hot Chocolate" which was dark chocolate, chilli and ginger and I have to say it was amazing!

4. Visit the many museums and historical sites

Bruges has many incredible museums on offer such as the Gruuthusemuseum for city history, the Groeningemusuem for art and Begijnhof with it's white houses and convent garden established in 1245.

5. Drink some of Bruges' finest beers

Belgium beer is some of the most famous in the world. Dive into quirky pubs to taste some of the local beers.

During your visit make sure to have a beer in t' Brugs Beertje! It's a cosy little beer bar tucked away on Kemelstraat. It has over 300 Belgian beers available and even brews their own beer! I ordered a beer to be cliché as I normally HATE beer but ended up ordering another here as I liked it so much.

I ordered their special homemade Rhubarb beer and it was so good it made me a convert!

I would also recommend ‘t Poatersgat, Cafe Rose Red and Le Trappiste for cosy candlelit vibes.

There is also a beer museum called the Bruges Beer Experience!

6. Walk to Lover's Lake

Also known as Minnewater Park is a beautiful green space on the Southern end of Bruges.