Bruges (Brugge) Overview

Bruges (pop. 117,000) is arguably Belgium’s most romantic city. Canals carve their way through rows of pointed brick houses and cobblestone streets en route to the breathtaking Gothic Markt. The city’s buildings remain some of the best-preserved examples of Northern Renaissance architecture. Though a bit crowded, Bruges is a relaxing getaway to catch your breath.

Trains leave from the Stationsplein, a 10min. walk south of the city. (Open daily 4:30am-11pm. Info desk open daily 8am-7pm.) Trains head to: Antwerp (1hr., 2 per hr., €13); Brussels (1hr., 1-3 per hr., €12); Ghent (20min., 3 per hr., €5.60); Knokke (30min., 2 per hr., €3); Ostend (15min., 3 per hr., €3.30).

Orientation And Practical Information

Bruges is enclosed by a circular canal, with the train station, Stationsplein, just beyond its southern extreme. The historic district is entirely accessible by foot, while bikes are popular for countryside visits. The dizzying Belfort looms high over the center of town, presiding over the handsome Markt. On the easternmost edge of the city, the beautiful, windmill-lined Kruisvestraat and serene Minnewater Park have stretches of gorgeous green land, ideal for picnicing.

• Tourist Office: In and Uit, ’t Zand 34 (☎050 44 46 46; www.brugge.be). From the train station, head left to ’t Zand and walk for 10min.; the tourist office is located inside the red concert hall. Books accommodations for a €2.50 fee and €20 deposit, and sells helpful maps (€0.50) and   information guides (€1). Open M-W and F-Su 10am-6pm, Th 10am-8pm. A smaller branch is located inside the train station (Stationsplein). Open M-F 10am-5pm and Sa-Su 10am-2pm.
• Tours: 5 companies offer 30min. boat tours of Bruges’s extensive canals. (Mar.-Nov., 2-4 per hr., €6); inquire at tourist office for a list. QuasiMundo Tours has 3 different bike tours of Bruges and the countryside (3-4hr.). Tours depart daily at 10am and 7pm from Bruges, 1pm from the countryside. (☎050 33 07 75; www.quasimundo.com. Tours Mar.-Oct. €20, under 26 €18; includes free drink.)
• Currency Exchange: Goffin, Steenstraat 2, is near the Markt and charges no commission on cash exchange (☎050 34 04 71. Open M-Sa 9am-5:30pm.
• Luggage Storage: At the train station. €2.60-3.60.
• Laundromat: Belfort, Ezelstr. 51. Wash €3-6, dry €1. Open daily 7am-10pm.
• Bike Rental: At the train station (☎050 30 23 28). Passport required. €6.50 per day. Koffieboontje, Hallestr. 4 (☎050 33 80 27; www.adventure-bike-renting.be), to the right of the Belfort. €7 per 4hr.; €10 per day, students €7 per day. Open daily 9am-10pm.
• Police: Hauwerstr. 7 (☎050 44 89 30).
• Hospitals: A. Z. St-Jan (☎050 45 21 11; not Oud St-Janshospitaal, a museum). St-Lucas (☎050 36 91 11). St-Franciscus Xaveriuskliniek (☎050 47 04 70).
• Internet: Teleboutique Brugge, Predikherenstr. 48, is one of the cheapest options. €2 per hour. Open daily 10am-10pm. Cash only.
• Post Office: Markt 5. Open M and W-F 9am-6pm, Sa 9:30am-12:30pm.

Accommodations

• Snuffel Backpacker Hostel, Ezelstr. 47-49 (☎050 33 31 33; www.snuffel.be). Take bus #3 or 13 (€1.30) from the station to the stop after Markt, then take the 1st left. Colorful rooms decorated by local artists. Helpful staff leads free walking tours every other day. The on-site bar’s Happy hour is so cheap that even locals frequent it (9-10pm, beer €1). Guests also get a free Bruges card, which gives access to museums and offers many discounts. Kitchen. Bike rental €6 per day. Breakfast €3. Lockers available; bring lock or rent one. Linens included. Internet €2 per hr.; free Wi-Fi. Key deposit €5. Reception 7:30am-midnight. Dorms €14; doubles €36; quads €60-64. AmEx/MC/V.
• Passage, Dweersstr. 26 (☎050 34 02 32; www.passagebruges.com). Old-world, refined hostel-hotel-cafe in an ideal location. Safes available. Breakfast €5; included in private rooms. Free beer at bar with purchase of dinner. Internet €4 per hr. Reception 9am-11pm; need code to get in after close. Open mid-Feb. to mid-Jan. Dorms €14; singles €25-45; doubles €45-60; triples and quads €75-90. AmEx/MC/V.
• Hotel Lybeer, Korte Vuldersstr. 31 (☎050 33 43 55; www.hostellybeer.com). Charming and convenient. Breakfast and linens included. Free Internet. Reception 7:30am-11pm. Dorms €14-24; singles €23-38; doubles €43-65; triples €70-80. AmEx/MC/V.
• Bauhaus International Youth Hostel and Hotel, Langestr. 133-137 (☎500 34 10 93; www.bauhaus.be). Take bus #6 or 16 from the station; ask to stop at the hostel. A giant candelabra and popular bar lead the way to airy rooms. Bike rental €9 per day. Breakfast and linens included. Lockers €1.50. Internet €3 per hr. Reception 8am-midnight. Dorms €14-15; singles from €26; doubles from €40; triples from €57. AmEx/MC/V.
• Charlie Rockets, Hoogstr. 19 (☎050 33 06 60; www.charlierockets.com). Americans might feel at home at this wannabe Charlie Rockets in a converted movie theatre, equipped with pool tables, darts, and, of course, 50s decor. The in-house bar is popular with locals and travelers not spending the night. Breakfast €3. Lockers €3. Linens included. Internet €2 per 20min. Dorms €16. MC/V.

Food

Inexpensive restaurants can be hard to find in Bruges. Seafood lovers should splurge at least once on the city’s famous mosselen (mussels; €15-22) found at the Vismarkt, near the Burg. (Open Tu-Sa 8am-1pm.) Restaurants close early in Bruges (around 10pm), so plan in advance for nighttime cravings; grab groceries at Delhaize Proxy, Noordzandstr. 4, near the Markt. (Open M-Sa 9am-7pm.)

• Grand Kaffee de Passage, Dweersstr. 26-28 (☎050 34 02 32). Next to the Passage hostel. Traditional Belgian cuisine in a candlelit setting. Try the excellent Flemish stew (€11). Desserts are inexpensive and delectable (€2-5). Entrees €8-15. Open daily 5-11pm. Closed from mid-Jan. to mid-Feb. AmEx/MC/V.
• Du Phare, Sasplein 2 (☎050 34 35 90; www.duphare.be). From the Burg, walk down Hoogstr. and turn left at the canal onto Verversdijk, crossing to the right side at the second bridge. Follow the canal for 20min. to Sasplein. Bus #4 stops right outside. This jazz and blues bistro serves international fare (€11-20). Open M and W 11:30am-2:30pm and 7pm-midnight, Tu and F-Sa 11:30am-2:30pm and 6:30pm-midnight, Su 11:30am-midnight. Reservations recommended F-Sa. AmEx/MC/V.
• Hobbit, Kemelstr. 8-10 (☎050 33 55 20; www.hobbitgrill.be). Try filling meats and pastas off funny newsprint menus. Entrees €7-11. Open daily 6pm-1am. AmEx/MC/V.
• De Belegde Boterham, Kleine St-Amandsstr. 5 (☎050 34 91 31). Health-conscious spot serves sandwiches (€7-8) and innovative salads (€11) in its chic interior or on mismatched tables outside. Open M-Sa noon-4pm. Cash only.

Sights

Filled with Gothic and neo-Gothic buildings and crisscrossed by canals, picturesque Bruges is best experienced on foot. Avoid visiting Bruges on Mondays, when museums are closed. If you plan to visit many museums, consider a cost-saving combination ticket (€15, includes admission to 5 museums).

Markt And Burg. The medieval Belfort (belfry) looms over the Markt; climb its 366 steep steps for a city view. (Belfort open Tu-Su 9:30am-5pm. Last entry 4:15pm. €5. Bell concerts mid-June to Sept. M, W, and Sa 9pm, Su 2:15pm; Oct. to mid-June W and Sa-Su 2:15pm.) Behind the Markt, the Burg is dominated by the finely detailed facade of the Stadhuis (Town Hall). Inside, wander through the gilded Gothic Hall, where residents of Bruges still get married. (☎050 44 81 10. Open Tu-Su 9:30am-4:30pm. €2.50, under 26 €1.50. Audio tour included.) This ticket will also get you into Liberty of Bruges Museum, which contains an ornate fireplace. (Open M-Sa 9:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-5pm). Tucked in a corner of the Burg next to the Stadhuis, the Basilica of the Holy Blood supposedly holds the blood of Christ in a spectacularly ornate sanctuary upstairs. (Basilica open daily Apr.-Sept. 9:30am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-noon and 2-4pm; closed W afternoon. Holy Relic can be viewed at 11am and 2-4pm. Museum €1.50.)

Museums. From the Burg, follow Wollestr. left and then head right on Dijver and walk through the garden to reach the Groeninge Museum, small for its price but full of beautiful portraits and works by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. (Dijver 12. ☎050 50 44 87. Open Tu-Su 9:30am-5pm. €8, under 26 €6. Audio tour included.) Formerly a palace, the nearby Gruuthuse Museum houses a large collection of 16th- and 17th-century tapestries. (Dijver 17. ☎050 44 87 62. Open Tu-Su 9:30am-5pm. €6, students €4. Audio tour included.) Continue on Dijver as it becomes Gruuthusestr. and walk under the stone archway to enter the Memling Museum, in Oud St-Janshospitaal, a brick building that was a hospital in medieval times. The museum reconstructs everyday life in the hospital and has several paintings by its namesake, Hans Memling. (Mariastr. 38. ☎050 44 87 71. Open Tu-Su 9:30am-5pm, ticket office closes 4:30pm. €8, under 26 €5. Audio tour included.)

Other Sights. The 14th-century Church of Our Lady, at Mariastr. and Gruuthusestr., contains Michelangelo’s famous work, Madonna and Child. (Open Tu-F 9:30am-5pm, Sa 9:30am-4:45pm, Su 12:30-5pm; last entry 4:30pm. Church free. Tomb viewing €2.50, students €1.50. Ticket for the tomb included in Gruuthuse Museum ticket.) Sophisticated beer aficionados will enjoy the accompanying samples at 150-year-old De Halve Maan, a beer museum and brewery. (Welplein 26. ☎50 33 26 97; www.halvemaan.be. 45min. tours Apr.-Sept. 1 per hr. M-F 11am-4pm, Sa-Su 11am-5pm; Oct.-Mar. tours M-F 11am and 3pm, Sa-Su 1 per hr. 11am-4pm. €5, includes beer.) For God-sanctioned fun, wander the grounds of the Beguinage, home to nuns who share their flower-covered yard with passersby. The Beguine’s house displays furnishings typical of medieval Flemish households. (From Simon Stevinplein, follow Mariastr., and turn right on Wijngaardstr.; at the canal, turn right and cross the footbridge. ☎050 33 00 11. Open Mar.-Nov. daily 10am-noon and 1:45-5pm; gate open 6:30am-6:30pm. Church and garden free; house €2, under 26 €1.) Walk along the river to see the windmills; to enter, go down to 235-year-old windmill St-Janshuismolen, which still gives occasional flour-grinding demonstrations in summer when the wind is right. (☎050 33 00 44. Open May-Sept. daily 9:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-5pm. €2, under 26 €1.)

Festivals And Nightlife

Bruges plays host to the Cactusfestival (☎050 33 20 14; www.cactusfestival.be. €25 per day, €63 for 3 days), a series of alt-pop and hip-hop concerts the first full weekend in July. The city also sponsors Klinkers, an open-air music and film series that’s free to the public during the months of July and August (☎50 33 20 14; www.klinkers-brugge.be).

Although Bruges is not known for its wild party destination, the town definitely knows how to enjoy beer. The packed pubs offer a wide selection of Belgium’s finest brews. At ’t Brugs Beertje, Kemelstr. 5, off Steenstr., you can sample some of the 250 varieties of beer. (☎050 33 96 16. Open M, Th and Su 4pm-12:30am, F-Sa 4pm-2am.) Stop by Bruges’s oldest pub, Vlissinghe, Blekersstr. 2, established in 1515. From the Burg, take Hoogstr. and turn left onto Verversdijk immediately before the canal. Cross the second bridge onto Blekersstr. (☎050 34 37 37. Open W-Sa 11am-midnight, Su 11am-7pm.) Steer clear of the pricey tourist-trap clubs behind the Markt. Belgian students tend to prefer the dance floor of Rica Rokk, ’t Zand 6, where shots are €3 and a liter of beer starts at €19. (☎050 33 24 34; www.maricarokk.com. Open daily 9:30am-5am.) The tourist office has a limited list of GLBT establishments. For tips on Bruges nightlife, pick up a free “Use-It” map at your hostel.