Bruges: The Medieval Postcard City—Cloth Trade, Canal Reflections, and Self-Guided Sightseeing

At a Glance

• Duration: One full-day trip (from Ghent)
• Home Base: Ghent, Belgium‍
• Memorable Moment: The feeling of peace and quiet after arriving from Ghent, and seeing the historic architecture perfectly reflected in the canals.
• Overall Vibe: Beautiful, quiet, medieval, and an immediate contrast to its sister city, Ghent.‍

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This Town is Special Because...

We had debated between Ghent and Bruges as our home base, so we were highly anticipating our daytrip. Bruges is lovely, easily walkable, and a breeze to get to from Ghent in under 30 minutes. It is often described as a "medieval postcard," and that's exactly what it feels like. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and stunning canals.

Historically, this city was the beating heart of trade. While our home base, Ghent, was the manufacturing site (sometimes called "Little Manchester" for its cloth production), Bruges was the commercial center—the place where the textiles were sold, and the wealth of that trade built these incredible guildhalls and churches. It's a key piece of European history preserved in stone.

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Our Bruges Experience: The Journey In & Setting the Plan

The journey to Bruges was very smooth and short. It started off as a rainy day, but thankfully, it was on-again/off-again and never a hard rain, allowing us to enjoy everything about this beautiful city. We decided to skip the paid tour today and conquer the city on our own terms! Tom downloaded the Visit Bruges guide from the visitor center online, and he took the lead, navigating us to all the key sites and reading off the highlights as we walked.

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Sightseeing& Exploring the Medieval Heart

The best way to see Bruges is simply to wander and let the medieval city unfold before you. Our sites included: The Belfry, Burg Square, the Fish Market, Tanners Square, Rosary Quay, Hof Arents park, Church of Our Lady, St. John’s Hospital, and the Lake of Love.

• The Canals: This is what Bruges is most famous for! The way the historical buildings are reflected perfectly in the water is absolutely beautiful.

• Tanners Square and The Fish Market: This area has one of the best picture spots where Tanners Square meets the canal. We even saw a selfless stranger taking picture after picture for couples who kept thrusting cameras at him! The area had a small artists showcase the day we were there, which was fun to browse through.
• The Many Squares & The Belfry: One of the things we really liked was the distinct areas or squares where you could experience different aspects of Bruges.
   
  • The Main Square (Markt): The huge square is dominated by the Belfry of Bruges. This massive medieval bell tower stands as a powerful symbol of the city’s wealth and independence, earned through that lucrative textile trade. The guildhalls surrounding the square are ornate and colorful, perfectly reflecting that historic wealth. While I elected not to climb the 366 winding steps (a twisty staircase with a simple wooden rope railing was too risky for my dislike of heights!), Tom conquered the climb and said the view was worth it, but the bells made his ears ring for a while afterward!
   
  • Burg Square: This is the historic civic center, home to the amazing architecture of the Palace of the Liberty of Bruges, the 14th-century Gothic Town Hall, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which houses a famous relic. We loved the contemporary sculpture of two lovers dancing in the small park opposite the Town Hall.
• Parks and Ponds: After lunch, we walked through a series of parks that circle the city center, including a lovely rest stop at King Albert I Park, where we just hung out for a bit until the rain started up again.

Culinary& Drink Highlights

• Tougou Fijnproeverij: We went out of the city center for lunch to a place I found through my research called Tougou Fijnproeverij, which is only open for lunch. In my opinion, this was the best meal we had in all of Belgium. (Tom felt Per Bacco was his favorite, but this was a close second) The amazing Asian fusion menu was so fresh and inventive, and the atmosphere was perfect. We had a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that went wonderfully with our meal choices.
• Snacks and Treats: We walked past countless chocolate shops, clothing stores and lace stores. Since we can’t really shop due to our lack of luggage space, I settled for buying some chocolate from an award-winning shop called The Chocolate Line. They had it all tricked out for Halloween with creative confections and animatronics.