Bruges was a great travel experience for us, especially after coming from busy Bruxelles. Bruges old town was very quiet despite tons of tourists. We had so many things to see in Bruges that we could hardly cover the city’s main tourist attractions in only one day. Even though we were tired at the end of the day, visiting Bruges was a delight for our eyes, ears and feet.
Bruges is number one on my list of day trips from Brussels. A very well cared for old town, Bruges is delightful to visit. Let me take you on my free walking tour of Bruges.
My favorite things to do in Bruges, Belgium
Visit the old City Hall. The inside as well as the outside of this building is certainly worth seeing.
Climb in the Belfry Tower. You will get beautiful views of the city from above.
Take a boat tour of Bruges. The boat stops are easy to find and you will gain a different perspective on this town.
Take your time to walk around the streets…slowly. The charm of Bruges comes from walking its streets and admiring the beautifully preserved old buildings.
Walking tour map of Bruges
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With our map in hand and some comfortable shoes in our feet let’s start our walking tour of Bruges.
1. Grote Markt
Grote Markt, or the big market square, is the center of old town Bruges. And it is fitting to start our walking tour of Bruges here, in the center of town. You can simply start walking, along narrow streets…pretty much in the direction where everyone else is walking and you will eventually end up in the center of the old town. From there you can pretty much see everything there is to see.
Bruges, Belgium – Man riding a bicycle in front of a local restaurant in in Grote Markt.
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2. Bruges City Hall
From Grote Markt we walked about five minutes to get to Bruges City Hall. We loved the old City Hall building. It’s amazing how they’re still using it today. It has been beautifully preserved and you can simply walk inside and admire the architecture.
Carriage drivers waiting for customers outside the old City Hall building in Bruges, Belgium.
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3. Bruges boat tours are a great way to see the city
Now it is time to rest our feet a little and continue our walking tour of Bruges by boat. Boat stops are everywhere in Bruges. These boat stops are sort of bus stops but only on the water canals. You just pay for your ticket, wait for the next boat and hop on. Then you can just get off wherever you want to get off or wait until the boat comes back full circle where you left off.
Bruges boat tours are a great way to see the city. There are many canals in Bruges, Belgium which makes it very easy to move around by boat.
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Getting to Bruges
Visiting Bruges is an easy day trip from Brussels since it only takes about an hour by train to get to the city. Trains to Bruges abound…I think you can find at least two trains every hour, especially if you plan on leaving in the morning. The train station in Bruges is located very close to the old town, so you can just start walking.
Map of Bruges, Belgium and surrounding areas
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Is it worth visiting Bruges, Belgium?
We loved our walking tour of Bruges especially after coming from busy Brussels. Bruges is a lot more interesting and well preserved whereas Brussels is a large mixture of old and new architecture thrown together. On the other hand, Bruges was very relaxing for us even though it was cloudy and a bit cold being the beginning of October. The authorities in Bruges have kept the old and the new separated and thus more accessible to to tourist.
Have you visited Bruges? How did you like the experience?
