Bruges: a city that keeps amazing

Bruges: The one and only Venice of the North

Bruges, located in the province of West Flanders, in the northwest of Belgium, is called the ‘The Venice of the North’ by a lot of people. It truly deserves this nickname since this extremely beautiful medieval town became a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. Bruges, as one of the most picturesque cities in Europe, has a very rich history, going back almost 900 years ago, to 1128, when Bruges got its city charter. The name Bruges stems from the Old Norse word Bryggja, which means ‘landing stage’ or ‘port’ and may have the same origin as Norway’s Bryggen. At the early 13th century, Bruges was an important part of the Flemish cloth fairs circuit and the city’s entrepreneurship reached out to as far as England and Scotland and their wool-producing districts. The Bourse’s opening in 1309 made Bruges one of the most sophisticated mony markets of the Low Countries.

By the 1400s, the population rose to nearly 40.000 people. By the late 19th century Bruges became one of the first tourist destinations attracting mainly British and French tourists. International tourism grew steadily eversince, reaching an absolute peak in 2002, when Bruges became ‘European Capital of Culture’.

Today about 120.000 people live in Bruges, 20.000 of them still live in the historic city centre. It’s stunning how friendly the people in Bruges are and how many of them impress tourists every time with their charm and enthousiasm to show their city’s sights. You can almost sense their pride of having the privilige to be living in Bruges.

When you want to make a trip to Belgium, Bruges has, as well as Brussels, Ghent & Antwerp, all the aspects to make your stay exhilirating. Almost all hotels in Bruges are situated in old cobbled carless streets and alleys and offer views on romantic canals everywhere you look. The perfectly going together of age-old and brand new intrigues everyone who visits Bruges for the first time. The best way to spend your time in Bruges is to stay at least one night in one of the many fine Bruges hotels.

The reason why Bruges architecture is so amazing is because the authorities have done their absolute best to preserve the medieval image of the town. Many of its buildings are famous worldwide, including the Church of Our Lady, one of the world’s highest brick towers. Some other examples are: The 13th Century Belfry Tower, The Burg and The Beguinage. You can still hear the 47 bells, as the full time traditional bell ringer puts on regular free concerts for everyone around. There are a few hotels brugge that can be found in the shadow of the Belfry. Bruges is not only worth the visit for its old culture. At the newly built Concert Hall, one of the most prominent music complexes in Flanders you can enjoy high quality contemporary culture on a daily basis. .

Don’t let it get to you when it rains or when it’s freezing: Bruges is beautiful all the year round! One could hardly forget their stay in Bruges once they have marveled at it on a snowy day in December or January. Ofcourse, Bruges can be very crowded during the day but late at night, when the majority of tourists are sleeping in one of the many charming hotels in Bruges, the city truly recovers its charm and quiet of the old days. If you want get away from the busy streets during daytime, try walking towards the north of the city centre, up to the ‘Vesten’ (ancient fortifications surrounding the egg-shaped city). Endless lawns and old trees or even some traditional windmills can be seen there.

City of museums

Apart from its wonderful medieval architecture, Bruges is also well known for its museums that can be find, without exaggerating, around every corner. The greatest quality of Bruges’ museums is the huge diversity, ranging from the Flemish Primitives to contemporary art, from the classic ‘fine arts’ to archeological excavations, furniture, silverware, folklore, etc. Various ‘Flemish Primitives’ Masters, such as Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck lived and worked most of their life in Bruges. Also, the only work of art made by Michelangelo to have left Italy during his lifetime, a marble statue of Our Lady, can be admired in the Church of Our Lady. There’s also the unforgettable Groeningemuseum, with 600 years of different style paintings, the wonderful Memling Museum, the intriguing Gruuthusemuseum, the Museum of Folklore, the Guido Gezelle Museum, St. John’s House, the Old St. John’s Hospital (an absolute must-see), the Basilica of the Holy Blood (displays an ampul supposedly containing Christ’s blood), the Diamond Museum, etc. All hotels in Brugge are only a stone’s throw away from the museums in the city centre.

City of food & beverages

Bruges is ofcourse also an ideal city to please your stomach. After a full day of visiting the museums, enjoying the old buildings’ architecture, walking through the many little streets, or having taken a canal or carriage ride you can choose from the great variety of excellent restaurants, trendy lunch adresses, coffee bars, pubs and clubs that Bruges has to offer. Treat yourself with the rich aroma of typical Belgian chocolate and waffles, taste the different varieties of the famous Belgian beers, or have gastronomical night in one of the many high quality restaurants or hotels in Bruges. All gastronomic restaurants in Bruges and the beautiful hotels in Bruges are an absolute feast for all people who enjoy the good sides of life.

A couple examples of very good (and affordable) restaurants in the city centre are: Restaurant Aneth and Restaurant Arthies or perhaps you can take a look around on this website about restaurants in Bruges.

Hotels in Bruges

Once most of your body senses are pleased, time has come to go back to your hotel to have a good night rest. Bruges offers a very wide diversity of small and bigger hotels. In general, Bruges hotels appeal to practically every tourist. Most hotels in Brugge can be seen as family hotels offering less than 30 rooms. Also, most Brugge hotels are situated in the city centre, so none of the countless architectural and artistic treasures are far away.

Hotel Fevery Bruges: This recently renovated, 10 hotelrooms counting Hotel Fevery is only a 10 minute walk form the city centre and only a couple hundred meters away from those stunningly beautiful canals in Bruges. Hotel Fevery is family runned and has more than 40 years of tradition.

Hotel Patritius in Bruges: Magnificent 19th century mansion, in the centre of Bruges. Hotel Patritius in Brugge is uniquely situated and family owned and will take you right to the heart of Bruges old atmosphere, without depriving you of everything that modern comfort has to offer. Private parking, garage boxes and the interior garden of the hotel make Hotel Patritius in Bruges into one of the best in town.

Hotel De Goezeput Bruges: recommended by “The Rough Gide” and “Le Guide Rotard”, Hotel De Goezeput Bruges is the perfect spot to dive into the rich character of Bruges and its inhabitants. Located in a 18th century monastery and ideally situated at only a 5 minute walk to the Market Square, Hotel De Goezeput Brugge is undoubtedly the perfect starting point to explore the medieval city. The hotel has a modern lounge bar with a cosy open fire place, as well as a children’s corner, terrace and free internet.

Hotels in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent or Leuven

Departing from Bruges, it’s an absolutely recommended to extend your stay in Belgium and also visit the other beautiful cities like Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent or Leuven. Since Belgium/Flanders isn’t really that big, journeys by train e.g. usually take less than 1 hour. Hotels in Brugge are in general very comparable to hotels in Antwerp, hotels in Brussels, hotels in Ghent or hotels in Leuven, although hotels in Bruges are usually likely to be a little smaller in size. Hotels in Brussels normally are a bit further away from the city centre than hotels in Bruges. On the other hand, the distance to railway stations is the same for hotels in Bruges than for hotels in Antwerp, hotels in Brussels or hotels in Leuven.