Commonly referred to as the Venice of the North, Brugge, or Bruges (it also goes by many other names), is riddled with canals and hence bridges to get over them. However, its toponym is actually not derived from a french or belgian form for the word ‘bridge’, but rather more likely a Scandinavian word that denoted a quay or jetty.

Brugge

Tucked into the country, not too far from the coast is the small city of Brugge. Connected to the coast by a canal, which has tendrils all through the city, Brugge is a major tourist spot within Belgium and during the summer can get quite busy. The main throng of tourists seems to follow the Dijver canal from the south where there is parking, up to the Market Square and along to the De Burg and its religious attraction.

Jan Van Eyck Statue – Jan Van Eyckplein – Brugge, Belgium

Getting There

Probably most people use their car, but to the south there is also a place where we discovered the buses park, so that is another often use mode of transportation. We naturally used the train system, which from Dinant required two changes. The last change to Brugge itself was on the InterCity (IC) line and accommodates both first and second classes, though in a rather strange way. In case, we arrived at the main train station in Brugge, which oddly enough no longer has a functioning main entrance, so you must use the side entrance to the left.

It should be noted that in Belgium, cars marked with a 1 with a 2 below it, indicate the train has first class upstairs and second class below. Others with just a 2 indicate second class only. Still others that appear old and with no markings indicate no ammenities, not even air conditioning. We found this out the hard way, not knowing signage. Luckily the seats were very comfortable and it wasn’t too warm, though I wouldn’t like to repeat the experiment.

Hotel Martin’s Relais

We stayed at a boutique hotel to the north east of the old town and on one of the canals. The hotel Martin’s Relais is a quaint and quiet retreat from the city, though the area in and around it are actually not that noisy. The service is of course first rate and the rooms are cosy and very comfortable, especially the air-conditioning on a warm day.

Salon – Martin’s Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Main Entrance Foyer – Martin’s Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Our Room – Martin’s Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Bathroom – Martin’s Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Washclothes? – Martin’s Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

However, everything in Belgium comes with a strange Belgian twist. We could not determine the function of the door signs until we went to the desk to get our confusion cleared up. Perhaps it was somewhere lost in translation, but one says, “Thank You” in green and the other “Please” in red. You too should not get caught up in trying to figure out why they use Please and Thank You, the conotations are endless and it will just end up hurting your head. They actually tried to explain it to me and I just got more confused. The key is the color, green to enter and do the room up, red do not enter.

Thank You – Martins Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Back Entrance – Martins Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Please – Martins Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Foyer – Martin’s Relais Hotel – Brugge, Belgium

Churches And Cathedrals

There of course plenty of Catholic churches in Brugge. However, they all appear to be keen on making money and not very welcoming otherwise.

Basilica Of The Holy Blood

The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a small church stuck in the corner Der Burg plaza and next to City Hall. It is nice inside, but there are better examples of basilicas in other countries. Again, the interior and the establishment seems more keen on taking in as much money as possible, even though entry to the church is free.

To see the holy blood, which frankly cannot be the blood of Christ since there is no scientific way it could have survived two thousand years. Like the Shroud of Turin, someone is pulling another fast one on the faithful in order to make money. So, in order to see it, there is a long procession up a small dias. It is contained in a small glass cylinder, ostensibly blood on a rag containing his blood. You look at it, and then they expect a ‘contribution’. Luckily the red velure rope was put across the stairwell before we got there and we didn’t have to make the decision whether to see it or not.

Entry – Basilica of the Holy Blood – Brugge, Belgium

Nave – Basilica of the Holy Blood – Brugge, Belgium

Canals And Bridges

There are 54 bridges that span the network of canals that invade Brugge. Walking along any one of the canals one would normally come across a bridge within a kilometer. Most are strategically located and about half of them support cars and trucks, even in the center of town. Those that are pedestrian only are obvious.

View from King’s Bridge – Brugge, Belgium

Heilige Sint Nepomuceno – Pieter Pepers – Dijver Canal – Brugge, Belgium

Patti – Groenerei Canal – Brugge, Belgium

Mill Bridge – Groenerei Canal – Brugge, Belgium

Mill Bridge – Sint Annarei – Brugge, Belgium

Double Dog-Faced Railings – Potterierei – Brugge, Belgium

Dune Bridge – Langerei – Brugge, Belgium

Gates And Town Portals

The city has several gates around the city, though vestiges of the old city wall are difficult to find.

Windmills

There are a number of windmills that can be seen in Brugge. Most of the ones that we saw were on the north east side of the city along the Kruisvest. At the time, only one was outfitted and functioning. However, it has been noted that all of them are still serviceable. All of them are named!

The New Parrot Windmill – Brugge, Belgium

Great Market Place

The Markt, or Great Market Place, is the center of attraction and noteworthy for the Belfry. The Belfry tower is rather large for the space and for a fee may be ascended. We chose not to, even though the eponymous movie made in 2008 almost beckons one to ascend the stairs.

Provincial Hof – Grand Marktplatz – Brugge, Belgium

House and Restaurants – Grand Marktplatz – Brugge, Belgium

Pieter de Coninck en Jan Breydel – Grand Marktplatz – Brugge, Belgium

Restaurants

We made reservations at a few restaurants prior to our arrival, though in both cases they probably weren’t necessary. In most cases you should have no problem finding a place to eat. Wether you will like it or not, well that’s another matter.

@Tattie’s

Don’t let the name @Tatties confuse you, it’s a small coffee and breakfast place with an attitude. These women know how to run a business, and in Belgium too! Not only did they sit us before they were actually opened, they also took our order and served us faster than most places in the States! Not only is the service here great, the food is modestly priced, they have an excellent menu for breakfast and the food is delicious. Highly recommended.

Hot Milk that will be Hot Cocoa – Tatties – Brugge, Belgium

Belgian Waffles, Strawberries and Cream – Tatties – Brugge, Belgium

Scrambled Eggs and Bacon – Tatties – Brugge, Belgium

Willa Bruch & Coffee Shop

Another great place for breakfast is Willa’s. Though not punctual as Tatties, they open at 9AM and probably won’t seat or take your order until five or ten after. However, once they do get going the staff is pretty good. The food and prices are also in line with Tatties, though they serve a stack of pancakes, with a sunnyside egg and bacon strips on top that is difficult to beat.

Entrance – Willa Brunch and Coffee Cafe – Brugge, Belgium

Pancakes, Egg and Bacon – Willa Brunch and Coffee Cafe – Brugge, Belgium

Bella Italia Ristorante

When in doubt, go Italian. This was one of the few restaurants in Belgium which actually had good food and good service. We went here more than once and tried different items on the menu, they actually have five different salads to choose from on their menu. The pita pizza as a side bread basket for ten euroes is worth every penny. It is thin, crunchy on the sides and sprinkled with parsley and olive oil, a great addition to a salad for lunch.

Mixed Salad and Minestrone – Bella Italia – Brugge, Belgium

Outdside Seating – Bella Italia Ristorante – Brugge, Belgium

Greek Salad – Bella Italia Ristorante – Brugge, Belgium

Trattoria Murano

Another italian restaurant, though not as good as Bella Italia, is this trattoria. Here we both had the pasta which was tasty. We just found the poor lady that was serving everyone in need of help, so service was not as punctual as expected, though in line with what we have seen throughout Belgium.

Restaurant Diligence

This place is more like an upscale bar that serves food. The menu is all over the place, but if you stare long enough you will find something to order. The beef stew was good, though I went with the rice option instead of the typical fries option. Again, expect service here to be a bit slow, though not terribly so.

Inside – Diligence Restaurant – Brugge, Belgium

Salad and Beer – Diligence Restaurant – Brugge, Belgium

Beef Stew, Rice and Salad – Diligence Restaurant – Brugge, Belgium

Casa Di Kaspi

The Case di Kaspi was one of those restaurants we actually reserved a place for lunch, though in retrospect it wasn’t necessary. They serve Italian cuisine and for the most part it was okay. Though for the price I would think you could get the same thing at Bella Italia for less, see the menu below. The service was typical of other Belgian restaurants, a bit slow and unattentive.

Sign – Casa Di Kaspi Restaurant – Brugge, Belgium

Menu – Casa Di Kaspi Restaurant – Brugge, Belgium

Frituur de Gentpoorte

Upon many recommendations we were told that the French Fries, or just Fries or Frituur in Belgium, are a must experience. So, we chose one of the more ostensibly good places that people rave about on the internet and went to Frituur de Gentpoorte.

We purchased the small (klein) take-away basket of fries with no sauces, since we thought that if their fries are so good they don’t need sauce. We were WRONG. They are actually not that great, at least not without the sauce they sell, cost: 1-2€ for one of those small little plastic containers. So, the deal really is, they are actually not selling fries, but sauce. The potatoes in the States have them beat by far (think Five Guys Cut Fries). Though it is cheap and filling, you probably will regret later when all those carbs settle in and give you a stomach ache. We threw half our basket out. However, if you are so inclined, Enjoy!

Brugge, Belgium – Venice Of The North