Bruges

Bruges

Bruges

I managed to save the best for last as I spent the final day of my vacation in Bruges. Designated as an UNESCO world heritage site, Bruges is one of the most well preserved medieval towns in Europe. Not only it is rich in history, it also has beautiful canals that run through its city centre. I definitely recommend it as a day trip from Brussels.

The train to Bruges took around 90 minutes from Brussels Central. After getting off at the station, I picked up a tourist map and followed the crowds into the city centre. Instead of taking the main path, I made a small detour first to see Minnewater Park, which is apparently one of the most romantic spots in the city. Then I walked to the Begijnhof to see the courtyard.

Bruges

Afterwards I went inside a few churches, including the Church of Our Lady, as I made my way towards the heart of the city. As I approached the canals I could also see the tower of the Belfry in the distance. Since it was a little cooler that day and a bit overcast, I decided not to do a canal tour. Instead I stopped by a hotel that overlooked the canal for lunch. Right from the window I got to see all the boats passing by in front of me, so it was worth it paying a little extra for lunch.

After lunch I passed through the Burg and then finally to the Markt. I don’t think enough words could adequately describe how beautiful both squares were. The Markt was especially stunning with the row of colourful houses on one side and the Belfry on the opposite side. No matter which direction you turned, everything seemed it like came straight from a picture book.

Bruges

I knew I wanted to go up the Belfry, but I decided to walk a bit further first to see if I could catch a glimpse of the Bruges Whale. What I didn’t realize was that the whale was part of the Triennale in Bruges, and it was over by the time I got there. Hence I only saw the lonely statue of Jan Van Eyck and no whale. (T__T)

Since I was already so far from the Markt, I decided to visit St. Giles’ Church before making my way back. Afterwards I paid the admission to climb up the Belfry, which was 366 steps. It was well worth the climb because the view from the top was spectacular.

Bruges Bruges

For the rest of the afternoon I mainly walked in circles between the Burg and the Markt. I also got my fill of hot chocolate and waffles! When it neared 5pm I slowly started making my way back to the station. I decided to take a different route so I could pass by the Concert Hall, which was the last bit of Bruges I managed to see.

For the evening back in Brussels, I had a nice dinner at a restaurant called 9 et Voisons, which was close to my Airbnb. That was also the restaurant my tour guide recommended as it was great value for the price. I felt like there were more locals dining inside than there were tourists, so that was another bonus. After dinner I went to the Grand Place one last time and managed to see the illumination from the square.

Grand Place

While this is only my third trip to Europe, I’m amazed each time by how rich in history the cities are. The architecture in particular is stunning and it’s so much different seeing it in person. I was also incredibly lucky picking the best week in October to travel, as the temperature was unseasonably warm and sunny everyday. I really hope I can make Europe an annual trip so I can pick a different city each year. ❤

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