A DAY IN BRUGES: A CITY GUIDE
Bruges has been called many things, but “jewel box” has got to be the most accurate description. The moment I started wandering about the city with my family, I felt like I had stepped into a fairytale. I mean seriously, how can a place be so pretty? Every corner, every nook, every cranny, it’s all beautiful. We only spent a day in Bruges, but that was just enough to give me a taste of this pretty city’s rich offerings. Let’s go...
See-
Béguinale House-
Our first stop of the day was the city’s béguinage, a community where widowed or unmarried women gathered in a convent-like series of communal houses sequestered from the rest of the city. Beguinages were not uncommon in the Middle Ages and there was practically one in every city, but of course, the one in Bruges is particularly picturesque. Women still live in these communities, so they ask you not to take pictures, but I snuck one in *gasp* (I know I’m quite a rebel). I promise I was discreet. We even got to step inside one of the pretty houses. Right outside the beguinage, was a beautiful pond where the famous Bruges swans were swimming about. *swoon* I tried to make friends with them, but as you can see in the photo above, all I got were a few sassy side-eyes. Oh well, they're still pretty. :)
Belfry-
The famous tower in Bruges is 366 painstaking steps tall, but definitely worth the hike for the breathtaking views. My legs were wobbly once I made it to the top, but I managed to pull myself together to take a few photos. It was incredibly windy up there and the bells started to ring, which rattled my ear drums a bit, but it was amazing nonetheless.
Plaza-
I loved this plaza so much because the buildings on the opposite side of the Belfry looked like gingerbread houses with their cookie cutter roofs. You can see them in the cover photo of this post. That style of roof is very common in Northern Europe, but I think what made them special in Bruges was that they were brightly colored pink, purple, and orange. The Christmas market in the middle of it all had so many different smells coming from all the vendors, and the glittering lights adorning the little log cabin booths made the mood even brighter. So, so beautiful.
Old St. John's Hospital-
A converted church-hospital on the edge of town now houses a wonderful museum of Christian art, as well as a bit of history about one of the oldest surviving hospitals in Europe. The small size of this museum was extremely refreshing after spending hours in the larger museums we’d been going to in Brussels.
Church of Our Lady-
This 13th century church has the tallest tower in the city, yet unfortunately it's not open to the public to climb, as well as a white marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child by Michelangelo. Before we walked in, I read up about the history of this surprisingly tiny statue which was stolen twice: once by the French revolutionaries in the 16th century, and another time by the Nazi Germans in 1944. After lots of traveling, this small masterpiece is enshrined by the grand altarpiece of the church, safe and sound.
Canals-
The canals in Bruges are what really hit on the head the whole "storybook" aspect of the city. Pictures can’t even begin to sum up the beauty I was surrounded by, but I took some anyways. Please enjoy and know that I’m virtually handing you a tissue.
Eat-
Detavernier Patisserie and Tea Room-
When we arrived in Bruges after the train ride, we were well, a bit peckish. We just about pounced on the first bakery we saw with beautiful cakes in the window drawing us in. Luckily, we happened upon this lovely place by the swan pond *fairytale alert.* We ate a delicious scone-ish thing with raisins and a pastry filled with cherry preserves. Our hunger was satisfied for the moment.
De Proeveux Tea Room-
My dad found this little tea room in his Top 10 guide book claiming that this place had the “best hot chocolate in Bruges.” Being who we are as a family, we had to investigate. We each ordered some and were presented with a cup of steaming milk and a wooden spoon with chocolate on the end of it to be stirred in. It reminded me of the hot chocolate on a stick I made last year for Christmas. :) Oh yes, and it was delicious. :)
Oyya Waffles-
We had to have a waffle break in Bruges of course, so we stopped at a stall that was set up as part of a mini Christmas market. Turns out, the stall actually has a real brick and mortar location which we found later on. And no we didn’t get another waffle much to my dismay. :( The waffle we had though was a close second to the best one we ate from Maison Dandoy in Brussels.
Den Dyver
This restaurant was another pick from the Top 10 book (a must-have for traveling), and it was actually a bit of an accident. You see, the book said that Den Dyver was a "beer restaurant" (so more like a bar I guess), but turns out that the place has changed a bit since that edition of the book was released. Now it’s actually an upscale dining room. I wasn’t mad about this confusion though, because our meal was delicious.
Bruges is one of those cities that I’ll probably daydream about when I think about traveling around the world. It’s just one of those places that can't possibly lose it’s charm. There are some tourists there, yes, but you can put them aside easily just by admiring the beauty surrounding you. It’s definitely not as crowded as Brussels, making it actually quite comfortable to wander around. I can’t wait until I get to come back to Bruges one day and relive the magic that I felt before in only a single day. See you all next time for the next stop: Ghent!
xoxo,
Emma