Bruges is a perfectly preserved medieval city of canals, cobbled squares and gabled houses. Beer, chocolate and lace shops fill the lanes. Visit in spring or midweek; weekends and summer bring day trippers.
Good to know
- Climb the Belfry early in the morning to avoid queues.
- Brussels is 1 hour by train; combine them.
- Canal boat tours run all day; sit on the side with the best light.
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Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
30-minute boat ride under bridges and past gabled houses.
The medieval market square and the Burg, with the town hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
Make pralines with a chocolatier in a historic shop.
Family brewery on the canal that pipes beer to a bottling plant.
Flemish Primitives including works by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling in a refined museum of Belgian art.
Museum tracing the history of the Belgian fry in a medieval house, with a tasting of fresh frites at the end.
Beef stew and local beer in a vaulted cellar.
366 steps up a 13th-century tower for rooftop views.
Peaceful medieval courtyard of whitewashed houses beside the Lake of Love.
Cycle along a tree-lined canal to a village of antiques and windmills.
Medieval city with a castle and the Ghent Altarpiece, 25 minutes by train.