Bruges in 3, 4 or 5 days: our routes for a stay in Bruges

Did you take a few days off to go to Belgium? Find the route in Bruges that suits you best!

Named the " Venice Thanks to its canals, Bruges is an absolutely beautiful, charming and adorable city. The Belgian city is not very rich in things to do. But that’s what makes her incredible charm. While we rush to the attack of monuments, museums and other tourist attractions, in Bruges we can take the time to live. With its beautiful canals and beautiful medieval streets, travellers can simply walk, relax and enjoy its atmosphere. Only by accident, there is always a place of interest to visit in Bruges. Would you like to discover Bruges in 3, 4 or 5 days? Then you will find in this article some ideas to build your itinerary in Bruges!

Bruges in 3 days

Day 1: Markt, Beffroi and Historic Centre

For this first day of our itinerary in Bruges, we recommend you to discover the historic city centre gently. The central and heart of the city is obviously the Markt, the famous Bruges Market Square. The latter is surrounded by charming restaurants and typical cafés, all are decorated with beautiful façades, emblematic of the city. This is the ideal place to come for lunch or dinner, enjoy a famous Belgian waffle or enjoy a local beer! You can obviously take beautiful pictures of this small postcard decor.

The Markt also houses the Beffroi, which overlooks the city. Beautiful daylight, it is even more night, when it is lit! You can climb its 366 steps to reach its top. All up there, 83 meters high, you will enjoy a panoramic view of Bruges and its surroundings!

After this first step of your route in Bruges, join the Place du Bourg , in particular the Hotel de Ville de Bruges. Built around 1400, this sublime building with Gothic architecture is worth a visit. If you can, take the time to visit its interior. Then take a tour in the Basilica of Saint-Sang. Its interior is also beautiful and the entrance costs only two euros! His name comes from the relic of the Holy Blood, which would preserve the blood of Christ. On Ascension Day, it is the turning point of a large procession around Bruges gathering thousands of people.

After that, we advise you to lose yourself in the streets and along the canals. Take a walk along the Quai du Rosaire, immerse yourself in the medieval atmosphere of this city and admire the facades of centuries-old churches. To finish this beautiful first day, enjoy a waffle if not already done or visit a local brewery.

Day 2: Cruise on channels

Whether you plan to discover Bruges in 3, 4 or 5 days, you should always plan a boat ride. A ride on the canals is an unmistakable thing to do on your route to Bruges. In particular, you will see places that you could not have seen other than from the channels. The walks usually last about 30 minutes. A guide will then explain the history of the city, learn more about its cultural and anecdotal riches. But above all, you can admire the peaceful shores comfortably seated.

To continue this discovery of Bruges, we also advise you to follow the footsteps of the film Good kisses from Bruges . On this occasion, you should rent or ask for a bike at your hotel. This means of transport is ideal for travelling to Bruges. This, join the tourist office and have a leaflet on the scene of the film. If you haven’t seen it before, think about looking at it before your stay! Otherwise, simply enjoy the monuments on the route: Markt and Beffroi of course, Place du Bourg, Lake of Love (Minnewater), Parc Reine Astrid or the place where the statue of Jan Van Eyck .

To continue this route of Bruges, we advise you to walk on the banks of the Minnewater, then return to the center. Visit the Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur on this occasion. Built in the 10th century, it is the oldest church in Bruges. Located along one of the main shopping streets, you can visit it for free. This beautiful brick gothic building will impress you both by its size and its interior ornaments.

Day 3: the historic discovery of Bruges

For this third and final day, if you come to visit Bruges in 3 days of course, you can choose to deepen the history of the city. For this, make a tour The Historium from Bruges. This exceptional museum invites you to relive the magical atmosphere of the Golden Age of the city! Thanks to a sublime interactive, playful and immersive staging, you will dive into a narrative that frames medieval Bruges. You will also discover the city through an extraordinary virtual reality experience. This visit will delight both adults and young people.

After this museum, we recommend you to go for a tour Beguinage . Located in the southern part of the historic centre, this place offers a real bracket of calm and contemplation. This monastery built in 1245 by Marguerite de Constantinople was first opened to welcome women alone to lead a pious, autonomous and community life in an urban setting. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it now houses a community of Benedictine sisters. The place is worth a visit to its large garden and its parterres of narciss, tulips and trees. You will also admire charming little white houses dating from the 15th to the 18th century.

To finish this colorful day, you can choose to visit one of the museums that we mention below. You can also immerse yourself one last time in the unique atmosphere of the city by walking along the canals. Lose in these streets and find a small local brewery. A strong beer or a good typical dish should help you make the bitterness of leaving this charming medieval city!

Bruges in 4 days

Did you plan to visit Bruges in 4 days? Be happy! You will be able to enjoy more of its delicious atmosphere by adding a few steps to your itinerary. The city houses many museums. Some are dedicated to Belgian gastronomy, others to culture, history and art. Of course, even if you have planned to visit Bruges in 3 days, you can always include a stopover in one of the museums mentioned below! Here's how to spend your fourth day in Bruges:

For gourmets

Who says Belgium, necessarily says Belgian specialties! And in Bruges, the greedy can’t get bored. During your route in Bruges, you can enjoy chocolate, fries, beer or waffles during your stay.

• Let's start with the Bruges waffles. One of the best places to eat is certainly Chez Albert, which is close to the main square.
• For fries, many addresses are worth a visit. The side is the Potato Bar. You should also take a tour Musée de la frite (Frietmuseum). Visitors can learn everything about the Belgian national institution: fries! In particular, you will discover why the "Vlaamse Friets", Flemish fries, are not like the other fries. And of course, you will enjoy it to see the difference!
• After the fries, it will be time to enjoy one of the best desserts in the world: the chocolate. The whole Belgium is raffling chocolate, and Bruges is no exception. As with fries, we recommend visiting the Chocolate Museum (Choco-story). But you can also taste chocolate in many shops in the centre. There is even a guided tour of the city around the Bruges chocolate shops!
• Finally, and to finish a solid tasting day, you should obviously discover Belgian beers. On the address side, we recommend the brewery De Halve Maan. She is the only family brewery still active in the centre of Bruges! It is possible to visit it during 45min with a guide in French·e. The latter will tell you the whole history of the brewery and even how beer is made here. At the end of the visit, you will obviously be entitled to a tasting in the courtyard.

For art and history lovers

Have you already enjoyed tasting during your first three days in Bruges? So we recommend you take a tour in some of the best museums in Bruges.

• The Groeningemuseum (Musée Groeninge) is in particular an immanquable. This art museum includes major works by Belgian painters spanning six centuries: Flemish primitives such as Jan Van Eyck, neoclassicism with Joseph Odevaere and Joseph Ducq, Flemish expressionism and modern art of the twentieth century with René Magritte.
• Not far, you can also visit Saint John’s Hospital or even Gruuthuse Museum. The latter retraces 500 years of Bruges’ history through its collections of historical objects.

Bruges in 5 days

Your route to Bruges lasts 5 days? So for your fifth day, we advise you to visit the surroundings of the city or even one of those neighbors. For example, you can go to the coast, if not already done. Otherwise, you can discover the Bruges mills.

The mills of Bruges

To do this, you'll have to get away from downtown. Bicycle or walking, you can easily reach Sainte-Anne a charming Flemish suburb. The passengers you are will then be able to discover the last four windmills of Bruges, of which only two still operate. On the way you will also admire some beautiful cosssues, typically Flemish.

The beach

To spend your last day in Bruges, and if time allows, you can easily reach the beach from Bruges. The city is only one hour from the coast. In the summer, take a train towards Ostend or Knokke-Heist , the two beaches taken by the premises. Once on site, you can enjoy a sunbath, swim or try some water sports.

Bruges in a week

Your route to Bruges lasts a week? So it’s perfect! You will therefore have the opportunity to visit all the places we have listed. We reassure you, it will probably be quite enough to take care of you! However, if some of the places presented above do not attract your curiosity, here is a list of other interesting places that you can include in your itinerary in Bruges:

• Explore market stalls with fish Vismarkt.
• Visit the Church of Our Lady and admire its sublime marble statue of the Virgin to the Child of Michelangelo of 1504. This work is the only Italian artist to have left Italy !
• Turn around Volkskundemuseum, the Museum of Popular Life, to learn more about the inhabitants of Bruges and their 19th century daily life at the beginning of the 20th century.
• Visit the Diamantmuseum to learn more about this precious stone, its trade and witness a demonstration of taillage!
• Admire the sublime Church of Jerusalem, located in Sainte-Anne and built on the model of the church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
• Take a walk around the historic centre and contemplate each of the 4 medieval gates: the door of Gent, the door of Sainte-Croix, the door of Damme and the Ezelpoort.

Transport to Bruges

To travel to Bruges, three means of transport are available to you: the bus network, the bike or the car. In addition, for your route to Bruges, we recommend using the first two. For your excursions, you can also take the train to reach the beach or another Belgian city.

Rent a bike

For bike rental, you will have to pay off 10€ to 15€ on average for a day . Most of the renters, because of the flights, do not accept that their bikes spend the night outside. If you want to keep it in the evening, you will have to check with your hotel and prove to your rental that your bike can be kept safe during the night. Some establishments also offer free bikes to visit Bruges, in addition to a night in a cozy nest!

Note that the historic heart of Bruges is only 2 to 3 kilometres in diameter. You can almost visit everything on foot or by bike. The centre has many unique meanings and speed is limited to 30 km/h . These measures are obviously used to discourage the use of the car. However, bikes can borrow most of the streets in both directions .

Circulate by bus

For your other trips, you should prefer the bus to the car. Bruges is well served by bus. Bus plans are downloading online. But you can also use Google Maps to organize your route in Bruges. Tickets can buy directly from the driver, and cost from 2€ .

Parking his car

If you come to Bruges by car, know that the city has several parking particularly in the centre. Underground parking costs around 10€ per day in this part of the city. On the outskirts, parking is often free.

We recommend you however parking at the station. It has 1,600 seats, is open every day 24/7 and costs only 3,50€ a day. It is also in 15min on foot the historic centre.

Good stay in Bruges!