The 15 things to do in Bruges

Visit Bruges: what are the best things to do and see during a weekend in Bruges, nicknamed "the North Venice"?

Often nicknamed Venice of the North for its channels, Bruges reveals its beauty throughout the year. The Belgian city has a beautiful historic centre of medieval style: it is mainly in its heart that the main sites to visit are located.

Located only 2h30 from Paris and 50 minutes Brussels by train, Bruges is an ideal destination for a weekend. To help you organize your stay on site, discover our selection of incontours to visit in Bruges.

1. Make a boat ride on the canals

Bruges is a city that finds itself without a car. The most soothing and unusual experience of visiting Bruges is to make a boat cruise on the canals. It is an opportunity to explore the historic centre, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on board a small boat, with comments from a local guide.

We recommend you to opt for . In two hours, your guide will take you to discover the narrowest street in Bruges, the magnificent basilica of the Saint-Sang (12th century) and the golden statues of the impressive courthouse. Then you will go through the fish market surrounded by 126 columns.

It is only then that you embark on your boat for a cruise on the canals. Navigate along the facades covered with edge and under the bridges. Admire the old trading houses of the old port and the crushing. To finish the visit, you will walk in the secret garden of a hospice.

2. Losing in the alleys of Bruges

The historic centre of Bruges is a must alone. Losing in the maze of its paved alleys is pleasant, there are many buildings to see. Start with the Markt, Bruges' main square. Built for centuries by the Beffroi, top of its 83 meters, you admire the imposing Provincial Court, and the many colourful facades decorated with bleeds.

Recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO, the old centre is exceptionally well preserved. Each street contains a historic building, a religious building or a bridge that spans a canal. If you want to discover Bruges while understanding the story behind every building in the city, note that you can do . During this visit (which costs 3€), a local guide tells you the legends of the Flemish city.

Bring some unusual to your visit to Bruges by discovering the city (60€ per group of 3 for 1 hour).

3. Gravir the steps of the Beffroi

Beffroi (or Belfort in Flemish) is the largest tower in Bruges. It dates from the 13th century and measures 83 meters high. Those who wish to climb the 366 steps to its summit will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Bruges and its surroundings.

Several levels allow you to pause and learn more about the history of the city. In the Middle Ages, there was the cash in which the city’s seal and cash were kept. There is also the music roll of the carillon and the keyboard on which the carillonneur of the city plays the 47 bells of the carillon.

The entrance costs 14€, which you can pay on site or directly on the museum site of the city .

4. Make a waffle and taste it

You can't visit the Belgium without a Belgian waffle. Try one wafel met slagroom which means in Flemish a waffle with whipped cream. One of the best addresses to taste a waffle in Bruges is certainly Lizzie’s Wafels (Sint-Jakobsstraat 16 Brugge). We can also quote Chez Albert (Breidelstraat 16, 8000 Brugge).

If you want to push the waffle experience a little further, there is a workshop in the Ezelstraat district. During this period, you will learn to make a typical waffle of the region, before of course to taste it.

5. Living Bruges through beer

If there is a , in which you can discover all the facets of local beers (and enjoy them!), one of the must-see places to visit is the De Halve Maan Brewery.

It is the only family brewery still active in the centre of Bruges. You can visit it (45 minutes, 15€) with a guide in French (other languages are available if possible) that will explain the history of the brewery and how beer is made. At the end of the visit you will be entitled to a tasting in the courtyard. To eat, you can go to another brewery (restaurant this time): the Medard Brewery whose prices are not very high.

6. Eating chocolate

Bruges, like whole Belgium, loves chocolate. You can go to visit Chocolate Museum (Choco-story) and taste the famous treat in many shops in the centre. There is also a guided tour of the city around the Bruges chocolateries.

7. Walking along the Quai du Rosaire

It is the image that comes to mind when we think of Bruges. In the morning, in the afternoon or at night, go to Quai du Rosaire (quai Rozenhoedkaai) to take a photo or simply stroll and enjoy the moment. The spot is really pretty. So we believe in Venice, or almost.

8. Follow the footsteps of the film "Good Kisses of Bruges"

Have you seen the film "Good Kisses of Bruges" ( In Bruges in English? A leaflet on the scene of the film is available at the tourist office (www.brugge.be). You will find the main square and the Beffroi, but also the Place du Bourg, the Lake of Love (Minnewater), the Parc Reine Astrid (Koningin Astridpark) or the square where the statue is located. Jan van Eyck (famous Flemish painter). This is another nice way to discover the city.

9. Rent a bike

What to do in Bruges to get a bit of the legs while enjoying the environment? As mentioned above, the centre is mostly pedestrian, there is no subway in Bruges. The inhabitants move by bike and there are many places where you can rent one. If the weather allows, take the time to discover the surroundings of Bruges by bike, like the Moulin Saint-Jean. It’s quiet and it changes a bit of the usual routine of visits. Find a tourist info point and ask for a map of bike hikes.

10. Visit the Basilica of Saint-Sang

The basilica, located on the Grand Place, has a magnificent interior. The entrance is only two euros. The relic of the Saint-Sang would keep the blood of Christ and on the day of Ascension, it was the subject of a parade around Bruges during a great procession where thousands of spectators attended. You only need about ten minutes in the basilica but it’s worth a visit.

11. Go to the museum of fries (Frietmuseum)

We keep putting water in your mouth! If you like art and ask that you do in Bruges on this side, go to the Groeningemuseum (Musée Groeninge), but for the coolest museum in Bruges, go to the Frietmuseum, where you can learn everything about the Belgian national institution: the fries!

Find out why the "Vlaamse Friets" (Flemish fries) are not like the other fries and of course, enjoy it to see the difference, all in a magnificent 14th century building, not far from the Grote Markt (Grand-Place).

12. Admire a work of Michelangelo to the Church of Our Lady

The marble statue of the Virgin to the Child of Michelangelo of 1504 is the real jewel of this Gothic style church of the 13th century called Notre-Dame. Enjoy it because it is the only work of the Italian artist to have left Italy.

13. Walk to the beach

Yes, Bruges is only 1h from the coast. In summer, take a train or rent a car in the direction of Ostend or Knokke-Heist, the two beaches taken by the premises. Once on site, let yourself go to the farniente on your towel and enjoy the places for a nautical sport session for example.

14. Raise time to timeHistorium Bruges

What to do in Bruges to discover the city otherwise? Direction l’Historium where a real time machine awaits you there. Through various rooms equipped with special effects, the museum takes you to dive into the medieval Bruges. On the program: equipped with an audioguide, go through the spectacular scenes that will tell you the fascinating history of a whole time! Small and large will be able to take advantage of this cultural immersion which, without doubt, is worth a visit.

15. Take a tour of the Beguinage

Far from the tumult of the city, the Beguinage offers a real bracket of calm and contemplation. Visiting Bruges without passing it would be a pity because this monastery built in 1245 by Marguerite de Constantinople (Flanders County) erects the religious heritage of the city. Incontournable in his sense, the Beguinage was first opened to welcome women alone (celebrates or widows) in order to lead a pious life (without being totally devoted), autonomous and community in an urban setting.

If the place no longer accommodates the original dwellings (the last blunt having died in the 1930s), it now houses a community of Benedictine sisters. By visiting the Beguinage, you will enter a UNESCO World Heritage Site where serenity and fullness are the master words. Browse the large garden of the monastery dressed in a parterre of narcisses, tulips and trees before discovering the small white houses dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries, the bridge with 3 arches, and finish your walk along the canals.

How to get to Bruges?

Bruges is easily accessible from France by train to Paris, Lille or Brussels. The company Thalys serves all of Belgium. You can book your tickets on the official SNCB website or easily with Trainline .

You can also take a low-cost flight to Brussels and take a regional train to Bruges. To find cheap flights to Brussels, you can search our partner's website Ulysses .

Where to stay in Bruges?

Bruges is a human-sized city and the ideal is book a hotel in the centre or on the outskirts of the city to make the most of the charm of the city and to be close to the premises and the spirit of the inhabitants.

To find a hotel in Bruges, go to this Compare hotels . You can find the right hotel according to your dates of stay. If you prefer to stay at home, you can rent a Airbnb .