In Bruges!

In case you haven’t seen the 2008 movie of this name, it’s a story about two hitmen (Colin Farrell & Brendan Gleeson) who are sent to hide out in the Belgian city, following a ‘job’ that went horribly wrong.

It’s a good movie in its own right but it’s the fact that it was set and filmed in this beautiful and atmospheric medieval city that made it a great movie.  In fact, this movie was the main reason for us deciding to visit there on a short city break.

I wouldn’t recommend visiting everywhere that looks good in a movie, as they tend to ignore the bad bits, but Bruges (or Brugge in Flemish) actually exceeded our expectations.  I can see why they call it the ‘Venice of the North’.

As a bit of perspective, Belgium is a lowland country situated in Western Europe, on the North Sea coast, which has borders with France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.  It is best known for medieval towns, Renaissance architecture, being the headquarters for NATO and the European Union – oh yes, and for its beer!

The capital city is Brussels, which is 100 km to the south east of Bruges, but it is also the location of the nearest airport.  You therefore have to take an hour’s train ride from the capital but this, in my opinion, actually adds to the charm of arriving in Bruges.

I would also suggest walking from the train station, as the city centre is only about 1 km away.  It really is like walking back in time, as the route takes you through a beautiful public park, with a canal and swans, and then onto cobbled streets, where all you can hear is the sound of traditional horse & cart rides.

The Historic Centre of Bruges has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre and in order to preserve the cobbled streets, access restrictions are imposed on heavy vehicles.  In fact, the biggest brewery in the city (De Halve Maan – tour details below) installed a 3 km underground beer pipe a couple of years ago, in order to stop the 40 tonne trucks doing any further damage.

After the usual extensive research for the best place and area to stay, we booked the 4 Star Hotel Academie (http://www.hotelacademie.be/en/home).  This was a great choice because the location was perfect, on a quiet cobbled street, yet just a short 5-10 minute stroll from the main square and all of its attractions.

The price was really good too, as it was just a short 70 minute low-cost flight with Brussels Airlines from the UK and the hotel short-break (3/4 night) b&b packages were excellent value for money.  I would definitely say that this was a 4 star standard at 3 star prices.  It also has a nice bar with garden terrace, gym and massage rooms.

I would also add that from a food & drink perspective, Bruges was one of the cheapest cities that we have ever visited (Prague in the Czech Republic being the other).  We therefore dined in the hotel on the first evening and given the quality of food we were served, the price was probably half of what we would have paid in the UK.

Away from the hotel, it was a sheer pleasure just to walk around the historic centre but there were also a number of attractions that were well worth a visit.  I did previously mention Belgium’s reputation as a quality beer producer, so it would have been remiss of us not to have sampled some of the goods on offer!

We went for a walk into the town centre on the first morning and the first place we came across was the Bruges Beer Experience, which is a museum attraction that chronicles the history of beer making in the city.  It was a very interesting experience and as if that wasn’t enough, you completed the tour in the bar with 3 small beers of your choice, from the range of 16 draught beers they had on offer J.  We were there at 10am, which is maybe a little early for some traditional beer tasting but, ‘When in Rome’ (or Bruges), as the saying goes!

Feeling suitably refreshed, we continued on our journey to the central Market (Markt) Square, which really feels like you’ve stepped back in time.  The square has been used as a marketplace since the year 958 (for 1,060 years!) and some of its historical highlights include the 12^th century Belfort Belfry and the 18^th century West Flanders Provincial Court.

We did climb the 366 steps to the top of the 83 metre belfry (which was a little more strenuous after 3 beers) but it was well worth the effort, as the views over the city were breathtaking.

Other highlights of the trip included visits to the Groeninge Museum, which exhibits the history of Belgian visual art, and the Stadhuis, which is a grand historic building (complete with Gothic Hall) that has acted as their City Hall since 1376.

We also did the De Halve Maan brewery tour but this is a large historic fully functional brewery that has been brewing in the city for centuries.  You therefore get to follow the whole brewing process….all the way to the bar….where they insist on giving everyone a free pint (and it’s literally 150 metres from the hotel)!

However, apart from the medieval fairytale setting of Bruges, the highlight had to be the food.  Apart from the beer, they are also very famous for chocolate, waffles, crepes, traditional Flemish food and fine dining.

As I previously mentioned, the hotel food was excellent but there was also a great traditional Flemish restaurant just 50 metres down the road, towards the park.  We went for the traditional set menu and ended up having a great value meal that included rabbit and a beef stew as the main courses.

We also tried a fine dining restaurant one evening, which was more expensive but the setting, which felt like we were eating in somebody’s front room (complete with large open log fire and thick long curtains instead of doors), provided for a very unique experience.

However, I kept the best until last, as desserts are definitely their forte.  The crepes were amazing, complete with a choice of dozens of ingredients and toppings, but the best of the lot was their waffles.  With so many waffle houses to choose from, we couldn’t decide, so we extensively researched the matter and ended up in what is regarded as the best waffle house in Bruges, called Lizzies Wafels!

They only opened at 11am and it was highly recommended that you turned up early.  So, we turned up at 10:55….only to find a queue of about 15 people outside!  Now the place only sat about 12 people, so when they opened, they let the first 12 in and then locked the door!  We therefore had to wait for somebody to leave before we could even get in through the front door J.  But it was well worth the effort, as they were the biggest waffles we had ever seen, probably measuring around 10 x 8 inches, complete with pots of melted chocolate, strawberries….and whatever else you cared to add!

There were many, many more points of interest in and around the area, especially if you are prepared to travel a little further afield, such as the cities of Brussels & Ghent, the First World War battlefields of Flanders & Ypres and the picturesque Meuse Valley. 

So, in summary, Bruges is an excellent short break destination and probably the best example you’ll ever experience of a city that has been able to retain its medieval setting and atmosphere.

It’s cheap when you are there and also cheap to get there, especially if you are based in the UK or elsewhere in Western Europe.  So, if you fancy a fairytale vacation with plenty of history, beer and desserts, then Bruges should definitely be on your wish list!