When in Bruges….

There is a small Belgium city that has captured my heart. There’s just something about the city of Bruges, or Brugge as the Dutchie’s call it, that I love. Maybe it is the canals, cobbled streets and medieval buildings. Maybe it’s the beer and chocolate. Whatever it may be, I have visited the city twice and want to go back yet again. It is a city full of character and cosiness, and just seems to be bursting with romance.

Here are my top three tips of what to do when in Bruges…

1. Horse and Carriage Ride and/or Canal Boat Tour

When in Bruges, one must experience either a horse and carriage ride or a canal boat tour. Both are wonderful! Its certainly not a huge city, but doing a tour at the beginning of your visit will give you a good idea of where everything is located. The horse carriage ride is expensive (50 euros) but sharing a carriage with another couple/family and splitting the cost makes it more affordable. The tour will last about thirty minutes, giving you a great overview of the city. A canal boat tour is about 7 euros per person and a wonderful way to see the city from another perspective.

2. Taste the Local Beer

Just off the main town square, set inside the narrowest street of Bruges, visit the De Garre Beer Tasting Cafe. Very cosy and very old! Loved it. They have hundreds of different beers to taste and delicious little snacks to go with them. Be sure to taste their very own beer and also the beer from city of Bruges, the Brugse Sot. This little hidden gem with its charming wooden interior is right in the heart of the historic centre, yet hidden down this quiet and very narrow alleyway, so it’s easy to walk right past without even knowing it. De Garre is one cafe not to miss.

3. Eat and Drink Chocolate

A bit of an obvious tip when visiting Belgium, but I think I may have discovered the best chocolate cafe in Bruges, De Proeverie Tea-Room. Go there and order the hot chocolate with chocolates on the side. Their scones are also a.maze.balls! You will not regret it. Their Belgian chocolate is to die for — my mouth is literally watering just thinking about it — and their ‘hot chocolate on a stick’ is made from some of the highest quality chocolate in Belgium. The tea-room’s sister store, Chocolaterie Sukerbuyc, sits right across the street, and produces the chocolate used in this amazing drink. This store is the oldest chocolate business in Bruges and uses 100% pure cocoa butter.

Bruges is just a two hour drive from Rotterdam! So if you have a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion coming up, perhaps even for Valentines Day, I’d suggest you try to find a babysitter for the weekend, and visit the city of Bruges with the one you love. Yes, it is also a great city to visit together with your kids, but let’s face it, the romance level will be inevitably higher when in Bruges child free  🙂

Kristen