The city of Bruges (Belgium) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and quite rightly belongs to the most beautiful and picturesque cities in Europe. In this city, it is difficult to distinguish individual attractions, because it can all be called one continuous attraction. Every year, intending to explore the most interesting sights in Bruges, about 2 million tourists from Belgium and other countries come here – this is a very large figure, considering that the local population is only 117 thousand people.
What to see in Bruges in one day
Since the most important historical and cultural sights of Bruges are located close to each other, if you do not have enough time to explore them, you can allocate only one day. It will be much more convenient if you plan the best travel route in advance – a map of Bruges with attractions can help you do this.
By the way, the city has a website for tourists — www.visitbruges.be. It provides information about all kinds of entertainment in Bruges, attractions, events, bike rental and parking, shopping, etc.
Grote Markt
For about seven hundred years, the Grote Markt in Bruges has been the center of the city and its main square. To this day, market pavilions still stand here and attract buyers, thanks to which it received its name “Market Square”. Located around the square, beautiful historical buildings and simply colorful houses, numerous souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes-all this attracts tourists who come here not only from all over Belgium, but also from all over the world.
All year round, day and night, the square has its own bright and interesting life. Here you can order a portrait of a street artist, listen to musicians play, watch dance groups from different countries of the world perform.
Before Christmas, a large outdoor ice rink is being set up at the Grote Markt – everyone can visit it for free, you just need to bring their skates.
It is from here, from the famous Market Square far beyond the borders of Belgium, that most excursions begin, during which guides offer to explore the most famous sights of Bruges in one day.
Belfry Tower with bell tower
The first thing that attracts the attention of tourists who find themselves on the Grote Markt is the Belfort Tower, considered a historical and architectural symbol of the city of Bruges.
This structure, which reaches a height of 83 meters, has an interesting architectural solution: its lower level in cross-section is a square, and the upper level is a polygon.
Inside the tower is a narrow spiral staircase of 366 steps, rising to a small observation deck and a gallery with a bell. To visit the observation deck, it will take a long time: first, the ascent and descent of narrow stairs can not be fast; secondly, turnstiles work according to the principle: “one visitor left – one comes in.”
But those tourists who still climb to the observation deck of the tower can see Bruges and its surroundings from a bird’s-eye view. The view is literally breathtaking, however, the day for this you need to choose the right one-without clouds, sunny!
By the way, the best way to get up is to be at the top by 15 minutes to any hour of the day – then you can not only hear the bells ringing, but also see how the musical mechanism works, and how the hammers knock on the bells. There are 47 bells in the Belfort Bell Tower. Mary is the largest and oldest, it was cast in the distant XVII century.
- You can visit the Belfort Tower and view Bruges from its height any day from 9: 30 to 17: 00.
- Admission costs 12€, for children and pensioners-10€.
On a note! The coastal town of Ostend in Belgium is just a 15-minute train ride from Bruges.
City Hall (Stadhuis)
From the Belfort Tower there is a narrow street, passing through which you can go to the second city square – Burg Square. In terms of its beauty and tourist traffic, it is not at all inferior to the Market, and there is something to see in Bruges in one day.
On Burg Square, the Town Hall, where the Bruges City Council is located, is particularly elegant. This building, built in the XV century – is a worthy example of Flemish Gothic: bright facades, openwork windows, small turrets on the roof, luxurious decor and ornaments. The town Hall looks so impressive that it could decorate not only a small town, but also the capital of Belgium.
An absolute masterpiece is the Gothic Hall with its impressive vault and 20th-century frescoes depicting the history of Bruges. The adjacent historical hall sheds additional light on Bruges ‘ governance over the centuries with the use of original documents and paintings. On the first floor, you can see life-size portraits of the city’s rulers.
In 1895-1895, during the restoration, the Small and Large Halls of the municipality were combined into a Gothic hall – there are now meetings of the city council, marriages are registered. The Town Hall is open to tourists.
- Opening hours: 9: 30-16: 00.
- Admission fee: 6€ full ticket, for young people aged 17-25 and pensioners 65+ – 5€, admission is free for children.
The Bruges City Museum is also located in this building.
Basilica of the Holy Blood of Christ
On the Place du Bourg there is a religious building known not only in Bruges, but throughout Belgium – this is the Church of the Holy Blood of Christ. The church got its name due to the fact that it keeps an important relic for Christians: a fragment of cloth with which Joseph of Arimathea wiped the blood from the body of Jesus. It is noteworthy that until 1923 it was a chapel, so it has a rather modest size. And in 1925, an organ was installed here. The organ service has been held monthly since autumn 2012.
The architectural design of the building is quite interesting: the lower chapel has a strict and heavy Romanesque style, and the upper one is made in an airy Gothic style.
Before visiting this shrine, it is advisable to find information in advance about where and what is located inside the building. In this case, it will be much easier to navigate and you will be able to see a lot of interesting details.
Every day at 14:00, priests bring out a piece of cloth with the blood of Jesus, placed in a beautiful glass capsule. Anyone can come and touch it, pray, or just look at it.
- The entrance to the basilica is free, but it is forbidden to take photos inside.
- Visiting hours: Sunday and Saturday from 10: 00 to 12: 00, as well as from 14: 00 to 17: 00.
- Official website: www.holyblood.com.
De Halve Maan Brewery Brewery Museum
There are such unique museums and sights of Bruges, which will be not only interesting to visit, but also delicious! For example, the current brewery De Halve Maan. For many centuries, since 1564, it has always been located in the historical center of the city at 26 Walplein Square. Inside there are several dining rooms, an enclosed courtyard with tables, as well as a beer museum building with an observation deck on the roof.
The tour lasts 45 minutes and is conducted in English, French or Dutch. The entrance ticket costs€ 12, and beer tasting is included in this price. By the way, beer in Belgium is peculiar, but very tasty.
Excursions to De Halve Maan are held on the following schedule::
- in April-October from Monday to Friday and on Sunday every hour from 11: 00 to 16: 00, on Saturday from 11: 00 to 17: 00;
- in November-March, from Monday to Friday at 11: 00 and 15: 00, on Saturday and Sunday every hour from 11: 00 to 16: 00;
- the museum is closed on the following days: December 24 and 25, as well as January 1.
Website: www.halvemaan.be.
Please note! How to get to Bruges on your own by public transport, read here.
Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery
In Bruges (Belgium), sights related to brewing are not an isolated case. In the city center, at Kartuizerinnenstraat 6, there is another active brewery – Bourgogne des Flandres.
Here they are allowed to view the process of making beer, conduct an interesting interactive tour. There are audio guides in different languages, in particular, in Russian.
At the exit there is a nice bar, where after the tour ends, adult visitors are offered a glass of beer (the price is included in the ticket price).
At the end of the tour, everyone can get an original souvenir that reminds them of Belgium and its delicious beer. To do this, you need to scan your ticket and take a photo. After a payment of€ 10 is made at the checkout, the photo will be printed out as a label and pasted on a bottle of “Burgun” 0.75. A souvenir from Belgium is beautiful!
- A ticket for an adult will cost 10€, for a child-7€.
- The brewery is open to tourists on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10: 30 to 18: 00.
- Website: www.bourgognedesflandres.be.
Minnewater Lake
Lake Minneater is a wonderfully cute and incredibly romantic place in Minnewaterpark. Everyone who comes here for a walk is immediately greeted by snow-white swans-a whole flock of 40 birds lives here. Swans are considered by Bruges residents to be a symbol of their city, and many local legends and legends are associated with these representatives of birds.
It is best to visit the park and lake in the early morning, when there is still no large influx of tourists. At this time, you can take a photo with a description to remember Bruges and its sights-the photos are very picturesque, like postcards.
On a note! What sights to see in the Belgian capital in one day-find out in this article with photos and a map.
Beguinage
Not far from the central part of the city (from the Market Square you can get by carriage, or you can walk) there is a quiet and cozy place – Beguinage, a noble house-a refuge for Beguines.
To get to the Beguinage territory, you need to cross a small bridge. Behind it is a small chapel on the north side and a large one on the south, and between the chapels are quiet streets with small white houses decorated with red roofs. Here you can see the common areas — the rooms where women worked and the kitchen. Passing through the courtyard, you can get to the living rooms designed for one person: they had only a wooden bed, a table with a washbasin and a prayer table, as well as a stove.
There is also a modest park with huge old trees. The entire complex is surrounded by canals, in the waters of which swans and ducks constantly swim.
Currently, all the buildings of the Beguinage are placed at the disposal of the convent of the Order of St. Benedict.
The territory is closed to tourists at 18:30.
What else can you see in Bruges in one day, if time permits
Of course, when you arrive in Bruges, you want to see as many sights of this ancient city as possible. And if you managed to see everything recommended above in one day, and there is still time left, in Bruges there is always where to go and what to see.
So, what else to see in Bruges, if time permits? Although perhaps it would make sense to stay here for another day or two?
Groeningemuseum
The Groening Museum, founded in 1930, is located on Dijver 12, near the famous Bonifacius Bridge in Bruges. Tourists, for whom “painting” is not just a word, should definitely visit there and see the collections presented. The museum has many examples of Flemish paintings dating back to the XIV century, and especially the XV-XVII centuries. There are also works of Belgian fine art, dating from the XVIII-XX centuries.
- The Groening Museum is open every day of the week, except Mondays, from 9: 30 to 16: 00.
- The ticket costs 12€, for pensioners and young people aged 17-25-10€, for children admission is free.
What to see and do in Ghent (Belgium)
Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk)
There are attractions in the city of Bruges that make it famous not only in Belgium, but also around the world. We are talking about the Church of Our Lady, located on Mariastraat.
The architecture of this building is a harmonious blend of Gothic and Romanesque styles. The bell tower, which literally rests on the sky with its top, gives the building a special impressiveness-this is not surprising at a height of 122 meters.
But the famous Church of Our Lady is made by Michelangelo’s sculpture “Virgin Mary with Child”located on its territory. This is the only statue of Michelangelo that was taken out of Italy during the Master’s lifetime. The sculpture is located quite far away, also covered with glass, and it is most convenient to look at it from the side.
Admission to the Church of Our Lady of Bruges is free. However, all tourists over the age of 17 need to buy a ticket for€6 to go to the altar, admire the beautiful interior decoration, and see the famous creation of Michelangelo.
You can go inside the Church of Our Lady and see the statue of the Virgin Mary from 9: 30 to 17: 00.
St. John’s Hospital (Sint-Janshospitaal)
St. John’s Hospital is located near the Cathedral of Our Lady, on Mariastraat, 38. This hospital is considered the oldest in all of Europe: it was opened in the XII century, and it worked until the middle of the XX century. Now there is a museum here, and several thematic halls are equipped.
On the first floor there is an exhibition that tells about the healing of the XVII century. Here you can see the first ambulance, visit the premises of an old pharmacy with portraits of its owners hung on the walls. The museum has a collection of accessories for pharmacies and hospitals of that time, and most of these medical instruments inspire modern people with real horror. Nevertheless, this part of the museum belongs to places of great interest for those who are interested in the Middle Ages.
On the same floor are six of the most iconic works of the famous Belgian artist Jan Memling, who lived in Bruges.
The second floor periodically hosts an exhibition called “Brueghel’s Witches”, which tells about how the image of a witch changed over time in Western European art. Here, if you want, you can take original 3-d photos in witch costumes, and there are also costumes of children’s sizes – this will be something to see in Bruges with children!
- The museum in the former St. John’s Hospital is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 9: 30 to 17: 00.
- Ticket price: 12 euros, for students and people over 65-10 euros.
Koningin Astridpark
Walking around Bruges, seeing its various attractions, do not forget that there are beautiful cozy parks. Koningin Astridpark is a great place to relax on comfortable benches, admire old tall trees, watch the ubiquitous ducks and swans, and look at the sculpture pond. And also-remember the well-known film “Lay low in Bruges”, some scenes of which were shot in this city park.
Windmills
There is on the eastern edge of Bruges, in Kruisvest, a wonderful place where you can relax almost in rural idyll from the scenery of the medieval city. The river, the lack of cars and crowds of people, the landscape with windmills, a natural hill from which you can admire the same Bruges from afar. Of the four mills standing here, two are active, and one can be viewed from the inside.
And don’t be afraid that the mills are too far away to get to! You need to go from the city center in a north-easterly direction, and the road will take only 15-20 minutes. On the way from Bruges, you will see sights literally at every step: old buildings, churches. You just need to be careful, do not miss any details and read the signs on the old buildings. And on the way to the mills there are several beer bars that are not listed on the tourist maps of the city – they are visited only by local residents.
