What Makes It Worth It

🏛 Belfry of Bruges & Market Square

Bruges is one of Europe's most completely preserved medieval cities, and the contrast between its remarkable state of conservation and its small scale — this is a city of 120,000 people, easily walkable in an afternoon — makes it one of the continent's most rewarding short breaks. The historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, is a largely intact 13th-century city of guild houses, Gothic churches, and winding canals that earned Bruges its nickname 'the Venice of the North'.

The city's wealth in the medieval period was extraordinary — for a century, Bruges was the most important trading city in Northern Europe, the hub of the Hanseatic League and the place where Italian bankers invented modern financial instruments. When the river silted up in the 15th century and trade moved to Antwerp, Bruges fell into a long economic slumber that inadvertently preserved its medieval character perfectly. The 19th century rediscovered it as an artistic treasure, and it has attracted visitors ever since.

The Markt, the central market square, is anchored by the Belfry — an 83-metre medieval tower whose 366 steps reward climbers with a panorama of Flemish rooftops and flat countryside stretching to the horizon. The Burg square nearby holds the Basilica of the Holy Blood (housing a relic brought from the Crusades), the Town Hall, and the Renaissance Hall. The Groeningemuseum holds one of the world's finest collections of Flemish Primitive paintings — Jan van Eyck lived and worked in Bruges, and several of his masterpieces are here.

Belgian chocolate, Belgian beer, and Belgian waffles reach their peak form in Bruges. The city has over 50 chocolate shops; The Old Chocolate House and Dominique Persoone's The Chocolate Line are worth seeking out. Bruges is easily reached from Brussels (1 hour by train) or Ghent (30 minutes), making it ideal as part of a Belgian itinerary.