Bruges itinerary

1. 1

   Markt Square and Belfry of Bruges - The Medieval Heart

   The Markt is Bruges's main square - a huge cobbled rectangle ringed by Gothic step-gabled merchant houses, the neo-Gothic Provincial Court (Provinciaal Hof), and the 83-metre Belfry (Belfort) that has dominated the…

   Address

   Markt 7, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   Bus 2 / 12 from Bruges train station, 5-min walk

2. 2

   Burg Square and Basilica of the Holy Blood

   The Burg is Bruges's civic square - smaller and more intimate than the Markt, but with more architectural variety per square metre than anywhere in Belgium. The 14th-century Stadhuis (Town Hall) with its Gothic facade…

   Address

   Burg 13, 8000 Brugge (Basilica)

   Nearest transit

   Walking from Markt, 2-min walk east

3. 3

   Bruges Canal Cruise - The City from the Water

   Bruges sits on a network of canals (reien) that thread through the historic centre - the city is sometimes called the Venice of the North, though Bruges came first. A 30-minute canal cruise reaches corners you cannot…

   Address

   Rozenhoedkaai (main departure quay), 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   5-min walk south of Markt via Wollestraat

4. 4

   Begijnhof - The 13th-Century Beguinage

   The Begijnhof (Beguinage) is a 13th-century walled courtyard founded by Margaret of Constantinople for beguines - lay religious women who lived in semi-monastic communities without taking permanent vows. White-washed…

   Address

   Begijnhof 24-30, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   10-min walk south of Markt via Mariastraat

5. 5

   Church of Our Lady - Michelangelo's Madonna

   The Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) has the second-tallest brick spire in the world (115.5 metres) and houses Michelangelo's Madonna of Bruges (1504) - the only sculpture by Michelangelo to leave Italy in his…

   Address

   Mariastraat, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   8-min walk south of Markt via Wollestraat / Dijver

6. 6

   Groeningemuseum - The Flemish Primitives Collection

   The Groeningemuseum holds the world's most important collection of Flemish Primitives - the 15th-century Northern Renaissance painters who pioneered oil painting and naturalistic detail decades before Italy caught up…

   Address

   Dijver 12, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   5-min walk south of Markt via Dijver

7. 7

   De Halve Maan Brewery - Bruges's Last Working Brewery

   De Halve Maan (The Half Moon) is the last working brewery in central Bruges - run by the Maes family since 1856 and known for the Brugse Zot (Bruges Fool) and Straffe Hendrik beers. In 2016 the brewery built a 3.2 km…

   Address

   Walplein 26, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   12-min walk south of Markt

8. 8

   Minnewater Lake - The Lake of Love

   Minnewater (Lake of Love) is a placid willow-fringed canal-lake at the southern edge of the historic centre, named after a medieval legend of doomed lovers Minna and Morin. Swans glide on the water (a tradition dating…

   Address

   Minnewaterpark, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   12-min walk south of Markt; 5-min walk from Bruges train station

9. 9

   Bonifacius Bridge - The Most Romantic Spot in Bruges

   Bonifacius Bridge is the most photographed pedestrian bridge in Bruges - a small stone arch crossing a narrow canal between Arents Park and the back facade of the Old St John's Hospital. The bridge looks 14th-century…

   Address

   Arents Park, off Dijver, 8000 Brugge

   Nearest transit

   6-min walk south of Markt via Dijver

10. 10

    Damme Day Trip - Cycling the Damme Canal

    Damme is a tiny medieval village of 700 people 7 km northeast of Bruges, reached by a tree-lined towpath along the dead-straight Damme Canal (built 1810 by Napoleonic engineers). The 13th-century Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk…

    Address

    Damme village, 8340 Damme

    Nearest transit

    Cycle 7 km along the Damme Canal towpath; or Lamme Goedzak canal boat in summer (50 min)

From the trip1 travel guide “Top 10 Places to Visit in Bruges, Belgium” · trip1.com