Enchanting Bruges – A Perfect Weekend Getaway
Bruges is often described as one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe – and for good reason. Alongside Brussels, it’s one of Belgium’s most popular destinations. With its charming canals, stunning historical architecture, and world-famous beer and chocolate, it’s an absolute must for any traveler.
A Step Back in Time
Bruges truly feels like stepping into a different era. I was completely captivated by the gorgeous brick buildings, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. Every street corner is picture-perfect. Just walking around the narrow streets and along the canals is an experience in itself. I remember that the first time I visited – just for a day – I used up a whole roll of film on all the beautiful houses. (Yes, it’s been a while!)
So I was really excited to come back and see if the city was as charming as I remembered.
The canals, which have earned Bruges the nickname “The Venice of the North,” give the city a bit of a “mini-Amsterdam” vibe – maybe even a better comparison than Venice, considering the architecture. The city center is much smaller than Amsterdam, which makes it super easy to explore over a weekend.
In France they have themselves a miniture-Venice. Annecy is nicknamed Venice of the Alps.
Cozy Hotel in the Heart of the City
I had my heart set on staying in a charming old hotel in Bruges. Even though they can be pricey, we splurged a bit and booked two nights at Hotel de Orangerie, right in the city center. The rooms are individually decorated, with old wooden beams and classic paneling.
The cozy lounge where we were welcomed with a drink was absolutely perfect. I just loved the big fireplace, the dark wood on the walls and the soft armchairs. Our room had vintage furniture, floral wallpaper, and a very comfy bed.
The hotel is also right next to the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery and one of the canal tour companies has a dock just behind it. So yes, centrally located indeed!
The Begijnhof – A Peaceful Escape
At check-in, we were given a lovely walking map that took us past many of Bruges’ highlights. Kind of like a hop-on hop-off tour, just on foot.
We passed beautiful churches, old buildings, and squares as the city slowly came to life. One of the most memorable stops was the Begijnhof, which I’d first learned about in Amsterdam. A begijnhof (béguinage in French) is a historic residential complex for religious women who lived in a community, but without taking formal vows like nuns.
The Bruges Begijnhof, also known as Ten Wijngaerde, was founded in 1245 and is one of the best-preserved in Belgium. Like all begijnhofs, it’s a peaceful retreat right in the middle of the city. You step through a narrow gate off a noisy street and into a quiet, green courtyard – and it feels like another world.
In Bruges, the whitewashed houses circle a large lawn that, when we visited, was covered in blooming yellow daffodils.
Though no beguines live there today, it’s now home to Benedictine nuns and open to visitors. The Bruges Begijnhof is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you’re visiting Belgium or the Netherlands, definitely check to see if there’s one nearby. They’re beautiful and serene.
Just around the corner from the begijnhof, we found a super cozy café. Carpe Diem Bakery & Tea-room was overflowing with pastries and breakfast options (bubbles included, if you’re in the mood). After braving the windy weather, we warmed up with coffee and sweets.
Eventually, it felt like time for some beer. We started with a cherry beer (kriek) at The Beerwall / 2be bar – an unforgettable spot with an entire wall of beer bottles and their matching glasses. Pretty cool.
Belgian Beer Culture
Belgium is known for its beer, and naturally, Bruges has plenty of places to enjoy it. What stood out for us as Norwegians was the sheer variety of styles.
Not only was Beerwall next to our hotel, but we also discovered that the nearby beer shop – The Bottle Shop – probably had the largest selection in town. And being so close meant we didn’t have to carry our finds far. If you plan on bringing beer home, make sure you’ve got checked luggage and space for souvenirs!
Bruges has two breweries open to visitors. We went for a tour at the one right next door: Bourgogne des Flandres. What makes it special is that they brew just one type of beer – and only half of it, actually.
They produce a young brown ale and then blend it with a sour, aged lambic beer from Brussels – something called “beer of mixed fermentation.” The result is a unique blend with both sweet and sour notes, some dried fruit, and a little caramel. They say it has a wine-like structure – hence the name “Bourgogne” (like Burgundy wine). Not sure wine lovers would agree, but it’s a fun and interesting concept!
We chose the self-guided tour for two, which included a beer flight with six different beers. Super fun, though I would’ve liked more info on each beer we tasted. The bar was busy and the woman just rattled them off quickly.
You can also just walk in and order beer without doing the tour.
The second brewery in town is De Halve Maan. We didn’t have time for the tour, but we did grab lunch there and tried their famous Brugse Zot – which you’ll see everywhere in the city.
What makes this brewery special? Not necessarily the brewing itself, but the underground beer pipeline they built in 2016. It’s a 3.3 km-long pipe running from the brewery in the center to the bottling plant outside the city. It was made to avoid transporting beer through the narrow, cobbled streets by truck. Makes sense. I’m sure the beer prefers not being shaken over medieval stones.
De Halve Maan is still family-owned and now in its sixth generation. Their beers, Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik, are top-fermented and bottle-conditioned in true Belgian style. If you’re interested in a tour, book ahead as spots can fill up.
Food in Bruges
Belgium may not be the first country that comes to mind for food, but they do have some iconic dishes. I hope you have heard of moules frites (mussels with fries). Fun fact: Belgians eat their fries with mayo, not ketchup, even at McD and BurgerK. Try it if you haven’t, it’s surprisingly good. (Allthough you hopefully never would have thought to use ketchup with mussels anyway.)
Pretty much every restaurant in Bruges serves moules frites. Ours was decent but nothing to write home about.
For dinner, we got some great tips from the hotel reception and ended up at Julia’s, a stylish place, perfect for meat lovers (like Lars). They’ve got a massive grill in the center of the room, which can get a little smoky, but nothing too bad. I went for another local specialty: vol-au-vent, a puff pastry filled with creamy chicken stew.
The cocktails were excellent too.
We’d tried calling a few places to book in advance, but most were full. So if there’s somewhere specific you want to eat, book ahead. Here are the places our hotel recommended:
The next day, we had lunch at De Halve Maan, a hearty Flemish beef stew, of course made with beer. Tasty food, nice setting, and you can see right into the brewing area. It’s a big space, so you might not need a reservation outside of high season.
Chocolate Heaven
Bruges is pure heaven for chocolate lovers. There are shops everywhere, filled with local specialties and seasonal treats. Since we visited just before Easter, the displays were full of beautifully decorated chocolate eggs and bunnies.
You don’t have to shop right away – many stores carry similar items, so it’s worth browsing first. I imagine they switch up themes depending on the time of year, with Easter and Christmas being especially tempting
Naturally, we had to try some hot chocolate – and paired it with Belgian waffles, of course. We found a lovely café with canal views and just indulged.
Things to Do
Apart from brewery visits and a boat tour, we didn’t do much in the way of sightseeing – and honestly, that was enough. The canal cruise is a must. Ours was with Bruges River Cruises, whose dock was right behind our hotel.
If you’re visiting in early spring or late autumn, bring a scarf and gloves – it was chilly in March.
The tour gave us a new perspective on the city and some fun stories from the multilingual guide who gave live commentary in English, French, and Flemish – way better than an audio guide.
Later that day, we stumbled upon a carnival parade with colorful floats, booming techno music, and people tossing candy to the crowd. Totally unexpected and a lot of fun!
There’s also some nice shopping in Bruges – not just beer and chocolate. The main shopping street has some lovely boutiques you won’t find at home.
Final Thoughts
Bruges is one of those cities that has a little something for everyone. Whether you’re into history, architecture, beer, or just want to unwind in a beautiful setting, I can highly recommend it for a weekend escape.
We took the train directly to Bruges from the airport and continued on to Amsterdam (via Antwerp) after our stay. Belgium is a fantastic country for train travel – everything runs smoothly, and there always seems to be a train coming. We didn’t even bother checking when our train left for Antwerp, just headed to the train station when we were done in town.
