A day in Bruges

More than 715.000 guests on cruise ships were counted in the port of Zeebrugge in 2019. The municipality with 4.000 inhabitants is part of the Flemish city of Bruges. The historic trading town, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, offers ideal conditions for individual tours through the historic city center.

To get to Bruges, we take the Kusttram in Zeebrugge. In Blankenberge we change to the bus. We leave the bus at the Concertgebouw. Before our city tour, we visit the In&Out tourist information center at the Concertgebouw. It offers visitors on the Internet and on site excellent information about city tours

Bruges Concertgebouw

Next to the tourist information is the Concertgebouw. Bruges' 120 meter long and 50 meter wide concert hall cannot be overlooked with its red color scheme. The auditorium can seat 1.300 people. A chamber music hall with 300 seats is located in the associated 28 meter high lantern tower. More than 100 concerts of various styles are organized in the Concertgebouw every year. The city built the remarkable concert hall in connection with the nomination of Bruges as European Capital of Culture in 2002.

Bruges Concertgebouw

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Minnewater, Beguinage, Halve-Maan-Brouwerij and the Oude Sint Janshospitaal 

We walk through a green area to the Minnewater. The water basin, which looked small and contemplative in modern times, was the destination of the transport barges between Bruges and Ghent during the Hanseatic League.

The Ten Wijngaarde beguinage, founded in 1245, follows the Minnewater. In the extensive complex you can see how the pious Beguines lived in their Christian, order-like community. Beguines are history; today Benedictine nuns live in the whitewashed houses. The large gate of the monastery complex is closed every day at 18:30pm

Beguinage - entrance area

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Little more than a stone's throw separates the beguinage from the Halve-Maan-Brouwerij. The brewery is located on Walplein 26. It was mentioned in a document as early as 1546. The top-fermented Brugse Zot beer is still brewed at this location today. Brewery tours are offered.

The Oude Sint Janshospitaal is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe. Its origins go back to the 12th century. In the Oude Sint Janshospitaal, pilgrims received shelter and care. Bruges was a stage destination on the Camino de Santiago. Religious sisters and friars provided the service to the sick.

Oude Sint Jansspital

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In the hospital museum, a large hospital room with all furniture and the usual utensils is shown. In modern times, the hospital serves as an exhibition area, event location and conference center.

Two important sacred buildings 

The hospital and the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk on Mariastraat are only a short walk away. The 122 meter high tower of the Liebfrauenkirche was built from bricks, which is still considered a technical masterpiece today. The church has many outstanding works of art. Michelangelo's painting Madonna and Child is particularly famous. The church is a museum, only a part of it is used as a place of worship.

We walk through the Heilige Geeststraat to Bruges' oldest parish church, the St. Salvator's Cathedral. The origins of the Gothic church go back to around 1250. We visited the cathedral during a service, so we were not allowed to see the organ choir and choir stalls. The coats of arms of the Knights of the Golden Fleece also remained hidden from us. The cathedral museum with paintings, tombstones and reliquaries is definitely worth seeing. The tapestries from the 18th century are said to be of inestimable value.

Sint Salvators Cathedral

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Our next destination - the Grote Markt

A few hundred meters separate the cathedral and the Grote Markt. The way to get there is through the busiest neighborhood in the city. When we arrive at the market square, we feel overwhelmed. We estimate the dimensions to be 100 by 70 meters. The northern flank of the square is occupied by narrow houses that are used exclusively as restaurants.

De Grote Markt with the Proviniciaal Hof

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The western side of the Grote Markt offers space for shops and office buildings. Opposite them is the Provinciaal Hof, built in neo-Gothic style. The representatives of the province met here. The building is currently only used for ceremonial purposes. Visits are possible. The southern side of the market is taken up by Bruges Belfry and the halls.

 

A leaning tower and the visitor does not notice it. The tower leans 1,19 meters to the left. Belfries were the epitome of a city's freedom of market. The towers were once considered a safe place to store archives and city treasures. They were also useful as watchtowers from the enemy and fire. Bruges Belfry was built from 1240 as part of the halls in which cloth was traded. The tower burned several times. Once the city archives were lost in a fire. The octagonal upper floor, in neo-Gothic style, was only built in 1822.

Bruges Belfort

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The tower has a carillon made up of 47 bells. Extensive bell concerts are played regularly. We too can enjoy the varied game. The viewing platform is accessible via 366 steps. We were denied the ascent due to a long wait. It's a shame, we would have liked to have enjoyed the view of the city.

Instead, we take a break at the "Aux Merveilleux". The small café is located on Eiermarkt, near the Grote Markt. It reminds us a little of Viennese coffee houses and spoils its guests with a variety of delicacies. We decide on coffee and delicious meringues. Merveilleux!

Buildings on Burgplatz

We walk only 100 meters from the Grote Markt to Burgplatz, where Bruges City Hall is located. We believe it is one of the oldest and most beautiful town halls in Europe. The Gothic hall with its oak vault is a work of art alone. The wall paintings from the 19th century illuminate scenes from Bruges history. In the historical hall next door, objects and documents relevant to history are exhibited. 49 statues of biblical figures and secular rulers adorn the facade of the town hall.

Right next to the town hall there is a rather inconspicuous church, the double church of the Holy Blood Basilica. Architecturally, it consists of two houses of worship built one above the other. Below is the Romanesque St. Basil's Church, above the Gothic basilica of the Holy Blood Chapel. The relic of the Holy Blood is kept in it. According to legend, it is a few drops of blood from the Savior. A nobleman bequeathed it to the city of Bruges after the Second Jerusalem Crusade.

Double Church of the Basilica of the Holy Blood

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Other buildings worth seeing on Burgplatz

The old chancellery 
It is a renaissance building based on the town hall. The golden Justitia crowns the middle of the three gables of the 16th century building. It indicates the original purpose of the old chancellery. After the construction of the Old Court, the magnificent Renaissance building was rededicated as the city chancellery.

The old chancellery

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The Old Court of Justice 
The building was the seat of the court and the meeting place of the council of free citizens of the region. Hence the name of the building: Landhaus des Bruges Freiamt. The coat of arms above the entrance gate attests to this task.

The Old Court of Justice

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The house of the cathedral provosts
A building completed in the 17th century. The provosts of St. Donatian's Cathedral resided in it. The church originally faced the town hall before it was demolished in 1799. Parts of its foundation walls can be seen in the basement of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The cathedral provost's office

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A canal cruise through Bruges canals

Under the arch of the old chancellery we go down to the fish market. The complex, supported by columns and built in the classicist style, was built in 1820. The traditional fish market is held here in the mornings on weekdays. Before we see the building, we take a canal cruise, a "must" in Bruges. The trips show Bruges sights from a low water perspective.

A typical canal boat

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Five moorings are available for canal trips. We start at the Huidenvettersplein. The tour takes 30 minutes and costs 10 euros. The boats are open. In case it rains while driving, the boatmen have umbrellas ready. They explain Bruges sights in several languages.

Huidenvettersplein pier

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Not far from the Grote Markt on Jean van Eyck Plein with the Poortersloge, the trip shows a little-visited sight. The towering building dates from the 15th century. It was the meeting place for the citizens of Bruges and the meeting place for wealthy merchants. The magnificent secular building resembles a church. In front of it stands the statue of the respected Flemish painter Jean van Eyck, who achieved fame in the 15th century.

In the background the Poortersloge

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The Groeninge Museum and the Godshuizen

After completing the canal cruise, our route leads past the fish market over to the Groeninge Museum. For a while we walk along the Dijvergracht. A spectacular vantage point on Rozenhoedkaai allows photographers to regularly pick up their cameras. In the foreground are the canal and several restaurant terraces, in the background Bruges Belfry towers over the scene.

A museum complex is hidden behind the Liebfrauenkirche. The Groeninge Museum has the greatest importance. It shows works of art by Dutch and Flemish artists. The exhibition ranges from the Old Masters to the Flemish Primitives and the Flemish Expressionists.

Our Lady Vrouwekerk

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Finally, we stroll down the Groeninge. After 400 meters we stand in front of the Godshuizen, the houses of the Lord. The foundation houses Meulenaere and St. Jozef, built in the 17th century, are located on the Nieuwe Gentweg. The houses were built to provide housing for the poorest of the poor. The right to live in the small apartments required spiritual requests from their residents for the donors.

Foundation houses Meulenaere

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All in all - a worthwhile tour

The distance we covered in Bruges is five kilometers. We got to know the main buildings and places. There would have been enough time to visit individual museums. After all, we take time for a refreshment before we end our stay in Bruges with a little shopping spree. We read on the city's tourism page that 49 chocolatiers are vying for the customers' favor. Souvenir shops, suppliers of Belgian lace, art galleries and much more make enticing offers for visitors.

One of 49 chocolate shops

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Those guests who spend more than a day in the city are to be envied. Good hotels and a variety of interesting restaurants await them. We know what we are talking about. Bruges is more than worth a visit.

Update December 2023