- Bruges
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- Eurostar
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Belgium
My tip for visiting Bruges is: go from Brussels on Sunday morning. Get out at the railway station and head into town.
Forget the churches and canals, just wander among the hundreds of bric-a-brac, car boot-type stall holders who cover the parkscape. Odd coins, objects, books, collectables, everything is there! What a treat!
Keep young children busy in this beautiful city by visiting Astridpark, on Schaarstraat. There's a great little playpark with slides, swings and sandpits and, next to it, a pretty park with ducks and a bandstand to play in.
If you walk from here through Vismart, depending on the time of day, your children will delight in the fish or toys and crafts on display.
Why not visit De Proeverie in Katelijnestraat. It is a delightful coffee shop. Their speciality is hot chocolate served the Belgian way with frothy milk and melted chocolate and whipped cream which you add yourself. It is out of this world. If that wasn't enough, it comes with a few chocolates from the chocalatier in the street opposite.
This restaurant was part of the excellent hotel we stayed in, Die Swaene. We decided to try it out for supper, not expecting the gastronomic feast we had in store.
The food was simply delicious, the service was excellent, and the surroundings beautiful. I highly recommend this restaurant. Our selection was the five-course Menu Romeo & Juliette.
This was also one of the most expensive meals we've ever had, close to €300 for two adults and a child. This price, however, included two decent bottles of wine from the Margaux region, early 90s. We felt that the quality of the food, wine, surroundings and service made this meal well worth the price.
Die Swaene Hotel, Steenhouwersdijk, 8000 Brugge, Belgium,
+32 50/34.27.98
www.dieswaene.be
info@dieswaene.com
From Burg Square, exit on the south and cross the river, take an immediate left (north-east) and the hotel will be a block up on your right. It's a five-minute walk.
If you wish to buy the best chocolate at reasonable prices, then the only place to go is The Chocolate Factory shop. You can taste before you buy and also watch the products being hand made.
In my vocabulary, Bruges means beer!
Start with a morning brewery tour, there are two within walking distance of the centre with free tastings! Then, head for lunch at one of the swanky restaurants by the fish market (go on splash out - you only live once) where you get a different beer with each course and even your own beer waiter!
Then head for one of the taverns near the Cathedral to try a Kwak or two, just for the glass it comes in (think chemical warfare and you'll get the idea). Then if you dare, try climbing the Belfort Bell tower for comic effect or sober up with a walk around the city walls or by sampling a chocolate or waffle or a chocolate waffle!
Finally, end the day sipping your favourite beer while eating mussels and watching the world go by at one of the many restaurants in the Markt Square. Perfect!
Stay at the Hotel Adornes right by the canal, five minutes' from the centre with the best breakfast ever, bicycles to use to travel futher afield for free and comfortable rooms and excellent service. The perfect place for a very relaxing weekend.
During the summertime, rise early on Sunday and have Bruges’ beautiful streets and attractions all to yourself.
The natives won’t be heading to work, the shops haven’t opened and the tourists have yet to rise. Grab breakfast in Vrijdagmarkt square before climbing the dizzy heights of the Belfry all to yourself; a feat more imaginable than the 366 steps that are necessary.
Take a solitary moment to reflect in the Church Of Our Lady and you’ll have just enough time left to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the Lake of Love’s swans.
Make the effort to take a local bus (every half hour) from the bus station, to the small Dutch town of Sluis - only just over the border. Well worth the visit, lots of bargains and don't forget the Windmill restaurant.
Don’t miss a trip to the Half Moon brewery in the centre where you can take a tour and learn of the traditional brewing methods.
There are quite a few very steep steps so take the tour before sampling the beer but the added bonus is the fantastic panoramic view of the city from the rooftop. Included in the modest price (around €4) is a glass of the wonderful Zot beer. There is also a good café/bar. A Votre Santé!
Calis is my favourite restaurant in Bruges (is on Hoogstraat). The food is sublime, service warm and efficient and it's great value. They also run a guest house!
If you're going outside of the summer months, try a glass of Jenever, a spirit similar to gin and guaranteed to warm you up!
For a very special (and expensive) treat have the champagne breakfast at the Hotel de Tuilerien.
Travel early in the season, when it is crowd-free and not too hot to walk miles in this most beautiful and relaxing of cities. When you can't walk anymore, take a horse drawn buggy ride, or boat trip along the canals.
Hotel Karos (very close to centre) has a quiet environment, friendly staff, and is clean and spacious. It is equipped with a sauna, a bar, a leisure area and so much more.
If you love hot chocolate visit De Proeverie in Katelijnestraat 6. It is owned by Sukerbuyc the chocolatier.
Their hot chocolate is served with the same sort of care as the Japanese serve tea.
They also claim to have the only British tea in Brugge, although why you would drink that I do not know!
Somewhere different to stay in the very heart of Brugge and a short distance from the railway station - De Barge Hotel.
Not only has the interior been sympathetically redesigned with a suitable nautical theme, the excellent restaurant and extremely helpful and friendly staff reward selective travellers with a memorable experience.
You will get a literal high while touring the Brewery De Halve Maan. And that's not even from drinking the strong brew!
Before your tour begins, the friendly chap at the ticket counter will tell you gleefully that you need to climb more than 200 steep steps to the top after you hand him your 3.90 Euro for your tour.
Well, that's not such a bad deal, after all, the view of Bruges is indeed panoramic and more scenic than the one at the Belfry Tower.
Also, a cool beer (included in the price of your tour ticket ) is a rich reward if you do manage to climb down alive on those steep steps.
Brewery De Halve Maan is at Walplein 26 8000 Brugge.
Make sure you try the local vanilla jenivers - it tastes like icecream and it's alcoholic!
If visiting by car avoid driving into the old city.
Use the multi-storey by the station - all day parking is cheap and the old city is just across the road and through a small park.
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