Our three-night stay in Amsterdam was followed by one night in Bruges. When we first started planning the trip, Bruges wasn’t on the agenda – we were going to go straight from Amsterdam to Paris for a six-night stay. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted to make a stopover in Bruges if possible. Although I didn’t know much about it, what I had seen and heard of it made it seem like a worthwhile detour. Luckily, we were able to cut a night off of our Paris apartment to slide a one-night stay in Bruges into our itinerary. I’m very glad we did!
We arrived in Bruges after a few hours of train travel (and a few train changes as it turned out the train agent we talked to in Amsterdam was wrong about the number of changes we would need to make) and were delighted to find that our hotel was located literally steps from the station – so convenient! The hotel was nothing to write home about – small room and a less-than-stellar wifi connection, but it was clean, had a nice shower, and was really inexpensive, so it was a good choice for us. If you’re looking for comfort and opulence, Ibis hotels are never the places to stay, but if you just need a place to sleep and shower for a night or two in Bruges, I’d recommend it!
Since we arrived around 3p and had to catch a train at 11a the next morning, we knew our time would be limited. I had to get to Belfort and really wanted to get to the Basilica of the Holy Blood and Scott found a great-looking chocolate museum, so we made it our mission to get those things done. Based on closing times, we went to Belfort first – it was worth rushing a bit to get there (not to mention climbing 366 steps to get to the top!). Although it looks like it could be part of a church, Belfort is actually a municipal building originally built to house city documents. If you go to Bruges, you MUST visit the Belfort! Yes, it’s a lot of stairs to climb, but there are a couple of landings you can use to walk around and catch your breath. And I don’t know many other places you can go for a view like that, especially in clear weather.
After the success of Belfort, we were looking forward to seeing more of Bruges, but alas, the museum and church weren’t meant to be. Although we got to the museum 40 minutes before closing time, they had already stopped selling tickets. So then we tried the church, but that one was also closed (we couldn’t even go in). There was a lot of construction happening around the building, so I’m thinking that’s why it wasn’t open because it should have been based on the info I found online. Another great travel trip – always try to check information like that (opening/closing times, admission fees, etc.) immediately before you visit an attraction so you’re aware of any changes. In the face of two strikes, we went for a guaranteed win – food! We stopped by a shop to get Belgian waffles, which were delicious! After that, we decided to do a canal cruise, much like the one we did in Amsterdam. It was a nice way to learn more about the city and kill some time before dinner. I wouldn’t say the canal cruise is a must-do because there’s just one canal around Bruges, so it’s not nearly as extensive as an Amsterdam cruise, but it’s worth it if you need to kill some time.
Dinner was at Cambrinus, a place that seemed to have some nice options, including local Flemish food. Another good restaurant choice! Scott’s beef stew and my pasta were both very good. The rest of the evening was spent wandering around, stopping by a chocolate shop (yes, more food!), and sitting in the Markt (Market Square) just people-watching for awhile. Check out a quick photo recap below:
Antwerp Station, which we stopped at briefly on our way to Bruges.
Typical street in Bruges. Such a well-preserved city!
Our first view of Belfort.
The view you get after climbing 366 steps!
We had to get a picture to commemorate the big climb.
Scott waiting to order our waffles.
WAFFLES!
Looking down the canal on our cruise.
A view of the Markt (Market Square).
Yep, it’s us again!
And now, it’s time for Paris! I started this post on the train from Bruges and I’m finishing it in our Paris apartment. It’s pretty hot here, but the sun is shining and we’re looking forward to having a great time. Watch for another update soon!
That One Guy Who Travels 
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been planning to take a weekend trip to Bruges for a while now. I appreciate your ideas for a rapid-fire visit!
My pleasure! I wish we would have had a bit more time, but I think if you stayed for more than two or three days at the most, you’d start to run out of things to do. Enjoy your visit!
Hi,
Your blog is great! My sister’s and I are doing the same trip next week but backwards (starting in Paris). It will be my first trip to Europe! You given me quite a few ideas. Can’t wait for your updates in Paris.
BTW- I work with Ruth Ann and I’m very glad she shared this with me.
Welcome to my blog! I’m glad RA recommended it to you. 🙂 Congrats on your trip – you’re gonna love it! We just got to Paris today and I can already give you one big piece of advice – if you haven’t already booked your Eiffel Tower tickets, do it now! We were planning to book them online today for a future day while we’re still here, but there were zero online ticket times for two people to see it at the same time. If you book now for a trip in a couple of weeks though, I bet you’ll be fine.
Happy travels!
Yes, we already booked the Eiffel Tower tickets thru- http://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Skip-the-Line-Eiffel-Tower-Ticket-in-Paris/d479-3588EIFFELTOWERSTL
Hope this helps!
Oh good! I’ve used Viator for tours in the past as well as for this trip and they’re always great!
At the risk of sounding like an ignorant American, I will admit that I had never even heard of Bruges before you began chatting about it as part of your itinerary. It looks like a lovely European city. I adore that you include lots of pics in your posts – super fun! 🙂
That’s not the first time someone has said that to me! Bruges isn’t a huge city, but it’s definitely worth taking the time to see.
You sure packed a lot into your short time in Bruges! I’m going there for 3 nights in November so hope to fit in the things you missed, too.
Yes, we tried our best to see as much as we could in that one night. 🙂 With three nights there, you should be able to hit all the highlights. Enjoy!
hello, I thought I posted the earlier comment here to seek your opinions if it is safe to visit Belgium. But mine is not here so I ask again for your opinion again.
Initially I planned 4 days to be spent in Belgium but a fellow traveller mentioned drugs, mugging and shootings in Brussels Midi which alarmed me. Now I’m thinking to cut down to 3 days instead. Still mulling on whether to visit there or not. I need to ensure that it is okay to visit there.
I googled for news on Belgium. True enough.
What do you think?
I’ve only been to Belgium twice – once for a day trip to Brussels from London and the other for this overnight trip to Bruges. Although it’s been awhile since I’ve been to either place, I don’t remember feeling unsafe or seeing any crime. Brussels is a big city, so there’s always going to be some crime, so my best advice is to do research ahead of time, protect your belongings, stay in well-lit areas, etc.
Hello again! Thanks for your tips. I am not able to find your Brussels post on your blog so far.
What made you choose Bruges instead of Brussels in the first place when you were in Amsterdam? I know Eurostar stops at Brussels from Amsterdam and you need to transit from Brussels to Bruges.
I actually don’t have a post about my trip to Brussels as I wasn’t yet writing my blog when I went there and I haven’t done a Travel Throwback post about it either! I might get around to it one day. 🙂
As for Bruges, it was honestly watching the movie In Bruges that made me want to see it. It looked like such a neat place to visit, so when we were planning that 2013 trip, we decided to cut a day off of our time in Paris to slide in an overnight trip to Bruges. We probably could have stayed for two nights to make sure we saw everything!
May i know what movie were you watching that made you decide to visit Bruges?
Bruges waffles link that you stated here is not working properly.
Just curious asking. What makes you so eager to see Basilica of the Holy Blood? It seems interesting. Chocolate museum looks interesting. I’m not sure if you know that there are two choclate museum in Brussels and Bruges. I personally think that the chocolate museum in Brussels seems to be better than the one in Bruges.
Oh yes, by chance, i stumbled upon that interesting place – https://sewermuseum.brussels/en/
If it rains heavily, the sewer tour will be cancelled.
The movie is called In Bruges, a dark comedy/drama film. Very good stuff! I often visit old churches and cathedrals when I travel because there’s so much history and cool architecture on them, so the Basilica of the Holy Blood seemed like a perfect spot to visit. As for a museum about chocolate, I figured it would be fun. 😊
shit! I forgot to add one more thing – chocolate museum link you gave here is not working too.
Yeah, I’m not surprised that some of the links I inlcude break over time. Since I was there a dozen years ago, some places I link to get new websites and even close altogether!
At that time, did you find Belgian food price reasonable or cheap or expensive? Supermarket food is reasonable?
Will you go there for another visit someday?
I have zero memory of food prices there and I don’t think I even went to a supermarket, but I think it’s safe to assume you could get better prices in markets as compared to restaurants. I’d happily go back to Belgium someday!
hello….how did you go to Bruges from Brussels midi station? Did you need to pay for extra ticket which allows you to go to Bruges? I realise that there is no need to pay for extra ticket for any city after Eurostar train arrival in Brussels midi station.
Did you try waffles factory or Madison dandoy? It says that these shops sell better quality of waffles.
I went to Brussels and Bruges on two different trips, so I took a train from Amsterdam to get to Bruges. I’m pretty sure we did try waffles in Bruges, but not from any “famous” spot.
which train did you take from amsterdam to Bruges without any transit?
Waffles factory and Madison Dandoy actually in Brussels. They are best recommended by the book review. I tried waffles from Waffles Factory and found it so-so because it’s a bit sweet.
oh yes Bruges are really more beautiful than Brussels. Seeing Bruges blew me away.
Oooh, that was a dozen years ago, so I’m honestly not sure! We did have to make a connection, if I remember correctly.