Bruges
Belgium, Europe
Medieval canals, world-class beer, and gone quiet by 9pm.
The canals are narrow enough that you could almost lean out of a window and touch the tour boat passing below. Bruges smells like waffles and horses and slightly damp stone, and the medieval centre is so intact it occasionally feels like a stage set. Cyclists outnumber cars inside the ring road, church bells mark each quarter-hour, and by 9pm the day-trippers have gone and the city exhales.
Our honest take
Bruges is genuinely beautiful and genuinely overrun. In July-August the Markt is a slow shuffle of selfie sticks. Stay two nights minimum, the city only belongs to you in early morning and evening. The chocolate is real; most of the waffle shops are tourist traps charging €7 for something mediocre.
Why go
- The Belfort at 8am before the queues form, 366 steps up a winding staircase, a carillon playing overhead, and rooftops in every direction with no cranes in sight
- Bruges has some of the best beer bars in Belgium. De Garre serves a triple you can only get in this one alley, and half a litre will do the job
- Cycling out of the city gates into the flat Flemish polder, windmills, cows, no traffic, is 30 minutes from the Markt and feels like a different century
Skip if you can
- Waffle stands on the Markt, €6-8 for a tourist waffle made hours ago; go to a proper tearoom or supermarket for the real thing
- Canal boat tours in July-August, 35-minute queues for a 30-minute tour, commentaries are thin, the canal is prettier from a bridge
- Dinner on the Markt itself, every restaurant on the square is trading on the view, not the food; walk one street back and the price drops and the quality rises
Things to do
Where locals eat
A pot of mussels steamed with white wine, celery, and onion, served with fries, the Belgian classic, best in mussel season (roughly Sept to Apr).
Cambrinus, a Flemish beer-brasserie in the centre, or De Halve Maan brewery (family-run since 1856) for stew and a Brugse Zot
Beef slow-braised in dark Belgian beer with mustard and bread, slightly sweet, served with fries, the regional comfort dish.
A traditional Bruges eetcafé
Twice-fried potato in a paper cone from a frituur, eaten with mayo or andalouse. A Belgian institution, not a French one.
A standalone frituur (try the 't Zand or Markt squares)
Know the difference: the light rectangular Brussels waffle with toppings vs the denser, sugar-studded Liège waffle eaten plain. Locals lean Liège as a street snack.
A dedicated waffle counter rather than a sit-down tourist café
Costs
Per person, per day on the ground, lodging, food, local transport and activities. Excludes international flights (see Getting there).
Belfort entry: €16. Canal boat: €12. Restaurant main course: €18-28. Belgian beer in a bar: €3.50-5.50. Supermarket waffle: €1.
Getting there
Where to stay
Atmospheric, walkable to everything, cobblestones rattling your suitcase at midnight
Quieter residential area, 10-minute walk to centre, cheaper hotels and B&Bs
Budget hotels and chain options, functional, no atmosphere but close to trains
Good to know
- Bruges is very safe, petty theft near the Markt in peak summer is the main risk; keep bags closed in crowds
- Cobblestone streets are beautiful and brutal on wheeled luggage and ankles, pack light, wear flat shoes
- Cyclists have priority on almost every street; step off the pavement kerb without looking and you will meet one
- Some canal bridges have low clearance, stand up in a boat on a dare and you'll regret it
Prices, visa rules, and transport details may change. Always verify with official sources before booking. Last updated: July 2026.