Bruges

While I was studying in Lille last year, I made a couple trips to Belgium (Lille is only literally 10 minutes away from the Belgian border so it's very easy to go there). I went to Brussels of course, the capital city, but I also visited a very small and cute town called Bruges, Brugge in the local language.

Bruges is a small town, located in the North of Belgium. The language spoken there is Flemish, but most of the people who work in the town center and who have direct contact with tourists can speak English and / or French and Dutch, so people can still understand you even if you don't speak the local language.

I went there in April and the weather was really nice. We were able to have a tour of the city from the canal (called the Rozenhoedkaai) thanks to the multiple societies that offer boat tours. Although there are a few of them, the boat tours are regulated by the city of Bruges, so the price of the boat tours are the same no matter which one you choose! It's definitely one of the typical yet very pleasant thing to do when you visit Bruges! While you're taking the tour, the driver of the boat, who is also the tour guide, gives you explanations about the different monuments you're passing by and the city of Bruges in general.

The main square of the city is really charming. The buildings have that typical architecture from the Flanders region with their recognizable roofs, which I personally really like. On this square you can find many restaurants, bars, museums and other monuments to admire!

It’s really fun walking in the streets of Bruges because it feels like time stopped at some point. The buildings gave us that impression, and also the fact that many people and tourists use horse-drawn carriages to go around. This is quite unusual in the city and really pleasant.

This city is a very relaxing one. There are almost no cars in most of the streets, so it’s really quiet, and there are some gardens at the end of the boat tour that you can admire, and where you can go back later by walking, and the locals are very welcoming and nice. I remember that it felt really good walking in the streets of this town because of this quietness and because it's really pretty with all the beautiful buildings.

Obviously, if you go to Bruges (or even Belgium in general) the one thing that you have to try and can’t miss is the chocolate. There are tons of shops where you can find some in Bruges, in any shape, flavor and even color that you could want. You should definitely check out the stores! You can really find anything, like chocolate with the shape of a shoe, or hand cream that is flavored with chocolate. If you like chocolate, you will feel in your element there.

Another traditional food in Belgium is the waffles. You can obviously find them in Bruges and you really need to take a break in your day there and enjoy one. There are many options on what to put on top of it, such as chocolate, jam, whipped cream, honey, sugar, and so on. Definitely worth the try!

Bruges is definitely a city where you should go and take time to visit. I think one day is enough to see it, and that’s a very pleasant and relaxing day. Bruges is easily accessible from Belgium, France and the Netherlands, by bus, car and train, so no excuses not to go!

Photo gallery