In Bruges

Several months ago my girlfriend and I decided we should go on a holiday together. Initially we thought we would just go along the south coast towards somewhere like Beer or Lyme Regis, but soon became distracted by the promise of chocolate in Belgium and finally settled on going to Bruges.

Last Monday, after waking up early to catch a train, then a tube, followed by the Eurostar, then another train and finally a bus, we had arrived in sunny Bruges. It was stunning; we had been dropped off onto a cobbled street lined with chocolate shops, where the tranquillity was only interrupted by the murmur of tourists and the clip-clop of horses pulling carriages towards the main square, or Markt.

After arriving, finding somewhere for lunch and checking into our hotel, we were ready to orientate ourselves within the bustle of Bruges. We headed towards the Minnewater Park; a beautiful garden surrounding ‘Lovers Lake’, which itself connected to the system of canals that wind their way around the city.

The beautiful Lovers Lake is a great place for an evening stroll

On our way we stumbled across the very impressive St. Saviour’s Cathedral, one of three places of worship we visited, the others being the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Church of Our Lady, which has the second tallest brick tower in the world and also features a sculpture from Michelangelo. On the second day we decided to climb the other prominent tower of Bruges’ skyline; the famous Belfry. The 366 steps required to reach the top gradually got steeper and narrower, but once you had a chance to recover your breath, the views across the city were spectacular.

The Belfry at night

We were staying in Bruges for four days, so we decided to buy a city pass that allowed free admissions into all of the main tourist attractions. Having this pass meant we could squeeze as much as possible into our stay, tallying up six museums and two art galleries amongst many other things. My favourite museum had to be either the multi-sensory, almost 4D, experience of medieval Bruges or the mouth-watering chocolate museum, featuring everything from the origins of chocolate in Aztec societies, to an unbelievably massive chocolate egg.

It’s hard not to succumb to the lure of chocolate and waffles in Bruges

It was incredible to hear how many languages many of the locals spoke – they all seemed to be fluent in at least four (Dutch, French, English and German) and they would ask you what language you would want to be spoken to in when you approached them. This was most evident on our canal boat trip, where the guide seamlessly switched between different languages pointing out the landmarks and maintaining an interesting dialogue, all whilst navigating the uncomfortably low bridges arching over the waterways.

A gorgeous view of where the canal meets Lovers Lake

The canal trip and Belfry climb are joined in my top three activities by the visit to the local and internationally acclaimed Halve Maan (Half Moon) brewery. After a guided tour through both the old and new parts of the production line and even a small science lesson, we were led back to their on-site bar, where we could try a glass of their handiwork for free.

After the brewery tour, we had time for one last waffle, piled high with chocolate and cream, before it was time to make the seven hour journey back home. It was a great way to end an incredible time in Bruges and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back there again.

James