5 Things to do in Bruges/Brugge, Belgium

Bruges to me was really a fairytale medieval city with its canals, bridges, cobbled streets, horse carriages and churches. And did I mention waffles and chocolates ? 🙂

This is the rough walking route we took through Bruge – Google Maps Route 1 and Google Maps Route 2

1) Explore the beautiful canals and bridges

Having lived in the Netherlands for over 6 months, I didn’t think a canal city in any other country would excite me. But boy, Bruge canals and bridges have such an old world charm. It was like walking through a fairytale world.

Bonifacius Bridge – This was my favourite spot in Bruges. I could’ve sat here for hours (had the weather not been cold).

View from the Bonifacius Bridge

2) Explore the Centre and the streets

The Centre of Brugge is a UNESCO world heritage site and undoubtedly so. Each street, each turn we took had something quaint and beautiful to show us. The Markt place is crowded with tourists. The farther you walk away from it, the quieter it becomes. You will find many hidden gems.

The crow stepped gable was a characteristic of the houses in Bruges

The Beer Wall in 2be Bar

“Homeless Jesus”, Magdalenakerk

3) Go on a Waffle hunt

The birthcountry of the delicious treat! There are two different types of waffles in Belgium — the Brussels waffle (which is light, airy and crispy – up until now outside Belgium, I had only eaten this type of waffle) and the Liege waffle (which is chewy, thick and now has become my favourite type of waffle!).

Oyya (Liege waffle)

Absolutely loved the chewy thick goodness.
Flavour : Strawberries + Whipped cream

Fred’s (Liege waffle)

Again, loved the chewy texture. So flavoursome! Oh how I regret not taking away 1 more for later.
Flavour : Caramel + Whipped cream

Lizzie’s (Brussels waffle)

It’s bigger than my head!

I wasn’t a big fan of it, having tasted the Liege style waffle, but the place was so crowded that we had to wait in a queue for about 15 minutes.
Flavour : Sugar and Butter

4) Stuff your face with the finest Belgian chocolates

Throughout the day, as we were walking through Bruges, the heavenly smell of chocolate filled the air. There are chocolate shops every few steps!

Old Chocolate House – The best hot chocolate!
Choose from a wide variety of chocolate types and flavours and mix it on your own. The Belcolade Milk Extra was the richest creamiest hot chocolate. We also tried the salted caramel which was too sweet for our liking.

Huge cups!

Dumon Chocolates

We took an assortment of chocolates, pralines and truffles.

Chocolates & Happiness

A fairly new shop comapred to the others that have years of heritage to their name. But the assortment and friendly staff makes this our favourite chocolate shop in Bruge. We tried flavours like Hazelnut praline, Sweet butter caramel, Earl Grey, Passion fruit, Coco Brulée, Marzipan with pistachio, Hazelnut mousse with orange and Lavender.

These are the other top chocolate shops in Bruge that I had marked in our itinerary – The Chocolate Line, BbyB Chocolates, Olivier’s Chocolate Shop, Pralinette; we were so stuffed throughout the day that we ended up buying from only the above 3 stores.

5) Other great eats

Merveilleux at Aux Merveilleux de Fred

Merveilleux is a dessert that originated in Belgium. It has meringues covered with whipped cream and dusted with other flavourings like chocolate or praline. We tried the mini set with all 6 flavours they had. The white chocolate and caramel flavours were divine!

The Potato Bar

French fries were invented in Belgium. So we did try the yummy fry dishes at the Potato Bar. I wouldn’t say the fry itself was any more special than all the fries we’ve eaten in our lives 🙂

Mattentaart at Patisserie Schaeverbeke

Piping hot from the oven, this “curdled milk” tart is a Flemish speciality. It was just ok.

Other tips : We took an overnight FlixBus from Amsterdam to Bruge and back. There are many public toilets throughout the centre. But if you reach here by an early morning bus, be prepared for a queue at the lone open toilet in the train station. Also post 6 pm, when toilets and most shops and cafes close, McD or BurgerKing are good options (you can use their toilets for a fee).