How Many Days?
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The most important travel tip that provides all the advice you need to make your visit a success is to stay here for several days. With that, you don't have to worry about checking off all the items on your list because you'll have plenty of time to see everything. I stayed for three nights thinking, well, that was plenty, but in hindsight I would have liked to have a fourth night. Yes, four days in Bruges can be easily filled with so many wonderful activities. After all, this is one of the greatest destinations in Europe.
Some suggest staying in Bruges as a base and making day trips to Ghent and Antwerp. However, that's a bad idea. Ghent and Antwerp are fantastic cities that are each worth staying for two or three days. Several days in Bruges provides time for a side trip to the beach town of Ostend on the north shore, just 15 minutes away by train, then get back to town, continuing your explorations.
You might get tired because there is so much to see, so you want to pace yourself. Get an early start for the day when it's cool and not crowded and then take a break. Sit down at a cafe for a coffee or refreshments.
If you really do not have much time in your visit to Belgium, you could stay in Brussels and visit Bruges as a day trip. It's only one hour away. Get an early start, stay all day into the evening, and then return to Brussels. With careful planning, knowing where you want to go and what to see, you could get a lot out of one day.
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Dawn and Dusk
If you get out very early, you're going to have most of the town to yourself, which is practically empty at dawn. It's also fun to walk around the city in the evening when the canals and buildings are lit upl Both are more reasons for not just visiting on a day-trip.
When to Come
About the seasonality and timing, it's best to avoid the summer if you possibly can, because it can get very crowded. Spring and fall are the best times to be here.
Make your reservations in advance for a hotel that's within the historic center.
Walking is the best way to get around with so many sites to see, wear comfortable shoes.
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Take the canal tour boat ride.
How to Get Here
Arriving by train is a great way to come, but the station is nearly 2 kilometers away from the market square. So you could take a public bus or taxi, especially with luggage, or if here on a day-trip, you could walk from the station 500 meters over to Lake Minnewater and begin your walking tour from that point.
Where to Stay
See the listings for many hotel suggestions and links. I had the good fortune to stay at the Duke’s Palace Hotel for three nights in my visit to Bruges. It was a bit of a splurge on five-stars, but I figured as long as I'm in Bruges, one of the great cities, I want to be as comfortable as possible. The hotel is in the city center of Bruges with a lovely garden of 3000 square meters, cafe terrace, excellent buffet breakfast, gourmet restaurant, and all the facilities you can expect from a five-star superior.
Trip Research
When preparing for the trip, be sure to have a look at the official Tourist Information website, loaded with helpful information. There you can find maps with routes for walking tours, along with a lot of information about historic sites, restaurants, hotel accommodations and tours, all of which could easily take three days.
Consider purchasing a Bruges Musea Card for admission to most museums. The museums also have an excellent website.
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Although the Bruges region was already populated in Roman times, the city’s name appears for the first time in the 9th century, probably derived from the Old Germanic word ‘brugj’, which means ‘mooring’. Bruges has always had a special bond with the sea. After all, water played a crucial role in the city’s foundation. It was the place where several streams merged into a single river (the ‘Reie’), which flowed north into the coastal plain. This river was linked to the North Sea through a series of ‘tidal channels’, guaranteeing the city’s future welfare and prosperity.
A favorable location
In the early Middle Ages, Bruges developed into an international and bustling trading city with its own port, made possible by its favorable location and connection with the sea. At the same time, the fortified town became a powerful political stronghold, thanks to the presence of the Flemish Counts, who ruled over the County of Flanders. In the 13th century, Bruges was the leading trade centre of northwestern Europe. Merchants from all over Europe settled in the city and the world’s first ever stock exchange (‘Beurs’ in Dutch) was founded in Bruges. These market activities took place on a square in front of the house owned by a powerful family of brokers, the Van der Beurse family. As a result, their name became linked for all time with this kind of financial institution. In spite of the typical medieval maladies, the citizens of Bruges prospered, and soon the city developed a magnet-like appeal. Around 1340, the inner city numbered no fewer than 35.000 inhabitants.
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The golden century
The success continued and in the 15th century, Bruges’ golden century, business was better than ever before. This was due to the fact that from the end of the 14th century, Flanders was part of the realms of the dukes of Burgundy. They expanded their presence in Bruges, turning the city into a cultural and commercial centre that was second to none. In addition to the traditional broadcloth, numerous new luxury goods were now produced and sold. Famous painters such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling – the great Flemish primitives – found their creative niche here. The fine arts flourished, and in addition to wonderful churches and unique ‘nation houses’ (embassies), the monumental town hall was also completed. Bruges’ success seemed imperishable.
Decline
Bruges’ connection with the sea was cut off in the early 15th century, when the main river and harbor began to silt up and fill with mud, which prevented ships from getting into Bruges and choked off its connections with all of Europe. This was one of the biggest factors that led to the decline of Bruges as an economic power.
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There were several other causes for the economic collapse of Bruges. The sudden death in 1482 of the much-loved ruler, Mary of Burgundy, heralded the start of new and less fortunate times for the city. The relationship between the citizens of Bruges and their lord, the widower Maximilian of Austria, turned sour after they imprisoned him. When the Emperor was released, he took his revenge on Bruges by moving his Royal Court to Antwerp, with the international traders following him.
Other problems were the breakup of the Hanseatic Trading League, and then America was discovered, which brought about a big change in the method of commerce throughout Europe. And there was also a decline in the Flemish cloth working industry. This manufacturing of textiles had been a big source of revenue.
All of these problems combined to take away the economy of Bruges and transform it from one of the richest cities of Europe to one of the poorest. But that's why Bruges was never modernized and remained intact as a beautifully preserved medieval city.
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The Golden Age had passed and was succeeded by long eras of war and regime change. By the time Belgium gained independence (1830), Bruges was a poor and impoverished provincial city. Strangely enough, its fortunes were changed for the better by the writing of a novel. Revival
In Bruges la Morte (1892), Georges Rodenbach aptly describes Bruges as a somewhat sleepy, yet extremely mysterious place. In particular, the 35 pictures that were included in the book for illustrative purposes sparked his readers’ curiosity. Soon Bruges’ magnificent patrimony was rediscovered and its mysterious intimacy turned out to be its greatest asset. With great care, Bruges took its first steps into tourism. The age-old desire to be connected with the sea resulted in the development of a new international seaport at the end of the 19th century, which was given the name of Zeebrugge.
Bruges recently
During the First World War, Zeebrugge became the operational base for the German submarine fleet, coordinated from their headquarters on the Market Square in Bruges. Fortunately, both world wars left the historic city center virtually unscathed, making Bruges increasingly appealing to visitors and culture-lovers alike. Its beauty and attraction was confirmed in 2000, when UNESCO classified the entire medieval inner city as a world heritage site. Now, Bruges is one of Europe's most popular destinations. The rest, as they say, is history.
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