The city of Bruges has so many well-preserved medieval and neo-Gothic buildings that the entire town is like an outdoor museum. And you can go into several actual museums to enjoy fascinating art, sculpture and history. The Gothic churches also contain many great works of art enclosed in spectacular old architecture, including a statue by Michelangelo, and a brightly colored stained-glass windows all around you.
We shall visit the magnificent Cathedral, step into a 19th-century classroom in the Folk Museum, and see important art treasures in former palaces transformed into major museums. Bruges will keep you so busy with all of these wonderful churches, museums and many other sights that you'll want to spend at least a couple of days here.
Our first visit brings us inside the Groeninge Museum, with its priceless collection of Flemish masters and other Belgian visual arts covering six centuries.
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Starting out with the most beautiful and important painting in Bruges, The Madonna and Child by Van Eyck, the great artist who lived in Bruges in the last 12 years of his life. Filled with brilliant colors and fine details, it depicts Mary and Baby Jesus, flanked by two saints and an official of the church. He's that old man in the white robe who was included because he paid Van Eyck to make the painting. The minute details and architecture of the room and windows are depicted with a high degree of realism. Notice that little Jesus is holding a bouquet of flowers and a green parrot. There is also a portrait by Van Eyck of his wife.
Paintings by the Flemish masters are the main reason why many visitors come to the Groeninge Museum, including such artists as Hans Memling and Hieronymus Bosch, represented here with his Last Judgment and his typical tortured figures and bizarre monsters.
Various important artists were attracted to Bruges during the 14th through 16th centuries because the city was so wealthy, with many rich merchants and religious institutions that were ready to purchase the paintings. These artists devoted a great deal of attention to high-quality materials and careful techniques, often involving oil painting, which had just been perfected during that time. So these works, created 500 years ago, have retained their exceptionally high quality and enormous value to this day. The museum also has some modern art.
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The museum is located next to Arentshof, a charming little park that was once the private garden of a manor house, but now is open to the public—a great place to relax and take in the beautiful surroundings. The park is child-friendly and baby carriages are allowed. It's a popular spot for picnics, also known for its picturesque humpback pedestrian St Boniface Bridge.
The park is also next to the Gruuthuse Museum, which is housed in a lavish 15th-century palace that looks something like a castle. The courtyard is open to the public for free and has some wonderful buildings around it in various styles, from the Middle Ages through the late period. It's so photogenic you will be compelled to take lots of pictures. With the right angle, you can also get the canal and park into your background.
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An architectural gem blending medieval and neo-Gothic styles, the palace was built to impress, and it's been doing so in style ever since. It originally served as the opulent residence of a powerful lord who was patron of the arts. Now it's a museum showcasing a captivating collection of artwork and artifacts spanning from the 15th through the 19th centuries.
In the 15th century the building was expanded from a store into a luxury mansion, and there's a painting on display of Louis, one of the early lords of the manor. Some restoration work was done in the 19th century, and a recent project concluded in 2018 with major renovations of the interior and outside. Among the treasures is the terracotta portrait of Charles the Fifth, who was born in nearby Ghent and became Holy Roman Emperor, one of the most powerful people in Europe.
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History is brought to life by more than 600 exhibits, each with its own story to tell, from majestic tapestries to elegant wooden sculptures, old books and manuscripts, an 18th century dinner table, Chinese porcelain, and period furniture. Among many religious items are Madonnas and silver chalices for the mass. A model of an old sailing ship reminds us of the rich maritime history.
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From the upper floor you have a lovely view into the lobby area, and then step outside onto the balcony for a romantic perspective and dramatic view of the photogenic surroundings, including a bird's eye view of St Boniface Bridge and a gabled mansion. Notice how close the Church of Our Lady is right next door, which makes an excellent place to visit after leaving the museum.
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That belfry above the Church of Our Lady is the world's third tallest brick tower at 115 meters, looking up at the highest point of the city. The church dates back to the 13th century, built in the Gothic style with cross-rib vaulting on the ceiling and later Baroque decoration. There are double aisles along both sides of the nave, which is 25 meters wide and a length of 60 meters. The church is not just a museum of art. It's also a living place of Catholic worship where you could attend a service.
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The most important reason this church is so famous is the sculpture in the side chapel because it was the only statue by Michelangelo that ever left Italy during his lifetime. It was originally intended for the Siena Cathedral, but Michelangelo was never paid for that Siena project, so he canceled that work and sold the statue to a couple of merchants from Bruges, who then donated it to the church. This led to 20 years of legal headaches for Michelangelo, who was sued for not completing that Siena project. Admission to the main church is free, but there is a small charge to view the statue.
You can walk into a couple of the small side chapels where the wealthy could pray in private. Rich people paid to build these chapels in order to help them get to heaven, which was a good moneymaker for the church. You'll see beautiful artworks incorporated into the structure of the building, such as the baroque-style confessionals and a side chapel with stained glass windows and gothic ribbed vaulting.
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In the choir space behind the high altar there are tombs of Charles the Bold and his daughter, the Duchess Mary. These gilded bronze effigies of father and daughter repose at full length on polished slabs of black stone. Both are crowned, and Charles is represented in full armor, wearing the decoration of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The dress and ornamentation of the bronze Mary is consistent with the Gothic style.
These are among the most impressive tombs in 16th-century Europe in a prominent location in this major church, because Charles and Mary were so important to the history of Bruges and the region. After their death, Mary's husband Maximilian the First became Holy Roman Emperor and incorporated Bruges into his empire, although he did move his court to Antwerp, bringing most of the business with him, which contributed to the subsequent economic collapse of Bruges.
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There was a modest church on this site already in the ninth century, but construction of the present church began in the 13th century and took 200 years. The Gothic style was later enhanced with the Baroque ornamentation.
The church is beautiful from the outside, but as you've seen, it's worth going in to enjoy the incredible artworks that you will see with the stained glass and Michelangelo and everything else.
Just across the street is the Hospital of Saint John, one of the oldest hospital buildings in Europe and contains some major artworks inside, especially famous for the works of Hans Memling. He was a 15th-century master of hyper-realistic scenes who lived and worked in Bruges and created his most important masterpieces there.
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Just entering the building from the street is another adventure in itself and a reminder about the incredible medieval architecture of Bruges. It's like walking through a time tunnel, built in brick. We emerge into a lovely courtyard with those old buildings around it, like a plaza, almost like a public park in the middle of the city. And then the entrance to the museum is just on the right.
The museum also has an authentically preserved hospital pharmacy. You can imagine how the nuns in their rustling black and white robes process the herbs into medicine. The room served as a pharmacy, laboratory and nursing room. Anyone who needed care or a place to sleep was welcomed here, regardless of origin or class. The pharmacy will take you on a journey into history.
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You can also walk around the gardens and courtyards of the building to complete the visit. It's located on one of the main canals, which is a popular route for the canal boat tours.
A few blocks northwest brings you to the Cathedral, Sint-Salvatorskathedral. A lovely way to approach it is along Mariastraat and then on a side lane that will get you to the outside of the back of the church, the Gothic masterpiece of Sint-Salvatorskathedral, in English, St Savior, whose tower reaches 99 meters high.
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Upon entering, you will be impressed by the enormous space of the interior 100 meters long, greatest width at 52 meters and 28 meter-high ceiling, with a forest of massive columns outlining the nave and aisles, creating intricate spaces that are delightful to wander through, as you look all around and above at the cross-rib vaulted ceiling.
It's the oldest parish church in Bruges with a history that goes back to the mid-seventh century when it was a wooden structure, replaced by this Gothic marvel constructed between the 12th and early 16th centuries.
Many works of art have been added later, such as the fine altar in the Baroque style, with a meandering labyrinth pattern on the floor. You can also walk around behind the altar, which is just as beautiful as the front, in that same Baroque style, decorated with many beautiful statues. It's an active Episcopal Church offering mass daily.
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A rich collection of Flemish tapestries decorates the sides of the altar and around to the choir in front, with two rows of wooden choir stalls for seating of the clergy and the chorus. Altogether, there are about 40 altars in the various chapels, along with 120 paintings and various gold and silver objects, many of which are in the church museum.
The crossing where the transept, nave and altar come together is the most spacious and highest part of the church, offering a splendid experience to enjoy its many angles and perspectives.
As you walk back into the nave, you'll notice a wooden pulpit on the left side, made in 1605. At the far end is the rood screen, the black and white collection of sculptures and architecture, columns, and arches surmounted by a statue of God, and above that, an organ placed here in 1682. The rood screen originally stood as a barrier between the nave and the choir and was moved here in the 1930s.
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It's a great place to take pictures, and the best approach here is to walk all around and get different angles, looking up, looking to the side aisles, looking at the windows, close-ups, wide angles, and video. Every place you turn, there's another beautiful photo opportunity.
This church was not originally built to be a cathedral. It was granted this status in 1834 because the previous Cathedral in a different part of Bruges was destroyed during the French Revolution by French iconoclasts who we, re not fans of religious buildings.
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The ambulatory behind the altar is one of the most interesting parts of the building, with its curved aisle and chapels and stained glass radiating out from it. It is really quite dramatic. It's worth stepping inside several of these chapels to appreciate the artworks they are filled with, especially the colorful, radiant stained glass. The church's architecture is what's called Brabant Gothic, found throughout Flanders. But the ambulatory is a later style of flamboyant Gothic added two centuries after the church was built. Occasionally restoration work took place, and recently the Cathedral was completely restored between 1987 and 2017.
The Cathedral has an excellent website with lots of history and information, and there's a virtual tour, you can walk through the entire space, and the greeting that welcomes "everyone, regardless of origin, religion or philosophical belief." And they have occasional music performances.
Upon exiting the Cathedral, you'll be on the main street of town, Steenstraat, to continue your explorations.
Another place you would enjoy visiting is the Folk Museum in the north side of town, where you learn all about the ordinary daily life in Bruges in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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This nostalgic museum is housed in what had been single-room homes for poor people, renovated now with a garden courtyard and covered walkways.
As you walk through the series of rooms, it feels like you've entered a typical 19th-century village with its shops, such as the shoemaker with a realistic depiction of the racks of shoes and authentic tools in the cobbler's workshop.
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A grocery shop has a large assortment of grains and seeds and open bins ready to be scooped. The pharmacy has items from a real store in Bruges that was created first in 1863. When it closed in 1975, the museum purchased its contents. The hats displayed in the workshop were donated by three milliners based in Bruges, who took direct measures of customers heads.
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The 19th-century classroom is a popular exhibit, furnished with authentic desks, chairs, and chalkboards. Toys and games and old sleds are featured with some items from the 1950s and others much earlier, including some small models of clay figures. Confectioneries would make their own candies from sugars and chocolates and customized molds. Their authentic equipment is part of the display.
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It looks like you can walk into a tailor shop and get measured for a custom-made suit. The craft of barrel maker, or cooper, was very important in Bruges, where dozens of breweries once had to store their beer. You'll enter a Flemish living room, which combines a kitchen with daily activities, breakfast on the table, and dishes piling up in the sink. Upstairs has space for special exhibits. When finished, drop into their Black Cat Cafe for some refreshments.
However, the museum is located outside the town center, one kilometer away from the market square. While in the neighborhood, there's another fascinating site to see, an ancient church that is one of the hidden treasures of Bruges.
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Consecrated in 1429, the Jerusalem Chapel was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, with an ancient architectural style predating Gothic and Romanesque. A dramatic altar features many skulls serving as memento mori, reminders of death.
Originally constructed by the Adornes family, and now 600 years and 17 generations later, it's still owned by descendants of the same family, in a complex that includes several other buildings and a small museum.
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That family came from Genoa in Italy and settled in Bruges about the year 1300. Through clever trading and strategic marriages, they rose to high ranks of power and made a vast fortune. They took a pilgrimage trip to Jerusalem, which inspired them to build this complex, which also has a small, lush garden in the courtyard open to the public. The slight admission fee is well worth it.
