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10 Best things to do in Bruges Belgium

bruges canal cruise

Bruges is the most charismatic and loveable medieval city in Europe and here is the list of 10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium

Your Europe trip will not be completed until you visit this UNESCO World Heritage City. The town is a charismatic land with swans, canals, roads, and chocolate shops. The picture-perfect canals are linked to the sea; not only Beguinage and Belfry, but UNESCO also designated the entire city centre as a world heritage site. These 3 world heritage sites are the main things to do in Bruges in one day. Other than these main attractions, we are going to see what are the 10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium.

Bruges and Films.

We first heard of Bruges watching the Bollywood movie PK. The initial part of the movie was shot in Bruges and it was enough to portray a picture of stunning Bruges to convince us to include it in our upcoming Europe trip itinerary. As a result, we planned to cover all spots as shown on the movie map. In addition, there are many other movies and series shot in Bruges. You will get an updated list here.

Our initial plan was to cover France, Netherland, Germany and Switzerland, but we had to change our plan a bit to include Bruges. So, we replaced Netherland with Belgium for time constraints and after spending a day in Bruges we must say that we did the right thing. 

Journey to Bruges begins

Let’s start the journey. Firstly, we reached Brussels from Paris by Thalys train in just 1.2 hours. After checking into our hotel, we had a quick tour of the capital city of Belgium. The next day morning, we were excited to witness the world heritage site, Bruges. As we stayed in a hotel just opposite the Brussel – Zuid station, it was convenient to onboard the train at around 10 a.m. As kids under 12 years of age travel free in Belgium, we bought only two return tickets and got some free goodies for our kids so that they can spend their time on the train in the next one hour journey. 

We enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we walked along the road to the city centre.

Here is the list of 10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium in one day –

  1. canal tour
  2. museums
  3. Belfry tower
  4. Chocolate shop
  5. Bruges Markt (City Centre)
  6. Basilica of the Holy Blood
  7. Lovers bridge 
  8. Lake of Love
  9. Begijnhof
  10. horse and carriage tour

10 best things to do in Bruges – Bruges Canal tour:

bruges canal tour

Although you can roam around the city by foot or horse and carriage but cruising on the canal is the best way to see Bruges. Additionally, You can enjoy the beautiful buildings and scenic roads relaxing on one of the boats. There may be a queue to get into the boat in summer, you need to plan accordingly. The whole city is connected through canals. The beauty of rows of houses on both sides of the canal will fascinate you. There are several jetties across the city and you can get your boat from any one of them. 

Museums are one of the best things to do in the 10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium

There are many museums across the city. Visit the museum near the city centre where the city’s history comes to life. It is better to visit this after a long walk to have some rest. You can also visit the famous Torture museum.

Belfry tower

what to do in Bruges Bruges Belfry

Belfry tower is situated at the heart of the city centre. It is a world heritage site. Additionally, you can climb up 366 steps to take a breath-taking view of the city but beware of the queue at pick hours. 

Chocolate shops in Bruges

10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium chocolates

Belgium is famous for its beer and chocolates. There are many chocolate shops across the city centre. You must try the chocolates and in addition, you may visit a chocolate museum too.

Bruges Markt is one of the best things to do in the 10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium

Markt is the most happening place in the city. You will find all types of shops here. Also, there is a weekly market since 985.

Basilica of the Holy Blood

what to do in Bruges Basilica of the Holy Blood

It is a beautiful holy church with a piece of cloth with the blood of Jesus Christ on it. You must visit this church while you are in Bruges. Above all It is a architectural masterpiece.

Lovers bridge

It is a romantic bridge over the Lake of Love and legends say that if you cross the bridge with your beloved holding hand, you will relish eternal love together.

Lake of Love 

10 best things to do in Bruges Belgium Lake of Love

The lake is the romantic hotspot of Bruges, a must-visit with your beloved.

Begijnhof

This small world heritage site was founded in 1245. Above all, this place is very peaceful and you can enjoy some time here. It was once the home of the beguines but is inhabited by nuns today.

Horse and carriage tour:

Take a horse-drawn carriage ride from the city centre. It is another way of seeing Bruges.

After the canal cruise and roaming around the city by walk, we had our lunch in a local restaurant in the city centre. We were in Bruges till 8 pm in the evening and were feeling very tired after the whole day’s journey and decided to go back to our hotel in Brussels after enjoying hot chocolate and cake. It was an unforgettable day full of fun. These are the 10 best things to do in Bruges, Belgium; although there are many other things to do based on the time of the year you are visiting. Above all, We recommend always referring to the visit Bruges website. We really needed a good nap at the night, the next day morning we need to catch the train for our next destination, Frankfurt, Germany.