Plan your city trip to Bruges now with our tips. A city trip to Bruges is a great idea if you love beautiful historical buildings, unique churches, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate. But more on that later.
A city trip to Bruges is very accessible from the Netherlands because it is not far from the Dutch border. Another nice thing about Bruges is that you can speak Dutch there. You may be abroad, but you are in the Flemish part where the Flemish inhabitants speak Dutch.
Additionally, you can combine Bruges, an urban city, with a special coastal town. This way, during your city trip, you get the best of both worlds. A city where you can enjoy culture and architecture, but also a coastal town where you can enjoy a refreshing breeze. Curious about a city trip to Bruges and what you can do and experience there? Read on quickly.
Transportation to Bruges
Bruges is a city on the west coast of Belgium. It is located in the Flemish part of Belgium and is not very far from the Dutch border. From Vlissingen, it is a little over an hour and a half drive, and from Roosendaal, it is about a 2-hour drive.
You can also reach Bruges by train, but there is not a very convenient connection from the Netherlands. If you love long train journeys, this is no problem. You will transfer a maximum of two times within Belgium and it will take about 3 hours from the Dutch border to reach Bruges.
A return ticket from the Dutch border costs about €35 per person. This does not include the costs from your home station to the Dutch border.
The tallest tower in Bruges
Bruges is a city with many old buildings. You can enjoy the most beautiful structures here. If you love architecture, Bruges is a very nice destination for a city trip. One of the most beautiful buildings is the Belfry of Bruges. This is an 83-meter high tower that you can find on the Market Square. You can climb it, and once at the top, you have a magnificent view over the city.
The Belfry of Bruges is also known as the Hall Tower. This name originates from the 11th century. In the place where the tower now stands, you could once find large halls where textiles were traded. The tower has a rich history and has even burned down once. In the thirteenth century, it was decided to completely restore the tower. In 1999, this landmark was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Discover everything about chocolate at the Choco-Museum
The Choco-Story museum is the most fun museum in Bruges and definitely worth a visit during your city trip to Bruges. The chocolate museum gives you an insight into the role chocolate has played in the history of Bruges. A centuries-long history and an explanation of why chocolate is so important for Bruges. In between, you also enjoy the most delicious chocolate products that are offered for free. You can also buy your favorite chocolates in the museum’s shop.
Follow a chocolate-making workshop near the Choco-Museum
Have you completely gotten into the chocolate mood and want to try a chocolate-making workshop yourself? You can do this very well in Bruges.
There are several options close to the Choco-Museum. At Pralinette, you can also go with a large group. A group of up to 8 people per workshop. All the chocolate you make can be taken home with you afterward. You even get an official certificate stating that you participated in the “Pralinette Chocolate Academy”. The workshop lasts between 2 and 3 hours, and you will focus on making pralines and chocolate truffles. All this while enjoying a snack and a drink.
Visit the Flemish coast
It is very common to make a small trip to the Flemish coast during a city trip to Bruges. In just half an hour’s drive, you can reach the coastal town of Knokke-Heist. Knokke-Heist is comparable to Bloemendaal. It is a chic coastal town where you can escape all the hustle and bustle and mass tourism of Bruges and enjoy a refreshing breeze. You can also cover this distance perfectly by bike. The bike ride from Bruges to Knokke-Heist takes about an hour. Once at the coast, you can also cycle along the boulevard. With a view of the beach and a short break in one of the many beach bars, this is also a fun activity to undertake.
Cycling in Bruges
Bruges is a cycling city. Just like many Dutch cities, cycling is very common in Bruges. If you want to discover the city by bike during your city trip to Bruges, this is very possible.
With us, you can book a guided bike tour. With this guided bike tour, you cycle with your Dutch-speaking guide along various Bruges attractions. The bike tour lasts about 2.5 hours. During this bike tour, you will cover between 10km and 15km.
Sights in Bruges
During the highlights tour of Baja Bikes, you will cycle past many different sights. Some Bruges attractions you will cycle past are:
- the Burg
- the Market
- the Bruges Canals, these are the canals of Bruges
- the City Theatre
- Our Lady’s Church
In between, there is always room for a break to take photos. There are also children’s bikes and child seats available in Bruges. This makes it very easy to go out with the whole family.
The highlights tour can be booked from a group of 5 people.
If you prefer to go with a private guide, that is also possible.
Discover all the bridges in Bruges during your city trip
Bruges is a city where you can take wonderful walks. The special houses, the architecture, the narrow streets. Wherever you look, there is much to see. But there is one thing that truly sets Bruges apart from other destinations. The bridges.
There are more than 80 bridges in total in Bruges. Slightly more than half of these are located in the city center, in the old historic center. If you go with a group, you can do the ‘Bruges challenge’. See who can take the most selfies with the most bridges in an hour. The winner gets a nice drink and a bag of real Bruges pralines.