With travel reopening in the EU, we decided to ease back into travel with a quick weekend trip to Bruges. The city itself is absolutely gorgeous, and with only a few tourists it felt really peaceful. We took the train from Amsterdam, and overall the travel experience felt really safe! Read on for exactly how to spend a weekend in Bruges, including where to stay, what to do, where to eat – and even what to wear.
I’m going to start with a few important questions that I had before we went – the first of which was:
Bruges or Brugge?
Like a lot of cities in Belgium, this one has two names (think Brussels/Bruxelles). Bruges is the French spelling. “Brugge” is what Flemish-speaking locals call it, but most tourists call it Bruges (pronounced kind of like “brooj”). And this leads to the next question…
French or Dutch?
My French is rusty (to put it kindly) and my Dutch vocabulary is embarrassingly brief. Like most places in Belgium, shop owners will usually greet you with a “Hello/Bonjour” – but many of the signs are in Flemish, a variant of Dutch. There are some areas in Belgium that are more French (Liège for example) and some that are more Dutch (like Bruges), but everyone learns multiple languages including English. So the short answer actually is – English is perfectly acceptable!
I was actually just asked by a friend whether a weekend was enough time, so the third question to answer is…
How long should I visit?
Honestly, I think two days is perfect. It’s a fairly small city, so a weekend in Bruges is plenty of time! Also keep in mind that most everything is closed on Sunday, so it’s ideal if you can arrive early on Friday morning (or even do Thursday – Saturday).
Where to stay
We stayed at the Hotel Duke’s Palace, which was lovely. It’s a perfect location in the center of the city – and it used to be an actual royal residence! That being said, there are plenty of adorable and very affordable bed & breakfasts. If you’re traveling as a couple, I have my eye on one of these three for our next trip:
Or if you’re traveling as a family, this three floor suite at the Canal Deluxe (complete with a spiral staircase & private canal terrace!) would be perfect for creating memories with kids.
What to eat
Bruges has Michelin fine dining spots, as well as cute inexpensive cafes and tearooms. It may sound cliche, but there are four foods you must try in Bruges: chocolate, waffles, cheese, and french fries.
For chocolate: We had chocolate from quite a few places (oops) but my favorite was Pralinette – they had this epic skull shaped chocolate that had a peanut butter & jelly combo inside. I also adored the truffles and wafers at Chocolate de Julie. If you’re going in the fall or winter, many places also offer delicious hot chocolate!
For waffles: Most of the cafes have excellent waffles, but we liked House of Waffles. They had savory and sweet options, and offered both Belgian-style and Liège-style waffles (thicker round ones sold by bakeries). I usually go for a classic powdered sugar, but for savory we loved the cheese & ham version. They have a sit down area, but also have a to-go window.
For cheese: We stopped into De Kaasbolle – the owner is such a lively character, and has a ton of great recommendations! We were able to pick up some cheeses to take home, as well as a yummy cheesecake (which I ate that day… ha).
For french fries: The Potato Bar! The servers and owners here are really kind and the food is great. The fries are crispy and classic, but you can also try one of their topping combinations. But beware that all of the dipping sauces are mayo-based – welcome to Europe 🙂
For brunch: That’s Toast was delicious! All of their toasts (sweet & savory) have some sort of cool twist. Bonus – it’s open on Sundays in case you need somewhere to grab a bite before leaving the city.
And for fine dining: Our first night we had dinner at Bruut. The head chef & owner Bruno is an awesome character, and Gauthier has stellar taste in wine. They actually switched from a traditional set menu to a shared plates concept – and I have to say everything was outstanding. He added smoked oil & cherries to the beet & burrata salad, and the tandoori-style rabbit covered in flowers sounds outlandish but was INCREDIBLE (I’m not joking… I don’t even like rabbit!). The orange wine we had was absolutely fantastic, and it’s on a picturesque canal. I cannot recommend this place enough!
What to do
Have a stroll along the canals. The waterways in Bruges are beautiful. While I love living on the canals in Amsterdam, they can be a bit loud – but the canals in Bruges are a lot more peaceful & relaxing.
Do some antique shopping. We stopped by Antiek Theatergalerij and most items were out of our price range, but I loved hearing the history of the pieces. My friends know I have an obsession with antique mirrors, and there was an epic Louis XIV mirror there! We want to check out Van Elsen next time.
Enjoy a Belgian beer. It seemed a bit touristy at first, but we really liked The Beer Wall. They have a ton of beers on tap and bottles, and a gorgeous view of the canals.
Visit the historic city square. The historic city centre Markt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the home of the Belfry of Bruges. It’s a medieval bell tower that will transport you back in time, and it has panoramic views of the city.
Have a cocktail at Bar Ran. This place was recommended to us by a local, and did not disappoint! Cocktails were amazing and so was the service – plus the owner Ran was really sweet and has won a ton of mixology awards! It’s very new so not yet listed on maps, but you can ask any local and they’ll be able to direct you.
This one is a bit contrary to popular opinion… but I would recommend not doing a boat tour. We saw several of them go by, and they seemed really noisy and crowded. I have a favorite boat operator here in Amsterdam (travel guide for the Dam coming soon!), but these tours seem short and a bit generic. With COVID I also didn’t feel comfortable being in such close proximity to so many other travelers, even though masks were required.
What to wear
Lastly in terms of what to wear and what to pack – don’t forget some mosquito wristbands (especially if you’re staying near the canals) and some comfortable walking shoes. Like most places in Europe, Bruges has many cobblestone streets. My favorites are these Schutz sandals because they have good padding in the soles, and I’m obsessed with Soludos at the moment – these espadrilles would be perfect. Lastly, the weather is pretty temperate or chilly most of the year, so I recommend a cozy neutral knit sweater. I love Sezane’s sweaters, and this one is similar to the one I’m wearing above.
If you’re planning any weekend trips, I’d love to hear about it – leave me a comment below!
Outfit details:
- Cover photo white puff sleeve dress and straw tote bag, both from H&M
- Cream low back Sezane sweater no longer available online but similar one here and another similar one here, and Madewell high waist jeans
- Black & white striped linen dress, similar one here.
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Loved this guide! Makes me want to go ASAP! Xx, Kelsey
Aww yay!! Can’t wait to hear how you like Bruges!