Weekend Getaway to Bruges
If you haven’t heard of Bruges, Belgium yet, you are missing out! Bruges, also known as the Venice of the North, is the most beautiful town in Belgium. Known for its iconic canals, waffles and chocolate (like the rest of Belgium), Bruges is a romantic spot for a little vacation. You can easily take the train from Amsterdam (or anywhere else close by in Europe) for a weekend getaway to Bruges.
This town is a hotspot for couples and also for families looking for a more low-key kind of vacation filled with food, museums, art and pretty views! Check out a weekend itinerary below that includes hotel recommendations, and many things to do!
Things to know before going to Bruges
- Make sure to try to spend a weekend or longer in this cute city. Of course you can make it a day trip if you would like, but this city has a lot to offer!
- Don’t expect a big nightlife scene – this isn’t like other cities in Europe. This is a more quaint, cellar pub type of space. If you are looking for some nightlife, you can check out Eiermarkt that has more student bars.
- Don’t try to stick to your diet! This probably goes for a lot of cities around Europe in general (hello Italy and your delicious pasta, pizza and gelato!). Bruges is home to amazing comfort food such as fries, chocolate and waffles – go crazy!
- Look in advance to see when the cultural festivals are happening. Bruges hosts many festivals per year such as a citywide photography festival, a summer music festival and more. If you are able to and want to, try to line up your trip to Bruges with a festival that interests you!
Accommodation Options
- Hotel Dukes Palace (This is where we stayed – highly recommend!)
- Hotel de Orangerie
- Relais & Châteaux Hotel Heritage
- Hotel de Castillion
Things to do in Bruges
Bruges Beer Experience
This was an experience that we added last minute onto our itinerary, and I am so glad we did! Right in the city center there is the Beer Museum where you can learn about beer history, sample ingredients and taste brews of varied styles. You can decide to either just go to the museum by itself or add on a beer tasting at the end (we opted for the beer tasting 🙂 ).
They provide an iPad that you bring with you through the museum and use it as an interactive experience. You can decide to read or listen to stories and information about the history of beer and test your knowledge with quizzes around every turn!
Waffle Making Class
Making waffles isn’t a speciality of mine, but after this class I now know how to make the most spectacular waffle! We booked our waffle making class through Viator and had an expert first each us about the history of different types of waffles. From there, we made the waffle batch from scratch, cooked them, decorated them and then ate them! This is a great thing to do with families, especially with kids!
Bruges Market Square & Belfry of Bruges
This is hard to miss as it is the center of Bruges! When we visited there was a big concert being held in the square so we weren’t able to really soak in it’s beauty as much as we would have wanted to (see photo below). That being said, there are great restaurants all along the outside of the square as well as some shopping!
Boat Trip on the Canals
It’s not a complete weekend getaway to Bruges without hopping on a boat trip on the canals! Similar to other towns/cities like Amsterdam, seeing the houses and town from the water is not to miss. You cannot book these boats in advance, you just wait on a line to join the next open boat. We only waited about 10 minutes, but I think we got lucky! Expect (during the high tourist months) to be waiting probably 15-30 minutes.
Burg Square
The Burg square is one of the earliest inhabited places of the city. The most impressive part of this square is the Town Hall (photo below). It was built in 1376 (WOW) and it was from this building that the city was governed for more than 600 years. There are some other historic buildings in the surrounding area but the Town Hall is by far the most impressive!
St. Boniface Bridge
While this bridge is one of the youngest bridges in Bruges, it’s arguably the most photogenic. It will always be semi-crowded with folks standing on it taking in the scenery surrounding, so make sure to also view it from the canal! Whilst standing on the bridge you can have a great view of the canals, half-timbered houses, the Church of Our Lady and the Gruuthuse Palace!
Groeningemuseum
We did not actually get a chance to go to this museum but I would be remiss if I didn’t add it to the weekend getaway to Bruges itinerary. Six centuries of Belgian visual arts in one location, you will find work by Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes, Gerard David, and many more main figures from art history. “Groeningemuseum is a dynamic institution with alternating presentations, focus exhibitions, and research projects which culminate in exhibitions with an international allure.” – www.museabrugge.be
Hopefully you are able to make a weekend getaway to Bruges work during your next vacation! There is so much to see and do in the quaint town. If you are looking for additional vacation spots (more day trips), make sure to check out our Day Trips from Amsterdam recommendations!
