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Bruges
If you set out to design a fairy-tale medieval town, it would be hard to improve on central Bruges (Brugge in Dutch), one of Europe's best preserved cities. Picturesque cobbled lanes and dreamy canals link photogenic market squares lined with soaring towers, historical churches and lane after lane of old whitewashed almshouses.
For many the secret is already out; during the busy summer months, you'll be sharing Bruges' magic with a constant stream of tourists in the medieval core.
To really enjoy Bruges, stay one or two nights – day trippers miss out on the city's stunning nocturnal floodlighting – and try to visit midweek to avoid weekend crowds.
The best times to visit are in spring, when daffodils carpet the tranquil courtyard of the historic begijnhof retreat, or outside of Christmas in winter, when you'll have the magnificent, if icy, town almost all to yourself.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Bruges.
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Markt
The heart of ancient Bruges, the old market square is lined with pavement cafes beneath step-gabled facades. The buildings aren't always quite as medieval as they look, but together they create a fabulous scene; even the neo-Gothic former post office is architecturally magnificent. The scene is dominated by the Belfort, Belgium's most famous belfry. Its iconic octagonal tower is arguably better appreciated from afar than by climbing the 366 claustrophobic steps to the top.
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Groeningemuseum
Bruges’ most celebrated art gallery boasts an astonishingly rich collection that's strong in superb Flemish Primitive and Renaissance works, depicting the conspicuous wealth of the city with glittering realistic artistry. Meditative works include Jan Van Eyck’s radiant masterpiece Madonna with Canon Van der Paele (1436) and the Madonna Crowned by Angels (1482) by the Master of the Embroidered Foliage, where the rich fabric of the Madonna’s robe meets the ‘real’ foliage at her feet with exquisite detail.
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Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
In the restored chapel of a 12th-century hospital building with superb timber beamwork, this museum shows various torturous-looking medical implements, hospital sedan chairs and a gruesome 1679 painting of an anatomy class. But it's much better known for its six masterpieces by 15th-century artist Hans Memling, including the enchanting reliquary of St Ursula. This gilded oak reliquary looks like a miniature Gothic cathedral, painted with scenes from the life of St Ursula, including highly realistic Cologne cityscapes.
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Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed
The western end of the stadhuis morphs into the Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed. The basilica takes its name from a phial supposedly containing a few drops of Christ’s blood that was brought here after the 12th-century Crusades. The right-hand door leads upstairs to a colourfully adorned chapel where the relic is hidden behind a flamboyant silver tabernacle and brought out for pious veneration at 2pm daily.
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Stadhuis
The beautiful 1420 stadhuis features a fanciful facade that’s second only to Leuven’s for exquisitely turreted Gothic excess. Inside, an audioguide explains numerous portraits in somewhat excessive detail before leading you upstairs to the astonishing Gotische Zaal (Gothic Hall). The exterior is smothered with replica statues of the counts and countesses of Flanders, the originals having been torn down in 1792 by French soldiers. Entrance includes admission to the Gothic Hall and adjacent Brugse Vrije.
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Jeruzalemkerk
Within the so-caled Adornesdomein estate is one of Bruges’ oddest churches, the 15th-century Jeruzalemkerk, built by the Adornes family. Supposedly based on Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it’s a macabre monument with a gruesome altarpiece covered in skull motifs and an effigy of Christ’s corpse tucked away in the rear mini-chapel. The entry price includes admission to a small museum occupying several of the estate's pretty almshouses.
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Belfort
Towering 83m above the square like a gigantic medieval rocket is this fabulous 13th-century belfry. There’s relatively little to see inside, but it’s worth the mildly claustrophobic 366-step climb for the fine views. Look out through wide-gauge chicken wire for panoramas across the spires and red-tiled rooftops towards the wind turbines and giant cranes of Zeebrugge. Visitor numbers are limited to 70 at once, which can cause queues at peak times.
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Burg
Just east of the Markt, the less theatrical but still enchanting Burg has been Bruges' administrative centre for centuries. It's in this area you'll find the city's stadhuis, the Gotische Zaal, Brugse Vrije and Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed.
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Kasteel van Loppem
Around 10km south of Bruges, Kasteel van Loppem is a mid-19th-century brick castle-mansion which had its moment of fame at the end of WWI when it was briefly home to the Belgian king and was the command centre for the Belgian army. There's an antique hedge maze on the beautifully manicured grounds.