Bruges is often called “the Venice of the North,” its medieval canals and cobbled streets so well preserved that the entire historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s one of the few European city centres that looks almost exactly as it did in the Middle Ages.
Why visit Bruges
The Markt, Bruges’ central square, is dominated by the Belfry, a 13th-century bell tower you can climb for a view over the entire old town’s red rooftops and canal network. Boat tours along the canals reveal the city from the water, past gabled merchant houses that made Bruges one of the wealthiest trading cities in medieval Europe. It’s also, famously, a serious chocolate and beer town, with chocolatiers and specialist beer bars on nearly every street.
Getting to Bruges by train
Bruges is about an hour from Brussels by train, making it an easy day trip or a relaxed overnight stop for travellers moving between Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
Top things to do in Bruges
- Climb the Belfry for panoramic views over the old town
- Take a canal boat tour past the historic merchant houses
- Visit the Markt and Burg squares, the city’s medieval civic heart
- See Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges in the Church of Our Lady
- Sample Belgian chocolate and beer at the city’s specialist shops and bars