Planning a trip to Bruges
Graceful Bruges has drifted down the stream of time with all the self-possession of the swans that cruise its canals. To step into the old town is to be transported back to the Middle Ages, when Bruges (Brugge in Dutch) was among the wealthiest powerbases in Europe. Despite the city’s turbulent past and two world wars fought around it, Bruges and its glorious monumental buildings have remained untouched by the passage of time; it’s so picture-book perfect that in 2000, UNESCO awarded the entire city center World Cultural Heritage status.
Bruges is the capital town of West-Vlaanderen (West Flanders) province, and is the pride and joy of all Flanders. Medieval Gothic architecture is the real deal here, along with a layer of Romanesque; a touch of Renaissance, baroque, and rococo; a dab of neoclassical and neo-Gothic; and a smidgeon of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. But Gothic is what Bruges does best, in quantities that come near to numbing the senses—and likely would do so if it wasn’t for the distraction of the city’s contemporary animation. To what does it owe its Gothic glamor? In the 15th century, Bruges was a center for Hanseatic League trading, and with the growth of its wealth it acquired the rich heritage of civic buildings that you see today: guildhalls, exchanges, warehouses, and the residences of wealthy merchants.
Visitor Information
There are three tourist offices in Bruges; the most central is the biggest and it’s at the Historium in Markt. Opening hours are daily 10am to 5pm and it’s always crowded. A second branch is at the Concertgebouw, 't Zand 34, inside the city’s Concert Hall, about midway between the train station and the heart of town; it is open Monday through Saturday 10 to 5pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am to 2pm. The third information center is at the station itself and is open daily 10am to 5pm. Call tel. 050/444-646 or visit www.brugge.be.
The money-saving Musea Brugge Card is available at any one of the 14 participating museums and historical sites, which include the Belfort and Stadhuis (Town Hall) as well as the must-see Groeningemuseum and St. John’s Hospital, which houses several masterpieces by the Flemish primitive artist Hans Memling. The card, valid for three days, costs 28€ for adults and 22 € for ages 18 to 25. It’s worth it if you plan to visit multiple attractions, as individual ticket prices hover around 12€. For more info, go online to the Visit Bruges website www.visitbruges.be.
City Layout
Bruges is a circular tangle of medieval streets surrounded by canals and moats; the monumental squares of the Markt and the Burg lie fairly centrally, adjoined by a labyrinth of alleyways and dramatic, imposing buildings. The city’s major attractions fan out from there, with many lying to the southwest and another pocket to the northwest.
Outside the canals are the suburban residential neighborhoods—they were formerly separate gemeenten (districts) with their own local government and not part of Bruges at all—where most residents have their homes, although of the 120,000 people who live in the city, around 20,000 actually live and work in the ancient center.
Getting Around
The gorgeous center of Bruges is compact and filled with cobbled pedestrians-only streets, which makes walking the best way to get around. Just don’t go out for a day’s sightseeing wearing kitten heels; those charming cobblestones can be really hard on your feet.
By Bus
Most city and regional buses are operated by De Lijn (tel 070/22-02-00; www.delijn.be/en) and depart from the bus station next to the train station on Stationsplein, or from a secondary station at ‘t Zand near the Concertgebouw , and many buses stop at the Markt in the Old Town. Purchase your ticket from a De Lijn sales point or automatic ticket machine before boarding and you’ll pay less than buying tickets on the bus. You can purchase your single ticket (3€, valid for one hour) from the De Lijn sales point in the station, from an automated ticket machine before boarding, or on the bus; the largest bill you can pay with onboard is a 10€ note.
By Bicycle
Cycling is a terrific way to get around Bruges. Unlike most Belgian cities, it has made cyclists privileged road users so they can travel in both directions on some—but not all—of the narrow, one-way streets in the center city. Others are one-way only and you’ll be fined if you’re caught riding against the traffic flow so keep a close eye on the street signs. Ride with caution, because the streets are filled with throngs of tourists likely to step out in front of you at any minute, but apart from that, the streets are gloriously traffic free and safe for families with older children to navigate by bicycle.
There are eight bike-rental points in the city, from Fietspunt Station on Stationsplein (tel 050/396-826) to B-Bike Concertgebouw (tel 0479/971-280) near the tourist office on ‘t Zand. Prices start at around 4€ per hour, or 12€ for a full day. There’s a discount with the Brugge City Card at some rental outfits. If you don’t fancy pedaling, hire an electric bike from Electric Scooters (Gentpoortstraat 62, tel 050/000-000; www.electric-scooters.be) costing 30€ for 8 hours.
By Car
Don’t drive. There’s no point. Leave your car in your hotel parking garage; one of six underground parking garages in the center (expect to pay 9€ per day); one of four cheap park-and-ride lots next to the train station, which charge around 3.50€ per day; or a free parking zone outside the city center. It’s a short walk into the heart of the Old Town from any of the parking lots. Parking rules are firmly enforced, and unlawfully parked cars will be ticketed, booted, or towed.
By Taxi
There are taxi stands at the Markt (tel 050/334-444) and outside the rail station on Stationsplein (tel 050/384-660).
Getting There
By Plane
There are numerous daily flights to Brussels Airport (www.brusselsairport.be) from 200 destinations across the world. Bruges is 107km (67 miles) from the airport, easily accessible by train, with one change at Brussels-Midi/Zuid. Brussels-South-Charleroi Airport (www.charleroi-airport.com) is the domain of European budget flights; there are regular connections between the airport and Brussels-Midi/Zuid rail station for trains on to Bruges.
By Train
Two trains arrive in Bruges every hour from Brussels, four or five from Ghent, three from Antwerp, and up to three every hour from the ferry ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend (Oostende). The travel time is around 1 hour from Brussels, 25 minutes from Ghent, 1 hour and 20 minutes from Antwerp, and 15 minutes from both Ostend and Zeebrugge. Train information is available from SNCB (Belgian Railways; www.belgianrail.be; tel. 02/528-2828).From London, passengers can ride the Eurostar high-speed trains (www.eurostar.com) through the Eurotunnel and transfer for Bruges either at Lille in northern France or in Brussels. From Paris, Thalys high-speed trains (www.thalys.com; tel. 32/7066-7788, 0.30€ per minute) go via Brussels to Bruges; on the slower and cheaper international trains, you transfer in Brussels. From Amsterdam, go via Brussels-Midi on the Thalys service.
Although the city is called Bruges in both English and French, look out for its Flemish name, BRUGGE, written on the station name boards. The station is on Stationsplein, 1.5km (1 mile) south of the center of town, a 20-minute walk or a short taxi or bus ride—choose any bus labeled CENTRUM and get out at the Markt to be in the center of the action.
By Bus
Buses are less useful than trains for getting to Bruges, although there is frequent service from Zeebrugge and Ostend, and other Belgian seacoast resorts. The Bruges bus station adjoins the rail station. Schedule and fare information is available from De Lijn (tel 070/220-200; www.delijn.be/en).
Flixbus (www.flixbus.com; tel. 49/30-300-137-300) operates a cheap daily bus service to Bruges from London, Amsterdam, Paris, or Cologne.By Car
Bruges is 96km (60 miles) northwest of Brussels on the E40/A10; 50km (30 miles) northwest of Ghent on the E40/A10; 107km (66 miles) west of Antwerp on either the E17/A14 and E40/A10, or the E34, which bypasses Ghent; 18km (11 miles) south of the ferry port of Zeebrugge on E403 and N371; and 30km (19 miles) southeast of Ostend on E40/A10. From the Eurotunnel and Calais in France take E40/A16 east to Bruges.
Fast Facts
ATMs -- There are ATMs all over Bruges, and all are on the CIRRUS and PLUS networks, meaning you shouldn't have any issues using your ATM card here.
Business Hours -- Stores usually open from 10am to 6 or 6:30pm Monday through Saturday. Some open Sunday afternoon, and those in the center of the city will open all day on Sunday in summer. Most museums close on Monday, but not the Stadhuis, Belfort, or churches. Everywhere is closed January 1, Ascension Day in the afternoon, and December 25.
Consulates -- Consulates and embassies are all in Brussels .
Emergencies -- For any emergency (fire, police, ambulance), the number is tel 112 from any land line or cellphone. For 24-hour urgent but nonemergency medical services, call tel 078/151-590; for dental services, call tel 0903/39969. To report a theft, call tel 050/448-844. Residents of E.U. countries must have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to receive full health-care benefits in Belgium.
Internet Access -- Most hotels in Bruges offer Wi-Fi access for free. There’s free, blanket broadband coverage of the city center and most cafes and restaurants also provide Wi-Fi hotspots.
Pharmacies -- Pharmacies are called apotheek in Flanders. Regular hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm (some close earlier Sat). Try Steve Baert, Wollestraat 7 (tel 050/336-474), just south of the Markt. All chemists have details of the nearby all-night and Sunday drug-dispensing pharmacies posted on the door.
Post Office -- The main post office, BPost Markt, is at Markt 5 (tel 050/331-411); it is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm.
