Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Bruges

Make the most of your time in Bruges, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.

Romantic, medieval, charming, Bruges is the historic capital of the Belgian province of West Flanders. The nearby Port of Zeebrugge is an international trading post and passenger gateway to the rest of Northern Europe. Unlike its fellow Belgian cities of Brussels and Antwerp Bruges is neither cosmopolitan nor progressive instead its identity is dominated by its unique heritage and visitors won’t find sights comparable to Brussels’ Atomium or Antwerp’s MoMu Museum of Fashion here. Part of what makes Bruges so desirable and affluent today is ironically due to its misfortunes during the Industrial Revolution when it had no real active role. Consequently the city remained almost frozen in time and today displays perfectly preserved evidence of architecture, art, culture and history dating from its Golden Age. Bruges is occasionally criticised for being too quaint or too sweet but while it may not be gritty it is certainly still interesting; after the seventeenth century the centre of the city remained practically unchanged for centuries and today a trip around the winding narrow streets of Bruges can be likened to stepping back in time. Since its origins in the 13 th century as a cloth manufacturing centre to its modern day status as one of Europe’s prime tourist destinations Bruges has maintained a defiantly romantic image.

The centre of historic Bruges is undoubtedly the Markt Square dominated by the famous Belfry Tower; anyone energetic enough to tackle its 366 steps will be rewarded with views across the rooftops of this pretty European city. The streets around the Markt are resplendent with spectacular medieval Gothic and Renaissance architecture fully intact and churches that hide a multitude of treasures; the whole area is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site signifying its importance. Bruges’s pedestrian-friendly streets are a great place for browsing shops, which are a far cry from the designer boutiques of Paris or Milan, instead selling handmade lace, locally produced foodstuffs and souvenir items. Bruges even has lace-making workshops such as the Kantcentrum where the traditional techniques of lace-making by hand are still taught. Like many other Belgian cities Bruges also offers fine cuisine with Michelin starred restaurants and its own unique combination of French, Flemish and Belgian gastronomy. Favourites such as huge bowls of mussels are served with piles of twice fried frites and mayonnaise in charismatic brasserie restaurants and locally produced cheese and chocolates of the finest quality can be bought on practically every street.

The relaxed pace of the city translates into most aspects of life in Bruges, the sedate nightlife is nevertheless present but in the inconspicuous form of artsy live music venues, darkened jazz clubs and late night bars where locals and tourists drink shots of jenever gin late into the night. Bruges may justify its ‘quaint’ label but it remains animated and lively, time and time again seducing tourists with its old-world charm, sedate canals and warm character, making it one of Europe’s most beautiful tourist destinations.

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