Looking for things to do in Bruges, Belgium? You have come to the right place!
Bruges is an adorable, quaint town in Northern Belgium. Its historic city center is declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Some of the best things to do in Bruges are wandering the cobblestone roads over charming canals, climbing the Belfry Tower for panoramic views over the city, and enjoying some classic Belgian waffles.
Bruges is an ideal weekend trip from neighboring cities in Belgium or Holland. When I visited, I was taking a weekend trip from Amsterdam.
1. Cobblestone Roads
As cliche as it may sound, the best thing to do in Bruges is truly to wander. This is usually the best thing to do in any UNESCO World Heritage City.
Bruges is often referred to as an open-air museum, which isn’t a bad thing. The town is essentially so historic and beautiful that it receives protection from the UNESCO international organization.
The cobblestone roads of Bruges are absolutely quintessential and make up the town’s character and charm.
I loved staying within the historic center itself at Guesthouse de Loft just a short 10-minute walk from the main square. This naturally built the exploring right in.
Book at Booking.com2. Canals
The canals of Bruges are so quaint, I cannot even begin to describe. The entire historic center feels like a fairytale, and the adorable canals are a huge reason for this.
You can opt to take a canal ride or just take a leisurely walk enjoying the views. I decided not to take a canal ride because the entire town was very crowded over the weekend, and I was hoping to avoid the crowds and long queues.
I did receive a tip to book at the canal itself instead of in advance- particularly, whichever canal had the shorter line.
3. Rosary Quay
While wandering the cobblestone roads and canals, you’ll likely stumble into Rosary Quay. (It is also known as “Roxenhoedkaai” on maps).
This is one of the most photographed spots in the entire city! If you don’t make it here, you will have already experienced similar views from around the city, so it’s really no big deal. Many of the canal tours begin in this area.
Tip: My favorite view is at the bridge crossing near Predikherenrei and Groenerei streets.
4. Markt Square
Markt (Market) Square is going to be your official starting point when exploring the city of Bruges.
Most walking tours begin here as it features the town’s most famous monument- the Belfry Tower.
Other monumental architecture in the giant square plaza includes the Basilica of the Holy Blood and Bruges City Hall.
5. Belfry Tower
Climbing the Belfry Tower with rewarding panoramic views of Bruges is one of the best things to do in the city.
If you have already had your fill of viewpoints from historic church towers, you might be towered out. I had just visited the Dom Tower in Utrecht, Holland, and wasn’t sure if I had my fill of climbing.
I decided it was worth it and up the stairs I ascended. The flight wasn’t nearly as long as I expected, but be sure to give yourself opportunities to stop as needed.
The most popular reason to visit the Belfry Tower is its panoramic views over the Bruges Historic Center. You can even see the windmills in the distance!
6. Waffle-Making Class
When in Belgium, right? Of course, there are tons of places to order Belgian waffles, but it’s another experience to learn how to make your own.
I took a class in the Bruges Historic Center. This provided a 1.5 hour waffle-making and tasing class. They had juice available as well.
At 50 euros per person, the class is costly. However, taking local cooking classes provides a culturally immersive opportunity.
Of course, the small class was only tourists, but I still enjoyed learning the local way to prepare Belgian waffles from a local themselves.
I recommend this as an afternoon or evening activity to take a break in between your city exploring.
7. Local Festivals
One of my absolute favorite things from my trip to Bruges was stumbling into a summer local food truck festival. The entire Koning Albertpark featured dozens of local food trucks with a huge variety of cuisines, from American hamburgers to Vietnamese bao.
There is a train station with an electronic ticket box near the entrance of the park for easy access to getting to or from the festival.
There was a huge concert stage and performances took place throughout the night. The food truck festival was an awesome way to immerse in local culture. I did not see any other tourists.
The Barrio Cantina Foodtruck Festival tours several cities throughout Northern Belgium, so you can catch them across the region!
8. Eat local: Frits and Chocolate
Frits
Frits are a traditional fried potato, AKA, french fries.
But honestly, they are gourmet and different! You can also find the traditional Flemish food in various parts of Holland like Amsterdam and Den Haag.
Chocolate
Some of the most highly recommended chocolate shops in Bruges include:
- Jan De Clerck
- Chocolatier Dumon
I was originally going to visit Jan De Clerck based on excellent local recommendations but it was closed on Sunday.
While Chocolatier Dumon is a chain with more locations and longer hours, it is still very local.
It is a bit more expensive but still handmade, local chocolate. It was originally created by two Belgian brothers in 1992.
9. Windmills
OK. I had NO idea there were windmills in Bruges, and really outside of the Netherlands for that matter!
We scored some views from the Belfry Tower but you can take a tour, walk, bicycle ride, or Uber to explore the row of 4 windmills up close.
They are located in the Krusivet area of Bruges, just a 20-minute walk or 6-minute car or bike ride from the center of town.
10. Bike
Like many cities across Europe, bicycle transportation is quite common.
Renting a bike allows you to explore the city at a leisurely pace and get where you need to go a bit quicker. Watch out for pedestrians and bumpy cobblestone roads.
I did not have time to rent a bike during my 1 day in Bruges, but it’s something I would love to do!
Conclusion
Bruges is a charming, small city and there are so many things to do. From more classic tourist activities like climbing the Belfry Tower to more local events like visiting a food truck festival, there are tons of things to do on a trip to Bruges.
If you plan a trip to Bruges, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to write me to tell me about your experience. I’m excited for you- happy planning!
