World City Guide

Mini Guide of Bruges

City Overview

Bruges (Brugge) is without doubt one of the gems of northwest Europe, offering the visitor a rich combination of history and Flemish architectural splendours in a compact city centre, which was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2000. The city followed this up by becoming a European Capital of Culture two years later.

Its importance as a destination belies its relatively small size (Bruges’ population stands at around 117,000), attracting millions of visitors year-round.

The city’s name is believed to derive from the Old Norse ‘bryggja’, meaning ‘landing stage’ or ‘wharf’, although it seems the Vikings restricted their visits to honest trade rather than violent raids. The present city grew from early medieval origins in the ninth century, although there is evidence of much earlier settlement in the area.

Bruges’ fortunes reached their zenith in the 13th and early 14th centuries, when the city was the most important trading centre in northwestern Europe, enjoying great status as part of the Hanseatic network. Decline began to set in the late 1400s, though, and Bruges fell prey to foreign rule, variously under Spanish, Austrian, French and Dutch control.

The city languished in the economic doldrums for centuries, the river silted up and cut off direct access to the sea, and it was not until the late 19th century that Bruges once more came ‘back to life’, ironically almost entirely due to Georges Rodenbach’s novel Bruges la Morte, which awakened international interest in what had become a sleepy backwater.

Modern Bruges, with its nearby port of Zeebrugge, is a dynamic, yet friendly, place, with a strong arts culture and all the ingredients of a successful tourist centre.

Getting There By Air

Brussels Zaventem (BRU)
Tel: (0900) 70000, for all information.
Website: www.brusselsairport.be

Brussels Airport is located northeast of the Belgian capital, approximately 110km (68 miles) to the east of Bruges. It offers flights to and from over 180 destinations worldwide.

Airport facilities: These include post office and medical facilities, bank and bureaux de change, ATMs, bars, restaurants, shops, tourist information and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt. Business facilities and meeting rooms are available for hire.

Transport to the city: Belgian Railways (see ‘Getting There by Rail’) operates regular services from the airport to Brussels Central Station, from where expresses to Bruges can be taken (total journey time – 90 mins). Bus and taxi services also operate from the airport into the centre of Brussels.

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

Bruges lies a short distance from the main E40 motorway connecting Brussels with Ostend and Calais, and the E403 from Lille and Kortrijk to Zeebrugge. It is 100km (60 miles) west of the capital. The access roads from the motorway into the city centre can become extremely busy at times. Visitors arriving in the city by car are best advised to park in the multi-storey car park at the main railway station, which is a 15-minute walk from the centre. A free shuttle bus runs to the city centre, tickets can be obtained from the De Lijn office outside the railway station on production of the car park ticket.

De Lijn (tel: (070) 220200; website: www.delijn.be) operates regional bus services to and from Bruges – scheduled direct routes connect the city with Ostend, Zeebrugge, Ghent and other destinations, while regular daily connections between Bruges station and Brussels South Station take around two hours.

Getting There By Rail

Belgian National Railways – SNCB/NMBS (tel: (02) 528 2828; website: www.b-rail.be) operates rail services to and from Bruges, whose central station stands on the main Ostend-Brussels Intercity line, which connects to the major international Thalys (for Paris and Amsterdam) (website: www.thalys.com) and Eurostar (for London) (website: www.eurostar.com) services at Brussels’ Gare du Midi station. Trains to and from Bruges also connect with cross-channel ferry services at Ostend and Zeebrugge, both a short distance from the city.

Getting Around

Central Bruges retains its medieval street layout, and is thus not the most car-friendly of cities. By far the best ways to explore its many narrow and winding lanes are either on foot, by bus or by bicycle. The interesting part of city is compact – little more than 1km (0.6 mile) across, and it is only a 15 minute walk from the station, and five minutes’ walk from the other main city parking area at ‘t Zand.

Horse drawn carriage rides can be boarded at Markt (Marketplace), while the canal boats offer another option (see ‘Tours’).

Public Transport
De Lijn (tel: (059) 565353 or (070) 220200; website: www.delijn.be) operates the Bruges city and regional bus services, with more than 50 routes serving the city and surrounding areas including the coast. The main bus terminal is outside the railway station, with many services also stopping at ‘t Zand opposite the new Concert Hall and in the central Markt. Discounted daily passes are available.

Taxis
Taxi stands can be found at Markt (tel: (050) 334444) and at the station (tel: (050) 384660). Local operators include Bruges Taxi Service (tel: (050) 334455; website: www.brugsetaxiservice.com) and Taxi Snel (tel: (050) 363649).

Driving in the City
Central streets can be congested, and on-street parking is limited to designated areas on main streets – other areas require display of a parking disc. Maximum stay between 0900 and 1900 in metered parking spaces is four hours, with the restrictions also applying on Sundays and public holidays.

Car Hire
Rental cars are available from Avis, Koningin Astridlaan 97/7 (tel: 0800 99877 or (050) 394400; website: www.avis.be), Autoverhuur Unirent, Monnikenwerve 181 (tel: (050) 319495; website: www.unirent.be), Europcar, Sint-Peterskaai 48 (tel: (050) 314544; website: www.europcar.be) and Luxauto, Sint-Peterskaai 59 (tel: (050) 314848; website: www.luxauto.be).

Bicycle Hire
Cycles can be rented from De Ketting, Gentpoortstraat 23 (tel: (050) 344196) and Popelier, Mariastraat 26 (tel: (050) 343262) as well as many hotels and hostels.

Business

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
The main sights of Bruges are concentrated within a fairly small area, making the city easy to explore. Highlights include the 88-m (288 ft) tall 15th century Belfry in the central Markt square, and the spectacular architecture of the adjacent Burg Square. Burg Square includes the magnificent Basilica of the Holy Blood, which dates from the 12th century and is the focal point of the annual Procession of the Holy Blood taking place in the city every May.

Bruges offers 14 municipal museums and galleries covering a wide range of subjects, and it is very rewarding to wander around the canals and back streets immediately surrounding the city centre. There are additionally numerous privately-operated attractions, offering plenty of alternatives for a rainy day.

Lace-making is historically one of Bruges’ most famous industries, and this is reflected in a number of venues including the Lace Centre in Peperstraat.

Tourist Information
In & Uit Brugge
Concertgebouw ‘t Zand 34
Tel: (050) 448686.
Website: www.brugge.be
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Thursdays 1000-2000).

Passes
A range of visitor passes is available, giving combined admission to museums, bicycle hire and other amenities.

Key Attractions

Belfry Museum
An absolute ‘must’ for visitors to Bruges – a climb to the top of the tower past the clock mechanism and a carillon of 47 bells, which also offers stunning views over the city and surrounding countryside. The tower was built between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Markt 7
Tel: (050) 448743.
Website: www.brugge.be/musea/en/mbele.htm

City Hall
The Gothic council chamber on the building’s first floor is open to the public, and features spectacular ceilings decorated with medieval carvings. An adjoining chamber houses displays of documents and works of art.

Burg 12
Tel: (050) 448743.
Website: www.brugge.be/musea/en/mgze.htm

Lace Centre
Dedicated to Bruges’ best-known industry, this museum is housed in restored 15th century almshouses, and offers lace-making demonstrations most afternoons – the adjacent Jerusalem Church is also worth a visit, with its fine stained glass.

Peperstraat 3
Tel: (050) 330072.
Website: www.kantcentrum.com

Basilica of the Holy Blood
Featuring two chapels – the ground floor St Basil’s Chapel dating from the 1100s and the ‘upstairs’ one housing the Relic of the Holy Blood. Includes a museum, whose centrepiece is the bejewelled gold and silver Shrine of the Holy Blood.

Burg 13
Tel: (050) 336792.
Website: www.holyblood.org

Groeninge Museum
Flemish, Belgian and Dutch art over the centuries is the theme of this gallery, whose collections include works by such luminaries as Jan van Eyck, Hieronymous Bosch and Marcel Broodthaers, as well as Renaissance, Baroque and modern works.

Dijver 12
Tel: (050) 448743.
Website: www.brugge.be/musea/en/mgroee.htm

Further Distractions

De Halve Maan Brewery
Belgium, of course, is renowned for its beer, and this family brewery (the name means ‘Half Moon’) has been producing traditionally made local delights since 1856. Multilingual guided tours are offered daily, including, naturally, a sample of the product.

Walplein 26
Tel: (050) 332697.
Website: www.halvemaan.be

Choco Story
Dedicated to that other great Belgian tradition, this attraction traces the story of chocolate from the times of the Maya and Aztecs to modern manufacturing processes. A visit includes chocolate-making demonstrations and a shop in which to indulge the tastebuds.

Wijnzakstraat 2
Tel: (050) 612237.
Website: www.choco-story.be

Tours of the City

At weekends in June and September, and daily in July and August, two-hour guided walking tours of the city depart at 1430 from the Tourist Office – from where tickets can be obtained in advance. Horse-drawn cabs depart frequently from Markt Square, offering a 30-minute trip. City Tour Brugge, aboard small coaches with multilingual headphone commentary, also departs from Markt Square (Sightseeing Line, tel: (050) 355024; website: www.citytour.be). The city canals offer a different perspective, and frequent boat tours depart from several points on the south side of the city – trips last around half an hour (website: www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/boote.htm). Quasimundo (tel: (050) 330775; website: www.quasimundo.com) offers guided bicycle tours in English from March to October, either with one’s own cycle or rented machines.

Excursions

Zeebrugge, seaside resort and port of Bruges, lies just 12km (7.5 miles) west of the city, and is easily reached by bus or train. Attractions here include a maritime theme park, whose centrepiece is a Russian Foxtrot submarine, open to visitors. The story of the port and its fishing industry is told in the Old Fish Market building (Seafront Zeebrugge, tel: (050) 551415; website: www.seafront.be).

First World War battlefield minibus tours are another alternative for a day out from Bruges – Quasimodo Tours (tel: (050) 370470; website: www.quasimodo.be) operates trips to Paschendale, Ypres and other important sites three times weekly from February to December.

Sport

Shopping

Bruges’ main shopping areas are situated between ‘t Zand and Markt Square – opening hours are generally between 0900-1800. A number of regular markets take place every week, including at Markt Square on Wednesday mornings, ‘t Zand Square on Saturday mornings, and Dijver on summer weekends. The Fish Market, across the canal from Burg Square, trades Tuesday to Saturday in the mornings.

The big chain stores are concentrated on Steenstraat, while Noordzandstraat features numerous boutique outlets. Any number of shops offering lace and chocolate can be found all over the city centre. A good example of the former is ‘t Kanthuisje, at Breidelstraat 5, while chocaholics will delight in Chocoladehuisje, Wollestraat 15.

Culture

Music, Theatre and Dance: Bruges’ top music venue is the new Concertgebouw (concert hall), which opened at ‘t Zand Square in 2002 and regularly presents classical music, opera, ballet and a range of contemporary performances. The main auditorium seats 1,300, while there is also a smaller Chamber Music Room with a capacity of 320 (tel: (050) 476999 or (070) 223302 for tickets; website: www.concertgebouw.be).

The Bruges Cultural Centre operates seven venues in the city, including the City Theatre (tel: (050) 443040; website: www.cultuurcentrumbrugge.be). The De Werf Art Centre, Werfstraat 108 (tel: (050) 330529; website: www.dewerf.be) is primarily known as a jazz venue. Tickets and information for all these events can be obtained from the In & Uit Tourist Office (see ‘Sightseeing’ section).

Film: Two city centre cinemas offer mainstream programming with original soundtracks and French/Dutch subtitles. Ciné Liberty is at Kuipersstraat 23 (tel: (050) 332011), while Lumière (tel: (050) 343465; website: www.lumiere.be) is located in Sint-Jakobstraat. Numerous themed arts festivals take place throughout the year.

Nightlife

Bruges makes no attempt to be a wild nightspot (for big clubs and the bright lights it is better to make the short trip to Ostend) but there is a very good variety of bars, and a choice of livelier music and dancing venues mainly centred on ‘t Zand. Most of the ‘action’ takes place in the streets in and immediately around the old centre of the city – arounbd almost every corner, it seems, there is an inviting bar tempting the casual stroller to indulge in some of the many excellent Belgian beers. Some recommendations:

Bars: ‘t Brugs Beertje, Kemelstraat 5, The Crash, Langestraat 78, Grand Café du Théâtre, Kuipersstraat 14, Charlie Rockets, Hoogstraat 19, and Wijnbar Est, Noordzandstraat 34.

Party Bars/Clubs: Break Café, ‘t Zand 9, Thema Café Underwhere?, Kraanplein 6 and Bras Beers and Liquors Pub, ‘t Zand 10.

Live Music: Cactus Muziekcentrum, Magdalenastraat 27, St Andries, De Kelk, Langestraat 69 and Celtic Ireland, Burg 8.

City Statistics

Location: West Flanders, Belgium.
Country dialling code: +32.
Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; European round two-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temp: 3°C (37.4°F).
Average July temp: 17°C (62.6°F).
Annual rainfall: 600mm (23.5 inches).

Special Events

Procession of the Holy Blood, Ascension Day, Burg Square
Night of the Museums, late Jun, various venues, city centre (museums open until 0100 with special events)
Cactus Festival, mid Jul, open air music festival, Minnewater Park
Flanders Early Music Festival, various venues, Jul-Aug
Klinkers, open air music and film festival, city centre, Jul-Aug
Pageant of the Golden Tree, historical processions, late Aug alternate years (2005, 2007)
World Music Festival, mid-Nov, various venues
Winter in Bruges, Nov-Dec, assorted cultural event, various venues

Cost of Living

1 Euro (¬1) = £0.68; US$1.19; C$1.39; A$1.56
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005