Blocks of medieval brick buildings with stair-step gables shade the charming canals and cobblestone walkways of Bruges, making this northwestern Belgian city a must-stop on European itineraries.
Fortunate to escape the ravages of both world wars, Bruges is so well preserved that Unesco has classified the entire inner city as a World Heritage Site.
Turreted castles from the 14th and 15th centuries now house luxury accommodations and world-class restaurants. Museums in renovated mansions showcase Renaissance art, tapestries and intricate lace. Visitors can learn how Belgian beer is brewed, sample artisan chocolates spiked with vodka and dip twice-fried friets in mayonnaise.
This wealth of Old World and delicious new attractions can flood Bruges' historical squares and arched stone bridges with tourists. Though its nickname, "the Venice of the North," was revered in the Middle Ages when the dukes of Burgundy ruled, tourism officials today eschew that comparison.
"We want to be known for quality -- not quantity -- tourism," Ann Plovie, a Bruges tourism official, told me during a recent visit. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 8.3 million people a year, 70% of whom were daytrippers, visited the city of 120,000 residents. City leaders put limits on the number of cruise ships that dock simultaneously at the port in Zeebrugge and curtailed holiday home rentals in the inner city.
Horse-drawn carriages await visitors in the Markt. Photo Credit: Barbara Redding
As tourism numbers head back up, Bruges officials again are focused on how to ensure the economy remains diversified while tourism serves both visitors and residents, Plovie said. To do that, Bruges encourages visitors to stay longer, dig deeper into Belgian culture and discover the quiet parts of Bruges.
That is what I did during a four-day visit last spring. After navigating through crowds in the Markt, the city's main square, I headed toward the less-traveled lanes and smaller canals, which proved just as intriguing as better-known sites.
Bruges has a surprising number of hidden green spaces, many along canals, which can be explored on foot or on a bicycle. Near Kruispoort, one of city's remaining ancient gates, I strolled through the walled garden at the Gezellehuis, where revered Flemish poet and priest Guido Gezelle resided in a rustic cottage in the 1800s. From there it is a short walk to four traditional windmills that line the ramparts along the main canal on the east side.
A swan in Minnewater Lake paddles in the shadow of Gunpowder Tower. Photo Credit: Barbara Redding
Elegant swans glide across the lake at Minnewater Park, one of the city's most idyllic gardens. A bridge across the lake offers views of the city and Gunpowder Tower, an imposing defensive structure built in 1397. A walkway along the lake leads to the Begijnhof, where tree-lined paths connect white gabled houses where women sought quiet lives of service as early as the 13th century. (Today's residents are Benedictine nuns.)
Snapping pictures from the fairy-tale bridges is an irresistible part of any visit. So is a canal boat ride, where the captain recounts the city's history in multiple languages. While you will be sharing the boat with 40 others, a canal tour is worth waiting for -- and you might see more swans. (A horse-drawn carriage ride is more intimate.)
By arriving early or late in the day, I encountered few crowds at the city's museums and majestic churches. The newly renovated Gruuthuse Museum resides in the 15th-century palace of a wealthy merchant family. Displays of furnishings, tapestries and everyday objects offer a fascinating glimpse into centuries of Flemish history. A secret chapel adjoins the nearby Church of Our Lady, which has the only Michelangelo sculpture taken outside Italy during his lifetime.
The Groeninge Museum is a must-see for its eclectic art, from Flemish masters such as Jan van Eyck to expressionist painters like Gustave Van de Woestijne. (His take on the Last Supper is worth the admission.)
The humble potato is the star at the Frietmuseum, the world's only museum devoted to fries (French or Belgian). I didn't need a museum to appreciate the starch sticks: they are served at most restaurants. That is a good thing, as the museum's samples were devoured before I arrived.
A crowded boat tour through one of the picturesque canals of Bruges. Photo Credit: Barbara Redding
Beer was still plentiful after a tour of the attic brewery at Bourgogne de Flanders, which follows a Flemish tradition of blending old and young beer. I sipped the results, a complex reddish-brown brew, from a signature glass on a patio overlooking a picturesque canal.
Belgian chocolate shops entice visitors on nearly every block. Among the best is the Chocolate Line, owned by celebrity chocolatier Dominique Persoone. As its name implies, a line often forms out front. I was paralyzed inside by hundreds of truffles in every imaginable flavor, size, shape and color. (An antidote for anxious tourists, the Chill Pill contains grass and apples.)
I saved climbing the 366 steps to the top of the city's most iconic building, the 13th-century Belfort (belfry), for a weekday morning. I was thankful not to encounter anyone coming down as I ascended the narrow, winding staircase. I was also grateful for rest stops at the treasury, where the city stored important documents, and to see the carillon and its 47 bells.
The panoramic view was worth the hike -- and my reward that night. As lights flickered on in the cafes surrounding Markt square, I savored a Belgian beer and a waffle smothered in dark chocolate.