Where I Went
Brugge is a dream destination for travel bloggers. Seriously, take a moment right now and search on instagram. Is it not the most beautiful dreamy little town? Brugge is located in northwest Belgium. It has dreamy canals and was truly a beautiful place.
How I Got There
A little too early for my liking we hopped on a train in Brussels to head to Brugge. I slept most of the way there and the ride was about an hour. If you’re heading to Brugge I advise you to also catch an early morning train.
Earlier I told you how instagram worthy Brugge is and everyone knows it. This small, charming town becomes overrun with tourists very early. We luckily arrived so early that we beat the tourists and were able to wander around without all the noise and insanity that come with bus loads of tourists.
Where to Go & What to see
Minnewater Park
This park is very close to the train station and was our first stop in Brugge. This bridge is called the Lover’s Bridge over the Lake of Love. According to legend, if you walk over this bridge and kiss your loved one your love will become eternal.
Canals with Swans
The beauty of this spot cannot be captured on camera. After wandering through Minnewater Park you’ll start to enter the city and this picturesque spot will appear before you. We arrived and just watched the swans. Swans are terrifying and beautiful all at the same time. We didn’t get too close because I am terrified of birds, especially large ones.
Right as we walked away a busload of tourists arrived and were so loud! Why are groups of people so loud? The tourists in Brugge really destroy the quaint Beauty and the Beast vibes that the city gives off.
Old St. John's Hospital
At first I just took a picture of this gorgeous building along the canal because I loved the pops of red but then I did some research and found out it is one of the oldest standing hospitals in Europe. Pretty neat. It isn’t a hospital today and has instead been converted into a museum.
Markt
I know I keep warning you about the tourists but your best bet at enjoying Brugge is to avoid the tourists. While the main square and squares around it are truly divine and so beautiful it just isn’t worth being around so many people. We hit up the squares, saw them and moved on to other areas of the city.
Basilica of The Holy Blood
The Basilica of the Holy Blood contains a phial with a cloth that supposedly has the blood of Jesus on it. We went inside but due to mass could not go into the chapel.
Windmills
After wandering away from the main square you can walk along a canal and see four windmills. This was one of my favorite parts of visiting Brugge. There weren’t many tourists around and the charm that we found upon our arrival was restored.
More Canals
After walking to all of the windmills you’ll find yourself wandering along a beautiful canal tourist free! Here you can appreciate the gorgeous town that is Brugge and see the charm that so many instagrammers and travel bloggers have found.
Please remember to be respectful of the residents of Brugge. As we were leaving (along a different road that I didn’t photograph) we noticed that many of the windows had thick curtains up and notes taped to the windows and front doors asking for privacy. Tourists oftentimes aren’t mindful of the people who live in this beautiful place and take intrusive photos. Being respectful is such an important part of traveling that people often forget as they become too wrapped up in their own journey.
What to Eat
First of all check out my post about waffles to read about delicious waffles on a stick that we ate in Brugge.
While in Brugge we made a horrible and hilarious mistake. We were so hungry after wandering around and ended up being in the main square. Normally we try to eat off the beaten path but this time we were just too hungry. We wandered into a restaurant that looked alright from the outside only to find ourselves the only people under 70 inside! We were already in too deep so we sat and laughed and ate the most delicious cheese we’ve ever had!
