[Closed] Bruges, any advice?

watch out for the midgets

I recommend this place for dinner, outside on the terrace if the weather is nice.
[url] http://www.relaisravestein.be/ [/url]
The seasoal set menu with wine is always superb.
The rooms are extortionate mind.

Take a boat trip along the canals, visit the market, go to the Basilica of the holy blood and touch the blood of christ.
[url] http://www.sacred-destinations.com/belgium/bruges-basilica-of-holy-blood.htm [/url]

Never stayed there though, I just drive up from Brussels.

I visited Belgium last November and again this April, and on both occasions was in too much of a rush back to the ferry to stop off. I'm told it's beautiful, but can't vouch for that....

If you want some raucous fun, head to Gent for the Gent Six Days (track racing). It's glorious and anarchic. You only need a ticket for the centre of the track, as that's where all the fun is.

Oh, and take a trip to Oudenaarde to visit the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) musuem. There aren't many places where you're sold the entrance ticket by an ex world champion cyclist (Freddy Maertens). From here, it's a short tide to the Koppenberg, perhaps the most famous climb of the RvV (22% and cobbled...).

Oh, you mean you didn't want to go to Belgium for the cycling...? Sorry, no idea about Bruges. 😉

I am there this weekend. Ask again next week 🙂

Lots of alcoves apparently.

[i]watch out for the midgets [/i]

I'd also avoid going up any tall buildings.

Hire a bike and pedal round the city wall, its the best way to see lots of the city. If the weather is nice, its a great city to just chill out in, there's not especially "much" to do, but you can easily spend a lot of time not doing much. I wish I'd gone to the tintin museum though!

Bruges is nice at any time of year. There will be a Christmas market in December, which is quite fun but very busy.

I didn't like the Groeningen but then I'm not much into modern art. Boat trip is good, Gothic Hall next to Church of the Holy Blood is good, Onze Lieve Frauwekerk is good (fabulous baroque pulpit, like so many Flemish churches and cathedrals). There's also the Tintin shop of course!

[url= http://www.hotelimperial.be/uk/hi.html ]Hotel Imperial[/url] is nice, reasonably priced, close to tZand if you want a bus and only five minutes from the Grote Markt and run by lovely people.

I love Bruges! Have a great trip (difficult not to!)

We stopped here last time - very nice & not too expensive

http://www.hotelfevery.be/en/

Go onto Martins hotel website and book direct. They have two in the centre, one modern and the other that was in 'In Brugges' the film. I wangled a bigger room out of them.

http://www.martins-hotels.com/en/hotel/martins-brugge

Fantastic place though- the opposite of what I normally like. Totally and utterly chilled me.

I enjoyed the half moon brewery tour. The guide spoke 11 languages, and tokens at the end for beer...

Food was good in the Half Moon brewery, though it can get very busy.

The Walnut Tree over the road from the brewery did nice food, too. Fave restaurant has to be Oude Brugge (on the Markt, but on the road out to Geldmuntstraat), but Den Hobbit on Kemelstraat is good fun. [url= http://www.brugsbeertje.be/index_en.htm ]'t Brugs Beertje[/url]over the road from Den Hobbit has a fantastic range of beers (300+, I think).

Breidelstraat is great for lace shops.

And don't go in any of the chocolate shops which say 'No free entry' cos I don't think they deserve to be in business with an attitude like that!

Our favourite that we always go to is Tsjokoreeto on Stoofstraat (other chocolate shops are available...)

Sounds like a top place to go! Too many places I want to go and visit! Off to New York at the end of October for a long weekend so a crazy list of stuff to squeeze in there! Then was just thinking of weekend breaks abroad for next year.

Any suggestions for any other cities to visit? I was also thinking Rome at some point?

We almost bought the chocolate breasts in one shop!

I loved it

Plum

A weekend is a bit too long for Bruges. Its very nice to look at for a day but a bit dull after that. Spend some time in Brussels and Leuven.

Bruges (|Brugge) is nice though Gent is better....

They have both medieval town centres though Gent is a little less touristy.
I live in Gent by the way so perhaps a little biased. Gent has recently been rated as the most authentic Belgian city by National Geographic Traveller.

Take a look [url= http://www.visitgent.be/?ch=VGG ]here[/url] if tempted.

Don't know how much you are looking to spend on a hotel but the Marriot in Gent is just fantastic (location & standard).

Will you be looking to take in any cycling when on your trip or is it a bike free experience? Although Beligum is flat we have a huge cycling culture of course and that includes lots of moutainbiking. For something a bit different you could always visit one of the elite cyclo cross races - shows how popular cycling can be!

Do you have a specific weekend in mind?

With regards to Roma - it's always a great option. I am lucky enough to work there some of the time so get to visit frequently. The weather is also a nice bonus whereas Belgium is rather high risk if you don't fancy a rain shower.

cant agree with Mackem. I've spent a week there and we found plenty to do. Ok we traveled out to Gent and Brussels on day trips too, but Bruge would be perfect for a long weekend. We stayed in a B&B just outside the city walls.

Things worth doing. Climb the gothic bell tower at the grand place just before the hour then your in for a treat as 47 bells weighing 27 tons ring out. Or you can wine and dine in the grand square and listen from a slightly more comfortable distance lol. Take a horse drawn carridge tour of the city, Yea you will go back on foot for a good explore, but it wasnt that expensive and of course the guide knows all the places of intrest and tells you a lot of the history etc, its well worth doing so you get an Idea where to go back too later. Loads of shopping! Loads of small bars and cafe's to just sit, drink and people watch. Many B&B's have bikes they can lend you, or will arrange hire for you for very cheap, so take a ride out on one of the cannals or just round the city walls. And of course, Bruge has hundreds of locally brewed beers, I think there was a couple of local brewerys that did tours too, but we just spent a lot of time wandering round all the gothic streets and sampeling beer in the many many bars and cafes.

Bruges (|Brugge) is nice though Gent is better....

They have both medieval town centres though Gent is a little less touristy.

Gent is lovely. And was the adopted home of Tom Simpson.

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For something a bit different you could always visit one of the elite cyclo cross races - shows how popular cycling can be!

Oh yes. Went to a Superprestige down the road (Hamme-Zogge), and leapt about with 13,000 crazy Belgian cross fans in the snow.

[img] [/img]

Marge - I [b]love[/b] Belgium (though wouldn't return to Brussels).

There's a nature reserve at Outkerkse Polder on the way to Zebrugge (we saw a snowy owl there at New Year!), another Nature reserve on the Dutch border at Het Zwin and Sluis and Damme are very pretty too.

Also, Ghent, Antwerp, second Leuven but much smaller than Bruges, Spa's nice too...

I am also no fan of Brussels which is a bummer as my office is there. 🙁

With regards the Marriot hotel in Gent it is behind the right shoulder of the photographer (first piccy) overlooking the Korenlei and is cleverly built behind the facades of the original buildings so is absolutely hidden until you walk in...

Gent is also the birthplace of Bradley W and the adopted home of Tyler Farrar (who speaks good Flemish by the way).

Belgium is indeed a fantastic place to live (apart from the lack of mountains) but it's not far from great mountainbiking hills in the Ardennes. (Houffalize for example)