Brügge-Tagesausflug — Das Venedig des Nordens & die UNESCO-Mittelalterstadt
Bruges (Brugge — the medieval city in West Flanders, 55 km west of Brussels, 1 hour by train — UNESCO World Heritage Site 2000): the historic centre of Bruges is the best preserved medieval trading city in northern Europe, with its network of canals (earning it the 'Venice of the North' nickname), cobblestone streets, Gothic churches, medieval guild halls, and the extraordinary 83-metre Gothic Belfry (Belfort, built 1240-1486) that dominates the Market Square — the most visited city in Belgium after Brussels.
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Bruges Belfry — Medieval Bell Tower (366 Steps)
The Bruges Belfry (1240-1482) rises 83m above the Markt — 366 steps reach the carillon of 47 bells (the carillonneur plays concerts each Saturday) and a 360° panorama over the canal city's perfectly preserved medieval skyline.
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Markt & Burg Squares — Bruges' Historic Center
The Markt's neo-Gothic Provincial Court (1887) and the 14th-century Cloth Hall anchor the most visited medieval square in Belgium. The adjacent Burg hosts the City Hall (1376, the oldest Gothic town hall in the Low Countries) and the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
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Canal Boat Tour — Bruges from the Water
A 30-minute canal boat tour from the Dijver or Vismarkt landing stages passes under stone bridges and alongside 15th-century merchant houses — the view from the water shows why the city UNESCO-listed Bruges in 2000 as a 'masterpiece of human creative genius.'
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Groeninge Museum — Flemish Primitives Collection
The Groeninge Museum holds the world's finest collection of Flemish Primitive paintings — Jan van Eyck's 'Madonna with Canon van der Paele' (1436), Hans Memling's portraits, and Gerard David's 'Judgement of Cambyses' are the greatest medieval paintings in Belgium.
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Bruges Beer Tour — De Halve Maan Brewery
De Halve Maan ('Half Moon') is the only family brewery still operating in Bruges' historic center — brewing Brugse Zot since 1856, the brewery installed a 3.2km underground beer pipeline in 2016 to deliver beer to the bottling plant outside the city walls.
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Chocolate & Lace — Bruges' Artisan Crafts
Bruges' 50+ chocolate shops include the historic establishments of The Chocolate Line and Sukerbuyc — Belgian chocolatiers who trained under the Ritz Paris and Fauchon. The Bruges Lace Centre in the Begijnhof demonstrates the bobbin lace tradition dating to the 16th century.