Bruges: What's Your Take on Bruges?
 

Over the years on Fodor's there have been many people who were enthralled with Bruges (regional city in Belgium) but others who decried it as some kind of Disneyland or opinions in between.

IF YOU'VE BEEN TO BRUGES WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON IT?

My take is that Bruges is so so exceptional that if you have to select one place in Belgium to go to chose Bruges, even over Brussels.

To me Bruges is about the best preserved medieval-looking cities north of the Alps- especially in it old port area- which is one reason Bruges is so so cute- ancient Flemish warehouse facades lining quaint canals laced with white wooden humpbacked drawbridges- all extent from days when Bruges was one of Europe's largest cities and world's most busiest ports bringing such stuff was Cotswolds wool to Flemish weavers to make those wonderful tapestries or more mundane clothing.

But when the port silted up leaving Bruges cut off from the nearby sea, and the port activity moved over to Antwerp Bruges stagnated into a backwater- one reason I think that it escaped the modernization of places like Gent and Antwerp and especially Brussels It slumbered along until rehabbed within the last few centuries, unleashing a torrent of tourism that yes can overwhelm the compact old city center, especially the Grote Markt, one of Europe's classic town squares featuring the ubiquitous soaring high Bell Tower.

But most tourists - bused in - stick to the old town square area and few adjacent lanes hawking things like lace and woolen goods and relatively few get to the rather large ancient port area that is the too-cute-to-believe part of Bruges.

Like most such heavily touristed smaller cities Bruges becomes much more romantic after the tourist masses have left and especially after dark when all those lovely old Flemish facades and canals and antique drawbridges are surrealistically illuiminated.

Bruges has the usual museums,cathedral and old churches stuffed with Flemish art but really few must sights - taking a canal boat ride is popular. For most it's a one-day type place though can be a great base from which to hop to nearby Gent, Antwerp or Brussels or the North Sea Coast resort towns, etc.

Quite a few folks here - especially Belgians - seem to prefer Gent over Bruges because it is a more real town I guess and also has vest-pocket sized Bruges canal areas. And Gent if great but IME not nearly so romantic as Bruges.

So if going to Bruges get off the main drag and see its ancient port area. And more modern residential areas are also cool and see few tourists.

And Bruges is also a regional shopping town with a oft-thronged main shopping drag. The train station is about a mile or so from the town center.

In May at Whitsun I think Bruges has one of Europe's most popular pageants - the Procession of the Holy Blood - an elaborate parade of townspeople dressed in medieval garb leading a parade thru town- all to venerate the vial of Holy Blood in the local cathedral that (is said to) magically congeal once a year on this date!

SO IF YOU'VE BEEN TO BRUGES WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON IT (All subjective - no right or wrong here!)

https://www.google.com/search?q=brug...HSldCQEQsAQIHQ


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proces...the_Holy_Blood

(It's on Ascension Day not Whitsun!)

https://www.google.com/search?q=brug...HcLPCvoQsAQIHQ

Bruges, formerly a quiet relaxing off the main drag vacation spot has become the Taormina of the north. If you liked Taormina, you'll love Bruges. Lots of pretty but not much else. I much prefer Antwerp and Brussels.

We were not overly impressed. Yes, it is an attractive city, but it felt Disneyesque to us. While I know there are people who live in Bruges, it didn't feel like it, it felt like a movie set. We very much enjoyed Brussels (which many people here say is boring) and while I am glad we saw Bruges, I would not return.

I agree with the previous post, if you enjoy Taormina you will love Bruges ...we felt it was so charming, so walkable and the boat cruises along the canals was superb.
This is one a few cities that I would happily return to visit.

I loved Bruges- before and after the day trippers. Walking around at night with the lights and the mist- it's a fairy tale city!

I'm one of those who prefer Gent, with its nice blend of old and not-so-old, beauty and ugliness. Brugge is an open-air museum, which feels very unreal.

A charming small town which is a great center for exploring the area. Be sure to stay in one of the historic canal houses.

Stay at least 3 nights - one day to explore Brugge and another to explore Ghent (only 30 minutes away). Possibly more if you want to explore Brussels from there.

Loved Bruges, even though it's so touristy. As others have said, it's much less crowded in the morning and at night, like many other touristy places.

I day tripped to Ghent and would love to go back there and spend more time - and back to Bruges, too, someday.

I spent two nights in Antwerp and didn't care for it much. Some interesting museums, though. I have no desire to return.

Brugge is stellar.

I think the opinion on places like Brugge, Rothenburg and Taormina can vary based on some of the different, and probably rather primal, reasons that people travel. I am fascinated by the architectural creativity and building skills exhibited by people during the Middle Ages through the renaissance, reformation,etc..

I wander around marveling at the incredible skill and commitment that it took to build and rebuild these structures, using manual labour ,over the span of years, decades and even centuries in some cases.

If you put hundreds and hundreds of examples of that in one place, in an unusual and beautiful setting, you've got me. I care very little for how they are occupied now, I am playing out the centuries past in my mind.

Rozenhoedkaai is my happy place. Not ashamed to admit that I tear up standing at the edge of the water looking north across the canal.

And they have the Halve Maan brewery :)

PalenQ, could you post some images of Bruges' ancient port area please?
I don't even know if I went to that area or not, and I couldn't find it on google.

I must say I agree with nearly all sides of what has been said.
I loved Taormina. I like Brugge.
But I very much prefer gent which is nearly as nice and much livelier.

On top of that service sucks in Brugge like in all too touristy cities.
And lastly we felt neglected as Walloons. As a family we speak French and we found that too many waiters didn't like us speaking French.

But that is a typical Belgian problem.

So if we have tourists with us well bring them to Brugge. If we are Among ourselves well go to gent.

PalenQ, could you post some images of Bruges' ancient port area please?
I don't even know if I went to that area or not, and I couldn't find it on google.

Well check the images of Bruges I had as my 2nd post - the canal area which many tourists never get to as they never get out of the Grote Markt area- I'm sure you went there.

Loved Brugge.

If only it had a bowling alley - smile if you know the movie reference - one of my all time favorites.

a charming town ...but overcrowded
I returned a couple of times...same story

It's really pretty.

It's also a super-touristy, Disney-type place. Hard to uncover the original medieval gems beneath the modern-day hype. Though it;s there, for sure.

I vastly prefer Ghent and Antwerp.

The only good thing about Brugge is Halve Maan.

Thanks for this. Will be going there next week on a day trip from Brussels and to this post has been helpful. :)