Whit Monday in Brugge
 

My friends and I are planning a trip to Paris, Normandy, and Amsterdam in May of 2016, and are considering spending 2 nights in Brugge (traveling by train) in between Paris and Amsterdam. The 2 nights we have available happen to land on Pentacost Sunday and Whit Monday (May 15th and 16th). I am told that this a bank holiday and that some shops/sites will be closed. I was in Brugge during the mid week this September and it was very pleasant, especially in the evenings, with no excessive crowds except on the main market square. Has anyone had any experience being in Brugge during this holiday? We are ok with some of the sites being closed and know it's a tourist destination with lots of people visiting, but might skip it if there will be huge crowds given the holiday. If we don't go, we would probably extend our time in Normandy, but I think they also celebrate this holiday. Any thoughts?

Zillions of folks flock to Bruges on Ascension Day, a bit earlier than White Monday to see the very very famous Procession of the Holy Blood but on Whitsun I think the crowds should be normal and similar to your September visit. If you want to see one of Europe's best spectacles comes a week or so earlier.

That's reassuring. Would love to be there for Ascention day but can't. Think most of the shops, restaurants, sites will be open?

I'm sure the tourist shops around the big square with the belfry will be open and of course the lace shops and some restaurants as this is a tourist-driven town. Maybe pariswat will chime in as he is Belgian or Tulips and give an answer from their experiences.

If it were Whitsun or Whit Sunday that may be a bit different but I doubt it.

I would think sites will be open - major tourist sights and the popular canal boat trips but the joy of Bruges is the city as a whole - the canals lined with ancient imposing Flemish facades and those cute white hump-backed draw bridges.

wondering what pariswat or tulips would say about this!

It's not so much what will be closed - nothing that I can recall - but being a long weekend it will be like a zoo!!! We were there on Ascension weekend - obviously the holiday is a Thursday but I'm sure lots of people made it a long weekend and it seemed to me to be more crowded than usual over the weekend.

I think perhaps Ascension Day with the famed Procession of the Holy Blood may attract many tourist who may stay the weekend - not sure Whitsun does the same but Bruges is always fairly crowded.

True PalenQ I had forgotten about the procession . It is a little quieter during the week though.

I think we might postpone Brugge for this trip with the holiday weekend. It sounds like it will be more crowded than usual. We'll add a day to Normandy and Amsterdam for this trip, and do Brugge when we can visit mid-week at a non holiday time. Thanks all!