Bruges Must See and Do

Must See

Markt and Burg Bruges’ two main squares - a central market square and another in front of the Gothic city hall - make excellent hubs for discovering the city.

Church of our Lady With one of the tallest brick towers in the world, this magnificent church houses Michelangelo’s white marble ‘Madonna and Child’.

Groeninge Art Musuem One of Belgium’s most important collections of Flemish art is contained in this wonderful museum.

St Saviour’s Cathedral This is Bruges’ oldest church, dating back to the 12th century, with fine paintings and tapestries on display.

Basilica of the Holy Blood A relic of the Holy Blood, brought to Bruges around 1150, is displayed to the public every Friday.

Must Do

Take a boat ride to view the canals of Bruges. The arteries of the city are pleasant to stroll along, but for a different perspective there’s no better view of the medieval buildings and bridges than from a boat.

Climb the medieval belfry located in the market square. The narrow winding staircase has 366 steps, but the view from the top is not to be missed.

Visit the Lace Centre and see the intricate handmade work of the lace makers.

If you’re travelling with children, take in the Boudewijn Theme Park and Dolfinarium.

Excursions

Bruges is a compact little city, bursting with historic character and charm, and with so many things to do it's no wonder that this is one of our most popular destinations.

A good introduction to the city might be to take one of the CityTour buses so that you can familiaries yourself with the layout of the city. The tours depart from the main Markt square on the hour, every hour, all year daily between 10am and 4pm in winter, with the finish extending out until as late as 8pm in high summer. A 50-minute tour costs around €15 per adult, around €9 for children.

With a maze of narrow lanes criss-crossing the larger streets, Bruges is ideal for discovering on foot but we highly recommend you pack comfortable shoes for the cobbled surfaces and in case you should decide to climb the 366 steps in the belfry! For those looking to join a guided tour, 2-hour walks depart from In & Uit on 't Zand Square at 2.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays from June until October, daily in July and August. A winter evening walk departs at 5pm during the winter weekends and other selected days. Adults can join a walk for around €9, accompanying children are free.

Bicycles are a common sight in the Loew Countries, and Bruges has a plentiful supply for rental. With motorised traffic through the centre of Bruges relatively light compared with many other cities, a bicycle is a good way to explore. Several outlets renting bicycles are to be found around the city, and a full day rental should cost in the region of €10-€12. Several companies operate guided bicycle tours around the principal sights. You can expect to pay around €20-€25 for a guided bicycle tour lasting a couple of house.

Of course you cannot visit Bruges without taking at least one sightseeing ride on the canals. No matter how much you explore on foot or by bicycle, you really do get a very different perspective of this magical city from the waterways. Boat tours run daily from March until October between 10am and 6pm. a half-hour boat tour costs around €7 for adults, €4 for children. 

For a slightly more genteel and romantic way to discover the centre of Bruges you might opt for a horse and carriage ride around the city centre. Horse-drawn carriages carry up to five passengers, and a 35-minute tour around the centre of Bruges will cost around €36 per carriage. Tours depart from the central Markt square, daily from 9.30am until 5.30pm, with summer departures running as late as 10pm.

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Where to stay

In order for you to be sure of getting the most out of your stay in Bruges, we have only selected hotels in the centre of the city, and as many people are able to walk from one side of the city to the other in around 30 minutes, none of the attractions are far from any of our hotels.

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