Things to do in Bruges

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About

Bruges is well worth an overnight and perhaps two. Highlights for us were the architecture, chocolate, and museums. We spent a good deal of time just walking random streets–sometimes along the canals–admiring the doors which open on the canals, gardens or facades. The shopping is good with many high-end brands, but also lots of antiques and well-curated collections of whatnot.

Our first trip to Bruge was 20 years ago, in the winter with three young children. I only remember cute cobble stone streets and the ice palace. If you are here in the winter with kids (or without), the ice palace is a wonder.

Belfort

The obvious things to do in Bruges include climbing the Belfort (Belfry) and admiring the buildings of the main square. The Belfort has 366 stairs, so wear your comfy climbing pants. The view from the top is good, but the view of the bells is even more interesting and if you are in the right room when chiming happens it’s really neat to watch the mechanisms for the bells. When we climbed there was a family of 5 in front of us, with all children 10 and under. They climbed the whole thing just fine; the youngest (about age 4) got carried down. In other words, this can be a good attraction for children. There is a video about how the bell mechanism works which is very good, and seeing it all up close is fascinating for any age.

Museums

We went to 3 museums off the main square which were wonderful. The lace museum and folklore museum were both worthwhile. In the afternoon, visitors can see students at work making lace at the lace museum. We did not expect to like this museum as much as we did. It was a great history lesson. There is also a private store very close by which is like a lace museum itself. The folklore museum is a good choice if you like seeing how people lived in days of old. Each room is devoted to a different profession and there are many, many rooms. This is also a good choice for families with children; exhibits include one with interactive space for very young kids and the museum has an outdoor space with several old-fashioned, hands-on games. Sometimes, there are live candy demonstrations. There is a video of the candy-making for those who miss the live show. Another nice visit in this area is the Adornes Domein–an authentic medieval house and church. It has been owned by the same family for 600 years. Seeing how the landowners provided homes for poor widows was very interesting and the church within the domain is beautiful.