How about Brugge ?

Let's tour some of the  lesser known cities of Belgium.  This week we go to Brugge, or in English - Bruges. 

During tourist season Bruges is wall to wall people, just like Prague. The tourists tend to gather in the two main squares Markt & Burg.  You can find peace and quiet by exploring the cobbled streets away from the squares.

Like Amsterdam, Bruges is a city of canals – known throughout the world as the Venice of the North.  It is also considered the Honeymoon Capital of Europe because of its charming, historic houses; picturesque parks; horse-drawn carriages; and quiet, intimate cobblestone streets.  It is a perfect city for strolling arm-in-arm as it is truly a pedestrian paradise.  

Bruges made the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000 because as you walk through the historical city centre, it feels like you are strolling through a medieval city.

For a small city (population of just over 117,000) it has a wealth of history, architecture, museums, and art!  In a beautiful church on Burg Square, Basilica of the Holy Blood, you will find a lovely light Gothic chapel with another heavy Romanesque one beneath it.  You will also want to visit The Chuch of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk in Dutch) to see “Madonna with Child”, one of the few Michelangelo sculptures outside of Italy.  But while you are there don’t miss the fine tombs of Charles the Bold and his daughter Mary of Burgundy.  There is no entrance fee to either of these churches.  If you love art you will also want to visit the Expo Picasso – a permanent exhibition of more than 120 original works of art by Pablo Picasso

The Groeninge Museum is known as the museum of fine arts because it houses paintings by artists like Reubens, Van Dyck & Ensor who lived in Bruges between the 14^th & 20^th centuries.  But you will also find fun museums in this city –  The Friet Museum (story of the potato and fries); Choco-Story Museum (turning cocoa into chocolate); Diamant Museum (from mining to polishing diamonds); Lace Museum (local women teaching girls this traditional craft); a beer museum in the Brewery de Halve Maan; and a Folk Lore Museum where you can visit a 17^th century cobbler’s, barrel maker’s, and hat maker’s workshops. And just a short distance from the city center you will find the amazingly preserved medieval Castle ten Berghe with a true moat.

You will find sights to see -- gift shops, churches, museums, parks, and gardens -- to keep you occupied for at least a 3-day visit. If you’ve never been to Bruges before, it is a definite “must see” and if you have been there, you will want to go back!