Bruges (Dutch: Brugge) is a picturesque city in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. Once Europe's richest city, it is now both cosmopolitan and bourgeois in its compact size. It is mainly known for its exceptionally well-preserved historical centre (especially by Belgian standards), which draws over 400,000 tourists annually.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
In the 2nd century AD there was a Gallo-Roman settlement, but the city got its foundations in the 9th century when the Vikings landed. The name Brugge indeed likely comes from the Old Norse "bryggja", translating to harbor or jetty, and was first mentioned between 850 and 875. During the following centuries there were strong connections to the north, and Bruges became one of the trading points of the Hanseatic League. Interestingly, the historical Hanseatic harbour of Bergen is also known as Bryggen. Bruges became the capital of Flanders in 1089, and an 1134 storm created the tidal canal Zwin, improving the connection to the sea.
The historical centre is not so big and thus quite walkable (be sure to wear comfortable shoes). The only mode of public transport inside the city is bus. They are operated by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. They frequent nearly all major points of interest plus the train station. Taxis on the market place and station cost about €10. Bicycles are easy to rent and make getting around the city very speedy, although the cobblestoned paths can make rides a little bumpy and uncomfortable. There exists a cheap shuttle bus from tram station to the city center called Centrumshuttlebus for 3€ per trip (free for residents and some groups).
Bruges was known as a "dead city" for centuries. The sanding of the harbour and the difficulties of digging canals in the sand caused heavy economic burdens on the city between the Middle Ages and the 20th century. The population managed to survive but did not grow as there was no new industrial activity during that period. As a result, once over the encircling canal and inside the city walls, Bruges closes in around you with street after street of charming historic houses and a canal always nearby. The newly cleaned houses and the small canals should however not confuse you; they are truly centuries old.
Grote Markt and Belfry Climb, Grote Markt (the big square). Tu-Su 09:30-17:00. Climb the 366 steps to the top of the 83-m-high tower. Excellent views of the city, Grote Markt and hear the bells ring up close. €15 for adults 26+; discounts for children, youth and seniors. (updated Sep 2024) Canal Tour. To see Bruges from another perspective, take a ride on one of the tour boats around the canals — the multilingual guides provide a potted history of the city in just a few minutes — at only a few euros, it's the best introduction to Bruges. A boat tour will show you places which are otherwise unreachable, as not every canal runs next to a street.
If you are looking for a great place to eat in Bruges, avoid all of the restaurants in the central market square ("Grote Markt"). No matter how pleasant the view from there may look, they will offer you low-quality, overpriced food, served to you by waiters who are as rude and as slow as they are underpaid. One tactic used by such tourist trap restaurants at the central market is to present items (e.g. bread) as if they were free with your meal, then charge you for them. Even water may be charged at an exorbitant €6 or more for a small bottle.
1 De Garre, 1, De Garre (When walking from De Markt to De Burg via the Breydelstraat, find a small door between two shops on your right side to enter De Garre street. The pub itself is the only door inside that street.), ☏ +32 50 34 10 29. Hidden in a backyard, this pub offers a nice atmosphere and about 100 kinds of beer, including localy-brewed ones. The house beer is called 'Triple de Garre' and is 11% strong, a good way to start the night. The pub is very often full, but there's a limit of two drinks per person, which means that new places become available pretty quickly. 2 't Brugs Beertje, Kemelstraat, ☏ +32 50 33 96 16.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €80 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Aug, Bruges typically sees ~22°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-08-04. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy