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By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 4th December 2023 | Updated: 4th December 2023
Thinking about visiting Bruges but not sure if Bruges is worth visiting? Well after a weekend full of waffles, frites, and Belgium adventures, we can safely say that Bruges is most definitely worth visiting. So prepare yourself for all the walking you can do and the food you can eat!
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com
Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide
Is Bruges worth visiting?
Bruges is absolutely worth visiting, with its stunning Flemish architecture lining the beautiful canals and a good waffle or two, what more could you want? Well, how about some rather good local beers? Just be aware that if you visit in peak season, (the summer or any European school holidays), Bruges can get quite busy with tourists.
Is Bruges worth visiting in spring?
Spring is a shoulder season in Bruges so the crowds visiting are much less than over the summer. That being said, you may want to avoid the weeks around Easter as they can get rather busy with tourists visiting for the Easter Markets. A high of 15°C / 59°F and a low of 5°C / 41°F.
Is Bruges worth visiting in summer?
One of the most popular locations to visit in Belgium in the summer is Bruges, with accommodation and tours often booking up well in advance due to the summer holiday rush. Don’t let this put you off visiting though, as early June is one of the best times of year to visit, (that is when we visited, and it was lovely, plus not too busy!).
Temperatures are on average a high of 21°C / 69.8°F and a low of 13°C / 55.4°F. The top festivals in Bruges in summer include the Cactus Festival, (it is actually a pop and rock music festival not at all related to cacti!), in mid July, Belgian Independence Day 21st July, (lots of parades and fireworks displays across the country) and Musica Antiqua Festival, (medieval music festival), early August.
Is Bruges worth visiting in autumn?
Autumn is the second shoulder season in Bruges, with fewer crowds but still a bit of the summer warmth lingering in the air, so a great time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds but still get a bit of the summer heat. Temperatures are on average high of 18°C / 64.4°F and a low of 6°C / 42.8°F.
Is Bruges worth visiting in winter?
Not as crowded as it can get in the summer, but the next busiest time to visit Bruges is in the winter. Christmas markets fill the squares around Bruges and although it is the coldest time of year to visit, you will find that the Christmas food and drink warm you up nicely!
On average a high temperature of 7°C / 44.6°F and a low of 2°C / 35.6°F. As well as the Christmas Markets, Bruges also has celebrations for St Nicholas’ Eve and St Nicholas’ Day with city processions in early December and the Winter Glow Festival from late November through to early January.
Top 10 Things To Do In Bruges
1 – Walk everywhere
First things first, get out and explore Bruges on your feet. Go get lost down the side streets and embrace the quaint gingerbread house style architecture. We stumbled across some wonderful places just as we walked off the beaten track, exactly what you want to do when in a new place!
2 – Eat waffles
Covered in chocolate, cream, strawberries, or all of the above, waffles in Bruges are unbelievable! There are two places (right across the road from one another) that you should most definitely stop by – Chez Albert (traditional waffles) and Go.Fre (waffle on a stick!). Yes, you heard that right waffles on a stick. Go try them both out and see which one’s your favourite…
3 – Find the famous swans
Even though they after often looked at as beautiful peaceful creatures the swans of Bruges are supposedly around due to a much more deadly time in Bruges history. Maximilian from Austria decided, as a tribute to his friends killing, that the people of Bruges must promise to take care of 101 white swans for eternity or Bruges would fall in to decay… This tale has led to the swans being taken care of ever since!
4 – Visit the market square
Surrounded by wonderful architecture on each side and with the world-famous Belfort, you can easily spend an hour or two here just watching the world go by waffle in hand…
5 – Climb the Belfort
Unfortunately, we didn’t get time to climb the wonderful Belfort but if you can you most definitely should. I can only imagine what the views are like from above the city!
Want more of Belgium? Check out these 3 cities you must visit in Belgium
6 – Find the old windmills
Just off the main tourist drag and around the outskirts of the city centre, lies 4 beautiful old windmills, Bonne Chieremolen, Sint Janshuismolen, De Neuew Papegaai and Koeleweimolen. Each with its own history and a unique setting, they are well worth a wander to find.
7 – Explore the outskirts of the city
As soon as you walk through the tourist parts of city it can feel a little overwhelming with the hustle and bustle. So why not get out and about in the outskirts and stumble across quaint bagel shops, cafes and Belgian houses you could only dream of living in.
8 – Visit the brewery for local beer tasting
Just off the main market square and down a little side road lies Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres. Here you can sit watching boats drift past on the canal whilst sampling a few of the local brews!
9 – Have afternoon tea overlooking the canal
Stopping for a spot of afternoon tea, away from the crowds and overlooking the canal never sounded so good! Luckily Hotel Orangerie has the perfect location and pretty darn good tea too.
10 – Avoid getting run over by a horse and cart!
Not so much a Do but make sure you are well aware of where the horse and carts are going and get out of the way when they head towards you, they don’t stop for anyone!
Planning your own trip to Bruges? Make sure you check out our Travelling Tedaldi Amazon Store Travel Guides for all your guidebooks and maps. (We’ve done the hard work for you and linked all the things we used to plan our trip!)
Where to stay in Bruges
There are a vast amount of accommodation options in Bruges, from the quaint attic AirBnBs to the modern boutique hotels. Check out the best accommodation options for your stay below:
Is Bruges Worth Visiting FAQs
Where country is Bruges in?
Bruges is located in the province of West Flanders in the northwest of Belgium. It is the largest city in the province and also the capital of West Flanders, the only Belgian province with a coast.
How to get to Bruges?
Bruges can be a little more difficult to get to than other locations in Belgium, however, there are many options for travelling to Bruges. The nearest airport is Brussels Airport, roughly 95km and 1 hour and a half drive to Bruges.
You can also travel to Bruges via ferry, with the closest ferry terminal being Zeebrugge, approximately half an hour’s drive from Bruges. Another option is to travel to Bruges by train, with numerous stations across Belgium linking to the city. The train station for Bruges is a short 15-minute walk from the main city centre. If you would rather drive to Bruges, then it is very well connected throughout the rest of the country and neighbouring Europe.
For the best flight deals check out Kiwi.com
For the best information on trains then you can’t go wrong with thetrainline.com
How many days to you need in Bruges?
2 days in Bruges is plenty of time. The city is really quite small, in comparison to other destinations in Belgium, and you can see a lot even if you only spend a day in Bruges. We would recommend spending 2 days in Bruges however then you can see both the typical tourist sites as well as the more off-the-beaten-track locations.
Where to eat in Bruges
There are a lot of food options when visiting Bruges, and some places are the perfect location to really take in the scenery and experience Bruges in all its glory.
📍 Sanseveria Bagelsalon – perfect for a breakfast or lunch bagel
📍 FritBar Bruges – the best loaded Belgian fires you will find in Bruges
📍 Poules Moules – mussel specialist
📍 Chez Albert Gauffres or Go Fre – for the best traditional Belgian waffles in Bruges!
📍 Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres – brewery overlooking the river perfect for beer tasting flights
📍 Huisbrouwerji De Halve Maan – wonderful bistro style food
📍 Hotel de Orangerie – for Afternoon Tea on the canal
Best time to visit Bruges?
Bruges is a great time to visit in the early or late summer, before and after the school summer holiday season, as it often has the best weather these times of year and fewer tourists to jostle with in the more well known locations across the city.
What is Bruges best known for?
Bruges is best known for its historic city centre, filled with picturesque canals and cobbled streets lined with incredible architecture. Bruges is also now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with one of the most well-preserved historical centres within Belgium.
What are the best free things to do in Bruges?
By far one of the best free things to do in Bruges is to walk and explore the historic streets and market squares. You won’t get over how much the architecture looks like gingerbread houses.
Which is nicer Bruges or Ghent?
Bruges and Ghent are very different to one another, but each I well worth a visit. Ghent is a much more modern city in comparison to Bruges, and is a little less popular as well, so it is a great location to have as a base to explore elsewhere in Belgium.
Conclusion: Is Bruges Worth Visiting?
There are our top things to do in Bruges! The list is, of course, not exhaustive but a great place to start for your own trip to Bruges. Make sure you check out our other blog posts on Belgium about all the other places you should see whilst visiting this wonderful country.
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.