As the climax and finale of the Benelux portion of our journey, we arrived at one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, or anywhere in the world for that matter. Bruges certainly needs no introduction -- its jaw-dropping beauty has long attained legendary status among tour groups and independent travelers alike.
We didn't choose to visit Bruges because we're in Belgium ... we visited Belgium because of Bruges. Our expectations were understandably high, yet Bruges rose above all and delivered the most romantic scenery, our best meal AND my favorite beer in Belgium and the Netherlands. This was one of those rare destinations that live up to all its hype.
We afforded only 2 nights in this beautiful city, but with such world-class scenery we could have easily stayed for a week without getting bored. The egg-shaped medieval core remains well-preserved enough to serve as an open-air museum, and it's easy to forget that 20,000 of its residents still breaths life into this vibrant town every day.
Yes, Bruges is commercialized ... and why would anyone expect otherwise when it's been a major centre for commerce and capitalism for most of its past 800 years? Today's shopkeepers must still carry the entrepreneural genes of ancestors who created the world's first stock exchange more than 7 centuries ago, though tourism has replaced wool and shipping as the major industry in town.
The most recognizable part the landscape is of course the extensive network of canals. While "Venice of the North" may be a slight exaggeration, this is probably one of the few places in the world where cramming inside a small vessel with a boatload of strangers can be considered romantic.
Most visitors to Bruges probably don't realize how exceptionally large the medieval centre is ... I found it even larger than the Old Town of Vienna in comparison, and probably only slightly smaller than Florence's. Perhaps even more remarkable is the existence of three separate UNESCO World Heritage Sites within such a small geographic area, starting with the Flemish architecture of the historic centre.
Achieving World Heritage status separately is the 700-year-old Belfry of Bruges, majestically soaring above the city's mostly medieval skyline and providing visitors with the absolute best panorama in town. While slightly shorter than the Belfry of Ghent at 83m (20+ storeys!), there is no elevator here. Luckily there are a couple of viewing platforms on the way up, affording some gorgeous views of the townsquare through the protective wires while we caught our breath.
But this made it all worthwhile -- a 360-degree panoramic view of Bruges, still through protective wires but stunning nonetheless. Keep in mind that it takes a grueling 366 steps up followed by a knee-joint-busting descent of the same height, so it does require a modest degree of physical fitness.
Covering one's ears while the 47-bell carillon played its centuries-old melody was great fun. Prior to Ghent and Bruges I had absolutely no idea how these intricate instruments worked. Now I've got a much greater appreciation for the remarkable ingenuity of the 16th Century engineers.
Around the corner from the Belfry stands the spectacular Basilica of the Holy Blood. Treasured inside is Belgium's most famous religious relic, a legendary vial purported to contain the coagulated blood from Jesus Christ. Every year on Ascension Day the relic is still paraded through tens of thousands of spectators in silent reverence, just as it was for centuries. In this town, medieval traditions still runs strong.
My favorite piece of architecture in town though was the Church of Our Lady, famous for a Michelangelo sculpture best known as the Madonna of Bruges. Dark, airy and serene, this was exactly the kind of church building I love ... Michelangelo or not.
The 600-year-old spire of the church is actually much taller than the Belfry of Bruges. I would have loved to climb to the top and get a different panorama with the Belfry in the background, but it wasn't open to visitors.
Further towards the southern edge of the medieval town stands its third UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even though the Beguinage now operates as a Benedictine monastery rather than a community for lay sisterhood, it remains an oasis of tranquility among the bustling tourist streets just two blocks away.
Our most memorable place in Bruges wasn't any major tourist attraction, but a locally famed yet nearly unmarked drinking establishment known as Staminee De Garre. There was no signage on the street ... you simply have to follow your gut and venture down this dark alley lodged between two gourmet food shops, around the corner from Town Hall.
Halfway down the alley stood a heavy wooden door on the right, and pushing it open revealed a packed room of patrons blissfully indulging in the house special ...
The Tripel De Garre. I don't say this lightly, but this was simply the best beer I've ever had in my life -- unbelievably smooth, rich and dangerously potent. In fact it's strong enough that each client is allowed to order a maximum of three, by which point some would be either on the table or in the bathroom. I would have ordered the second round, but ...
My wife started feeling a little dizzy after her first, a local Tripel recommended by our waiter when she asked for a dark beer. Now my wife doesn't drink a lot, but she can drink, and I've never seen her drunk. Perhaps it's the way she knocked it down with the alcohol content so well-masked behind the rich flavors, but I took a sip and it certainly didn't taste like 11% to me! It was a amusing evening to say the least as I had to help her stumble back to our hotel.
Bill for Two Persons
| Tripel De Garre | 4 Euros |
| Gulden Draak | 4 Euros |
| Cheese and Meat Platter | 13 Euros |
| TOTAL before tips | 21 Euros (CAD$29.4) |
The next day we had one of the best meals of our 24-day trip, at a little cozy restaurant on the south side of the Dijver Canal known as Le Chef et Moi. If you're planning a trip to Bruges and are concerned about inflated restaurant prices, here’s my recommendation for some spectacular food at reasonable prices. We would have returned for lunch had we stayed for a third day ... it was that good.
How reasonable were the prices? 15 Euros for a 2-course seasonal lunch with a plat principal and a dessert, and 22 Euros for a 3-course with an entrée. We’re not talking about cheap peasant dishes such as Stoemp with sausage or Stoverij stews -- on this day the 3-courses consisted of salmon gravlax, an excellent sautéed codfish and finishing with a mousse cake. The quality was clearly top notch starting with these generous slices of fresh salmon in a lightly peppered dressing.
Things got even better with our other entrée. While 18 Euros for an appetizer wasn't the cheapest, combining it with the 2-course lunch making it 3-course for 33 Euros was still affordable by Bruges standards. The mussels were tender, the shrimps were flavorsome, the saffron broth almost had me lick the bowl, AND the raw sweetness of the sautéed scallops was simply to die for.
In case anyone remains unconvinced of how reasonable prices were, this fantastic piece of codfish alone was definitely worth more than 15 Euros. It was in fact one of the best sautéed fish in memory for me, so perfectly tender that it would have been undercooked had it left the pan 15 seconds early. Simple dish, the freshest ingredient and flawless execution ... now I really wish this restaurant were in Canada. I would come at least once a month for lunch.
The main course preoccupied my mind so much that I don’t even remember what’s in the mousse cake, only that it tasted as good as the other dishes. While I couldn't quite understand why this place wasn't more popular, we were surely glad to have half of the restaurant to ourselves on a weekday. And did I mention that we had a table facing the medieval canal across the street?
Bill for Two Persons
| 22 Euros Lunch (entrée, plat principal, déssert) | 22 Euros |
| 15 Euros Lunch (plat principal, déssert) | 15 Euros |
| Mussels, Shrimps and Scallops with Saffron | 18 Euros |
| Beer | 3 Euros |
| Iced Tea | 2 Euros |
| TOTAL before tips | 60 Euros (CAD$84) |
Finding a restaurant for the evening proved to be a bigger challenge -- Den Huzaar turned out to be closed on a Thursday night. So was Curiosa. Cambrinus was fully booked. And we didn't like the advertised dishes of the day at Sint-Barbe. Searching for a better deal we purposely veered away from the centre and wandered into a little restaurant called Bistro De Schilder, just off Jan van Eyck Plein.
Featured prominently on the menu were two of Bruges' best-known peasant dishes, both made with, AND served with, the town's famous local beers. That's right ... you get the beer inside the preparation of the dish, as well as on tap in a glass.
The Stoverij came robustly flavored with an amber beer, and arrived with a huge portion on the side for seconds and thirds. While I found it a bit on the salty side, the rich stew was perfect as a dipping sauce for the accompanying frites. This was a green salad, a huge Flemish beef stew and a glass of local beer, all for 18.5 Euros for dinner. The quality here wasn't quite as top notch as Le Chef et Moi, though one can argue that it's just as good a deal.
My wife's Rabbit in Bruges Style was the better dish on this night, and the tenderness of the rabbit was actually overshadowed by the excellent poached pear and the hand-made croquettes on the side. Plus, there's also a larger portion of the rabbit on the side in a pot, which I barely helped finish. Overall, unpretentious local dishes at great prices.
Bill for Two Persons
| Stoverij + Glass of Beer | 18.5 Euros |
| Rabbit in Bruges Style + Glass of Beer | 22 Euros |
| TOTAL before tips | 40.5 Euros (CAD$57) |
We booked a great little hotel on the side of the canal (building on the right side of the picture), just 5 minutes walk from the Markt, the Belfry, and De Garre for the evening we had to stumble home. It's also conveniently within walking distance to a Match supermarket and a coin laundry shop (at 151 Langestraat, a real lifesaver). And it's just a short bus ride from the train station on Bus #6.
The hotel was called Ter Reien. The room might be a little small, but it was clean and full of character with dark medieval wooden beams framing the ceiling. At less than 70 Euros per night I doubt that a better deal could be found in high season, this close to the true heart of the town.
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