A Weekend Getaway in Belgium

Part II — Bruges

Historic European buildings along a canal, with a large green tree in front and a tall clock tower in the background, in Bruges, Belgium.

Now, if one city isn’t enough for a short weekend in Belgium, then you can leave Ghent behind and go to Bruges in under half an hour by train. Plenty of time to have a lovely breakfast of Belgian fries in one city and then head to the next and have a lovely lunch of Belgian fries.

A historic brick castle with small, narrow windows and decorative archways. The castle has multiple pitched roofs with red tiles, dormer windows with pink wooden shutters, and a small balcony with a fountain below. A patio area with a table, chairs, and a black umbrella is visible on the lower level.
An indoor patio of a bar or restaurant with tables, chairs, and barstools. The wall features a large collection of liquor bottles and a large yellow poster with blue text and a figure. Few people are sitting and talking. The building has brick walls and windows with red frames.
Facade of a historic brick building with a decorative green and orange balcony, red awnings over shop windows displaying pottery and ceramics, and a person walking by in front of the shop.
A canal with a boat carrying tourists, historic brick buildings with outdoor seating, and a tall clock tower in the background, in Bruges, Belgium.
Street scene with historic brick and stone buildings, a horse-drawn carriage, and pedestrians under an overcast sky, in Bruges, Belgium.
A narrow street with outdoor seating and umbrellas in front of historic brick buildings, some with signage indicating a hotel, next to a canal with a bridge in the background, on a cloudy day, in Bruges, Belgium.
Street scene in a European city with historic architecture, a horse-drawn carriage, and pedestrians walking on cobblestone streets, with a tall clock tower in the background, in Bruges, Belgium.
Interior of a retail store with white shelves filled with packaged goods, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and decorated for the holidays with hanging flowers and a birdcage. There are tables with wrapped gift boxes and baskets on the floor.
Inside a confectionery shop with wooden display counters filled with chocolates and sweets, customers browsing, and hanging decorative flowers and signs.
Interior of a cozy cafe with dark red chairs around black tables, floral wallpaper on one wall, and a large window with red curtains, showing buildings and a bakery sign outside.

Then again, being in Belgium, one can’t neglect the ample opportunities to indulge oneself and spend altogether far too much money on their chocolate, be it from a confectioner’s, or a hot chocolate in a tea shop. Or both.

Interior of a church with religious statues, a stained glass window, and a chandelier, featuring a statue of an angel with a child, flanked by candleholders.
Interior of a church with tall arched windows, religious statues, and decorative wall art.
Interior of a church with scaffolding erected in front of the altar, large stained glass windows, religious statues, and a crucifix hanging from the ceiling.
Inside view of a church with a large arched window, altar with religious statues, and a glass door with metal gate in the foreground.
Interior of a church featuring a tall, ornate religious sculpture with golden sunburst and celestial figures, flanked by stone statues and tall stained glass windows.
A historic brick building with Gothic architectural details and several large windows, with two people walking past in front.
Street scene with historic brick buildings, people walking and cycling, signs, and a church tower in the background.
A cobblestone pathway flanked by trees with green leaves leading to a brick church with a steep roof and chimney, overcast sky.
Exterior of the Halve Maan brewery with a flower-decorated wall and a sign indicating tickets, under a cloudy sky. A large brewing tank is visible on the roof.
People standing near the entrance of a Gothic-style church with a statue of Jesus and intricate carvings above the doorway.

It’s not all fries and chocolate, of course. Belgians are also not half bad at brewing beer. L’eau de la vie. And the best way by far to test it is to go direct to the source.

City centres aren’t entirely accommodating, however, when it comes to hosting breweries, so most lie outside the city proper. That didn’t stop the Brouwerij De Halve Maan, though, which came up with an idea of pure lunacy so that they could remain where they were, even though they were outgrowing their little corner of the city…

Top-down view of a circular glass-covered hatch embedded in cobblestone pavement, with inscriptions 'BIER 3276 m' on black bars. The famous beer pipeline running between the Halve Maan brewery's main brewery location and their bottling plant.
A man walking past a large, historic stone cathedral with Gothic architectural details, including arched doors and tall stained glass windows.
Outdoor cafe with empty tables and chairs, brick building with mural, person walking away, trees with red and green foliage.

…and that was to install an underground beer pipeline that would send beer 3.3 km away to their bottling plant. The only one of its kind. It removes the need for transporting the beer in lorries through the crowded city centre, which keeps things cleaner for everyone. Drinking beer has never been so responsible.

A cityscape featuring a river flowing through a European town with orange-tiled roofs, a prominent Gothic cathedral with a tall spire, and lush green trees under an overcast sky.
A cobblestone street in a European town with colorful historic buildings, outdoor seating, parked scooters, and a few pedestrians under a partly cloudy sky, in Bruges, Belgium.

It’s almost cheating when everything’s this photogenic.

A large green tree in the center of a paved square with people walking, a fountain, and outdoor seating with umbrellas.
An historic church gate with a statue of saints above, painted in light colors with gold lettering 'J 7 76' and 'SAUL GARD', leading into a courtyard, with brick buildings on both sides and a cobblestone path.
An old brick church with tall windows, surrounded by green trees and grass, in sunlight.
Small bunny figurines inside a hollow tree trunk, with greenery in the background.
A brick church with a steeple partly obscured by green trees, with a black door and a paved path in front.
A person sitting on a grassy edge near a cobblestone pathway in front of white historic buildings with tiled roofs, surrounded by trees and a partly cloudy sky.
Bronze sculpture of two frogs sitting on a spherical object.
A cobblestone street lined with old European-style buildings, some with outdoor seating, under a partly cloudy sky.
A peaceful scene of a river with green trees on the banks and one large brick building with a steep roof on the right side, under a partly cloudy sky.
Shady park with tall trees, green grass, and shadows on the ground, with residential buildings in the background.
Front view of a historic building with a stone statue above the door, old-fashioned lantern, and large grid windows, surrounded by trees and cobblestone pavement.
A brick building with a red-tiled roof, partially obscured by a large tree with green leaves, and a white wall with an arched door in front.
A boat with passengers sailing along a canal in a European town, with brick houses and a green leafy tree nearby.
Front view of a historic Gothic-style church with large arched windows and a spire, surrounded by greenery and a small canal in the foreground.
A narrow cobblestone street lined with brick and stucco buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
A person wearing a white coat is walking over a rocky stone bridge towards an old brick building with a decorative archway entrance, multiple chimneys, and moss or plants growing on the roof.
A brick building by a waterway with a large, leafy, drooping tree in front, and a canopy with the text 'BLONDEN OS' on an umbrella covering outdoor seating.
Narrow cobblestone street between old brick and white-painted buildings with colorful stained glass windows and bicycles parked outside on a sunny day.
A Gothic-style church with a tall spire, large arched windows, and brick walls, set against a partly cloudy sky, with trees and a statue in the foreground.
Picturesque canal scene with boats, historic brick buildings, and a stone bridge in Bruges, Belgium.
Views of a historic European city with old brick buildings, a church steeple, and a river reflecting the buildings and sky, under a partly cloudy sky, in Bruges, Belgium.
Historical building with Gothic architecture on a city square, with people walking and flags flying.
A tall historic clock tower rising above a street scene with various buildings, people walking, and a cloudy sky.
Back to Part I