The quaint town of Bruges might look like it’s just stepped out of a medieval fairy tale, but tucked away amongst its network of scenic canals, colourful townhouses and whitewashed almshouses lie plenty of hidden travel gems waiting to be discovered. From super-trendy design shops to under-the radar attractions (like the city’s ingenious beer pipe) with some local favourite cosy bars and restaurants thrown in too, if you book a trip to explore Bruges’ roads less travelled, you won’t be disappointed.
Where to shop
Antwerp might usually get all the glory on the design front, but Bruges is seriously stylish and it’s jam-packed with cute boutiques and stores to bring back a load of souvenirs from. Start with L’heroine, it’s a cool concept store featuring brilliant menswear and womenswear designers, (pop in for their January sale, there’ll be plenty of bargains). Another hotspot with trendy designers and one-off clothing and accessories is Boetiek Ruth with brands like Ellen Truijen and The Boy Scouts. For the best eyewear in town, there’s Hoet, which also happens to sell great furniture and jewellery.
Lace making is a Belgian institution and it dates back centuries and you can pick up some of your own intricate, handmade creations at the Rococo Lace Store. It was founded in 1894 and has seen five generations of lace makers; here you can buy anything from pretty handkerchiefs to wedding dresses. For homeware, its guaranteed you won’t go home empty-handed from Goûts et Couleurs.
Bars and restaurants not to miss
Pocket-sized Bruges packs more cool restaurants and bars per mile than you can shake a stick at. Start your eating itinerary at De Bottelier, it’s a quirky restaurant that sits atop a lovely wine bar and is kitted out with hats and clocks on the walls (including birdcages full of old alarm clocks) and is a great place for a date. For true Flemish dishes and seasonal produce, Den Huzaar is a lively old-school bistro, while Siphon is a cosy canal-side café with excellent wines.
Forget traditional truffles, the modern Chocolate Line does err on the more touristy side, but is well worth popping into for its bottles of ‘chocolate pills’ and unusual bacon pralines. If that doesn’t appeal then Dumon chocolates are also delicious. A one-stop shop in Bruges for beer (and absinthe) is Da Bierboom with hundreds of choices and reasonable prices. For biodynamic wines in Bruges then Cuvee in the centre of town is a clear winner.
Under-the-radar attractions to find
Bruges has an eccentric range of under-the-radar attractions within its perimeters like the brilliant beer pipeline, which is not just a fantasy. The two-mile pipe flows under Bruges’ ancient streets and connects the Half Moon Brewery to a bottling plant out of town and pumps enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles per hour. Sip its tasty creations, like the blonde beer Brugse Zot.
For a quirky night out, The Lucifernum, a former masonic lodge is open from 8pm on Sundays for decadent evenings of music and rum cocktails amongst a museum-style collection of curiosities. Over at the Congress Centre, harpist composer Luc Vanlaere puts on 30-40 minute concerts over several different time slots from Tuesday to Saturday; it’s an intimate venue and is completely free (although donations are welcome).
Bruges is also home to the world’s deepest diving pool, Nemo 33, for people to learn to scuba dive. It’s heated to 30 degrees and is open 365 days a year. For those who love unusual museums, Belgium is known for its frites, and potato lovers can go one step further and check out the Frietmuseum (chips museum), which is dedicated to the history of potato fries.
Trendy neighbourhoods to explore
You won’t find the locals hanging out in the touristy main squares, they’ll more likely be in places like the cobbled streets of the Sint-Anna district in northern Bruges. Spend an afternoon dipping into its many medieval churches and staving off the cold by sipping refreshing beers in its cosy quiet bars. Minnewater Park is a bit of an oasis in the city and early springtime its gardens are coming into bloom. The park is also home to plenty of public artwork and the ‘Lake of Love’. Over in northwest Bruges, the 800-year old Ezelstraat Street has had a revamp and now is a tangle of cool art galleries and must-visit shoe shops.