Bruges isn't a city of big hitting sights, but that's not to say there aren't things to do there. meandering the quaint streets and soaking up the atmosphere is the order of the day, but you should probably have a look at doing the following…Read More

Bruges isn't a city of big hitting sights, but that's not to say there aren't things to do there. meandering the quaint streets and soaking up the atmosphere is the order of the day, but you should probably have a look at doing the following five things, to get the most out of your visit:

1. Eat some Belgian chocolate

Without a doubt one of the things you should definitely do is sample the world famous food stuff. Whether you window shop the many lovely shops that line the main streets or you head into a cafe to relax and enjoy a steaming mug of hot chocolate, it is not to be missed. It is a great gift idea as well if you are visiting before the festive season. Lots of the shops sell discounted boxes of chocolate if you buy a certain amount - they have pre selected sets of maybe five or ten boxes that are indeed a good bargain. A more expensive way of doing it is to select some from the individual selections, they tend to cost around three Euros for 100 grams, but the displays are so amazing that you'll have to have a fair bit of will power to resist. The pralines are to die for.

2. Cross a bridge.

Seems a strange thing to do, but Bruges actually means 'bridges' in Flemish and it is easy to see why. The city is filled with canals that and so by default lots of bridges. They are more often than not little stone affairs that are really rather pretty and quaint. Crossing them often gives you the best views of the cobbled streets for taking photographs. It is easy to get lost wandering around, but there are lots of maps around to help you back on track.

3. Enjoy the Markt

This is the city's main square and it is from this that everything else spreads out. There are some fabulous buildings here. Firstly the Belfort (belfry) is a tower that dominates the scene. Interestingly the tower leans slightly so it is fun to watch out for that and if you are feeling energetic, you can climb to the top via the 366 steps.
Before Christmas, the square plays host to the charming Christmas markets which make the whole thing look, if possible, even more beautiful. Alternatively, in the summer months, the restaurants around the square fill the space with tables and chairs, so you can enjoy a typical Belgian meal in the sunshine.

4. Shop

It's not the shopping capital of Europe by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a very picturesque place to browse the shops. You can get a lot of things that you wouldn't find on your typical high street such as locally made produce ranging from food to clothes. It's not too much of a stretch either because it is all located in one area. There is of course plenty of opportunity to grab all manner of souvenir!

5. Grab a beer

After chocolate, beer is probably Belgium's favourite export and you couldn't find better surroundings to enjoy one of the many hundreds of different types of beer that are on offer. There are so many cute little pubs that the choice is endless - so fill your boots!!

So, whatever you like to do, you will doubtless find somewhere to do it in Bruges and somewhere great to do it no less!Close

Bruges is a lovely city and one that you should definitely make the effort to visit if you are anywhere near. It is very quaint and despite its popularity, it has maintained its traditional air and has plenty to please every visitor.Getting there from nearby…Read More

Bruges is a lovely city and one that you should definitely make the effort to visit if you are anywhere near. It is very quaint and despite its popularity, it has maintained its traditional air and has plenty to please every visitor.

Getting there from nearby Brussels is easy. Trains run from the capital's main stations very regularly. We went from the Central Gare de Midi and the tickets cost 14 Euros per person for a return journey. It isn't cheap, but it is almost an hour away on the train, so not too bad. The trains leave every thirty-five minutes or so. There are only a few stops between the cities, but the trains are none the less very busy and you may find yourself stood up for part of the journey if you aren't one for elbowing your way through the crowds.

Once you get to Bruges, you'll find that the main station is on the edge of the city and you can get buses from right outside into the city centre. If you don't mind walking, I'd recommend doing so because it is a very pretty walk through the lovely clean and quaint streets. It's easy to get there (just follow the crowds and hope they are going in the right direction!). The walk takes about 20 minutes at a fairly casual pace.

Bruges is the Flemish word for bridges and it could be a more appropriate name since the city's winding canals are crossed with lots of lovely little stone bridges. There are so many photo opportunities it is unbelievable!

The main square in Bruges is so picturesque that you definitely shouldn't miss it out. Surrounded by fabulously ornate baroque buildings it has an air of mythical mystery about it.

For those travelling with children, you'll probably want to pay a visit to the Chocostory exhibition and museum. Belgium is obviously the home of delicious chocolate and this museum pays homage to that - even offering visitors freshly made samples.

So, whatever you enjoy, you should definitely make a trip to Bruges one of your priorities when in the area - great stuff.Close

Bruges is a beautiful town in Belgium, who has nicknamed Venice of the North. The historic center is on the world heritage list. There are beautiful buildings to see some even from the Middle Ages. Bruges has nice canals where you can make a cruise…Read More

Bruges is a beautiful town in Belgium, who has nicknamed Venice of the North. The historic center is on the world heritage list. There are beautiful buildings to see some even from the Middle Ages. Bruges has nice canals where you can make a cruise on. You get an overall impression of the city, but then have not seen it all.

The prices of an open boat cruise are adults: 6.90 euros and children: 4 to 11 years EUR 3.20. In the months December, January and February the boats only go during the weekends, holidays and vacation periods. In the remaining time they sail daily from 10.00-18.00 hours.

The cruise is in an open boat. The boats have on the sides couches and in the middle row a few seats. Front in the boat are umbrellas if it rains. These are then distributed among the tourists. There are five entrance points in Bruges for a cruise on the canals.

The tour goes along fine points of Bruges and from the water it looks different and you see other things than from the street. The boat trip takes about half hour. The guide tells facts about the points you visit. When you step in the driver if necessary, a helping hand, enumerates the driver which languages are desirable so that everyone can understand what it's about. The tour goes under bridges, some low. However, you can sit up everywhere. What is important is to remain seated and keep arms inside.

Each boat has its own driver, so it may vary how the tour is addressed. Each boat is much the same dangers, so it does not matter where it is resigned. After the tour the guide you have a tip, but this is not compulsory.

Especially with children, but also without, it's nice to have a boat trip on the canals of Bruges to keep. You should not think that after a boat trip across Bruges you have seen it all, because you have not. However you get a nice impression of the city and the trip was wonderfully relaxing. Especially when you all day are running, it's a nice change. You see the city differently from the water, and know a guide to tell anecdotes and comment on his own city, for example about the horrible new buildings here and there arose between monumental buildings. I recommend the trip, but certainly going to explore the city on foot, it's worth it!
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Europe is blessed with the most amazing cathedrals, churches, and chapels, and nowhere in the world are there more beautiful churches than in Belgium. There are cities that have marvelous churches and abbeys, and while they may be close, for me, it's Belgium.…Read More

Europe is blessed with the most amazing cathedrals, churches, and chapels, and nowhere in the world are there more beautiful churches than in Belgium. There are cities that have marvelous churches and abbeys, and while they may be close, for me, it's Belgium.

Belgium has been a very wealthy country for hundreds of years and that financial wherewithal has allowed the construction and reconstruction of her religious institutions. The amazing art found in the houses of worship is due in part to the "deep pockets" of wealthy parishioners and church leaders. The Church, quite corrupt at times, was given art treasures and other valuables as well as plain, old, everyday cash for "Indulgences." In effect, nobility and the wealthy bought their way into Heaven - or at least they tried. It would be interesting to know how many made it.

The wealth of Bruges, a city founded in the 9th century, came from trade and fabric manufacturing. By the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries money poured into Bruges and she became a financial center as well. The city was a cloth and fabric market for her own marvelous fabrics as well as a warehouse for cloth made all over the known world. All of Europe, the middle east, and the orient came to Bruges' doorstep, both through her port and also in overland trade into the Rhineland. Things declined in the !5th century as other larger ports were opened and eventually Bruges became the poorest of all Flemish cities. In the 19th century tourists discovered Bruges and the rest is history. Today, in the summer months, if you wait around one of the squares, you will probably meet half of your friends and all your enemies.

Bruges is said to be a Medieval city, but some dispute that because of all of the remodeling and renovations throughout the centuries. If that was true, they need to look at Germany and all of the cities that were rebuilt following WW II. But in the 13th century and forward for a few hundred years, Bruges was rich. Due to the wealth of the city during and after the Medieval era, Bruges was loaded with capital. Many made fortunes in the commercial trade and shipping; the nobility from land ownership and marriages had enormous wealth, bankers were very flush indeed, and the merchants of Bruges led very comfortable lives. Bruges had a 300+ year building spree. Great buildings were built including churches.

For the purposes of this story, I am concentrating on just two of the most important churches: the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Church of Our Lady. They are famous for different reasons.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood is renown for one of the world's most famous relics - a vial containing a piece of cloth used to clean the blood from Christ after His crucifixion, and holding a drop of His blood. The relic is kept in a beautiful silver reliquary in the church and is available for personal veneration by the public. The relic is in a sealed vial which is, in turn, housed in a sealed rock crystal tube capped on both ends with crowns of gold and precious gems. For the veneration, the relic and a priest passing out blessings are on a raised dais specifically for the purpose. The faithful pause to touch or kiss the relic and receive a printed blessing from the Priest. The scene is touching.

The upper chapel itself is rather small. The background is very colorful with a vies of the Crucifixion uppermost and centered. A smaller chapel on the right has the reliquary and the veneration dais. The lower chapel of St Basil's is very plain, but has some interesting statues, which are also meaningful. The chapel is a 12th century stone construction and Romanesque in style. The Basilica is definitely on the "Do Not Miss" list.

The "Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk " (Church of Our Lady) is on the canal and a short walk for the "Grote Markt" and the "Burg." There is a small bridge over the canal that leads to the back of the church. Built from the 13th to 15th century, the spire is 396 feet tall and is visible from miles away.

Unlike the "Basilica of the Holy Blood," the "Church of Our Lady (which I have misidentified as the "Cathedral of Our Lady" in places) is anything but plain. The church is stunning in every way and is famous for a Carrara marble sculpture by Michelangelo. Known world-wide as the only piece of his work that left Italy during the artist's lifetime, the "Madonna and Child" is a marvelous example of the great artist's work.

The sculpture's setting is no less impressive with two sculptures on each side and a Painting above. I saw people who were moved to tears by the sculpture and its presence almost close enough to touch. Others just stand in awe.

The church is large, it's huge, but it has such majesty and splendor that I don't think that it can be experienced in any other way but in person. The "Madonna and Child" are certainly part of that emotion, but the rest of the church has no understated opulence. The splendor almost knocks the viewer over as one scene is more beautiful than the next. Tour group leaders seem to have difficulty keeping their groups together. Visitors just seem to wander off, in many ways oblivious to everything but where their eves are looking. The best story that I can tell is about the leader of a tour group who walked in the entrance with her group following. She got quite a distance away from the group because two guests had just barely passed through the entrance when they stopped - dead. For a few seconds no one else could get in. That would be my definition of "awestruck."

The included photographs of each church are identified by name and location.



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To: The City of Bruges and Her Citizens, Thank you for your city, and for your willingness to share Bruges with the world. You somehow cause a phenomenon which I have personally not seen in many places, and I feel compelled to tell you…Read More

To: The City of Bruges and Her Citizens,

Thank you for your city, and for your willingness to share Bruges with the world. You somehow cause a phenomenon which I have personally not seen in many places, and I feel compelled to tell you about it. Quite simply, it is that I have never seen more well-behaved tourists than I have encountered in your city. The tourists in Bruges are more polite than I have seen in any other country in Europe. Everyone seems to be on their best behavior. Visitors to Bruges really seem to appreciate the beauty of your city, but more than that, they appreciate the tranquility and the leisurely pace of living. They move slowly from one lovely setting to another. The lines for the tourist boat tours are very orderly and quiet. For those who are in a hurry and weigh everything by the number of ticks on a clock, Bruges will be culture shock.

At night, everything in area of the "Old City" slows down - even the tourists. They enjoy quiet and relaxed dinners at restaurants that don't expect fast table turn-over times. I don't see people checking their wristwatches or texting on their mobile phones often (except for the young, and who can explain them). All is quiet. Blood pressure is lowered.

After 9:00 PM is the time that I enjoy the most. The city is alive with light and the romantic spots are everywhere. The streets are friendly and I see couples of every age walking and holding hands, and they stop on the bridges or walk along the canal with seemingly no particular destination. They may be eating ice cream or some other dessert while meandering. I have seldom seen people who have had too much to drink. Even my countrymen who are known to be very loud and boisterous and demanding seem to be quiet. I never worry about walking the streets after midnight looking for good photographs.

But it is during the day at the churches that I see the most intense reactions among the tourist population. I see people standing in one place in absolute awe of the indescribable beauty. I see most men take off their caps, and women have covered shoulders. Everyone slows down. I watch tourist groups standing in one place for some minutes just taking it all in. Many don't believe how close they can get to priceless works of art. Visitors wander and the most common reactions are shaking heads in amazement. Many visitors just sit in the pews or chairs and just meditate. When the leave, they leave awe-struck. And the same reaction will occur in the next church.

So thank you Bruges, from this traveler, for what you give to others, a sense of peace or serenity, a few moments of calm in a world that moves too quickly. Thank you for taking us to an emotional place where we can reflect quietly on the truly important things in life. Thank you for sharing you priceless art and architecture. Most of all, thank you for giving so much of yourself and making us want to return to experience your serenity again and again. I know that we are welcome.
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Bruges is a wonderful city at night. It is beautiful, romantic, stunning, tranquil, moody in the rain. It is an old city that will lower high blood pressure. It will make you sing and dance and even cry. Bruges will move…Read More

Bruges is a wonderful city at night. It is beautiful, romantic, stunning, tranquil, moody in the rain. It is an old city that will lower high blood pressure. It will make you sing and dance and even cry. Bruges will move you emotionally and will affect you in the most wonderful way. At least that was my experience. You don't need romantic restaurants or pubs. Those comforts are certainly there in abundance, but for those who cannot afford such luxuries, it doesn't matter.

The city fathers of Bruges and local businesses have spent millions of euros in the design of the lighting of the city. It is very close to perfect and adds to the mood created by the lights of the shops and pubs. The canals and bridges have or create stunning reflections that one can watch for hours as ducks or swans or the wind or a tourist tossing a pebble disturb the reflections, changing the mood in an instant. Slowly the serenity returns, and all is well. A tourist can't ask for more than that, and it's free. All one has to do is to meander along the canal. It is so inviting.

I spent a few hours doing what I just described. Because I didn't have a tripod I had to look for places that I could use to brace both me and the camera. While I was looking for such objects to use, I was distracted by a swan swimming. I watched that swan and the canal for over two hours. I sat on the side of one of the bridges and let Bruges take me wherever she wanted. I had absolutely no idea that I had been sitting on that bridge for so long, but I had a wonderful journey. I don't remember a time when I was so completely at peace.

Lacking a tripod, I was quite limited in the photographs that I was able to make. I needed a steady surface to set my camera on. Fortunately, I did find some stone benches and was able to get some photographs with minimal camera or photographer movement and I include the best ones here. In total, I spent more time sitting by the canal than I did taking pictures, but I am still satisfied with the results of both.

The photographs are labeled with the identity of the building. Some of the labels may be incorrect. I may have misidentified them on my voice recorder, or since it is almost 3:00 AM, I just screwed up. I apologize for any errors and will gladly make corrections as they become known to me.




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First, Bruges is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. Also, the entire old city of Bruges has been awarded the honor, not just a few buildings, and there are…Read More

First, Bruges is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. Also, the entire old city of Bruges has been awarded the honor, not just a few buildings, and there are a multitude of reasons for that. To say that it is picturesque is an understatement. In Bruges you can look in any direction and find a postcard waiting for your camera. It is difficult to find a spot that is not photogenic. I kid you not. Bruges is so photogenic that I seldom know when to quit taking pictures. In two days and one night I took 800 photographs! Early mornings evenings are wonderful with long shadows, while the middle of the day is also good for amateurs and professionals alike.

Many years ago my parents said that you should "always keep the sun over your left shoulder." I heard that said until the mid-fifties when I was about 15 years old. There was solid reasoning in that statement. Most cameras used by amateurs at that time were Kodak Brownies and if you needed a flash it meant flash bulbs. The camera had a fixed lens which meant that it was set at one size lens opening and one set shutter speed. There were no controls; you took the pictures, took the camera to the drug store (so that they would take the film out because you forgot how) for developing, and a week or so later you found out what you had.

In any case, today, unless you have manual controls on your camera and can adjust your exposure for backlit subjects, the rule is still valid because it usually will give you properly exposed images. Even though today's cameras (even the cheap ones) measure the light and, for the most part, sets the camera properly. What the rule is saying is to keep the sun behind you or to each rear side of you. That is as valid today as it was many years ago. Most people don't care about creativity, they want good, clear pictures, and even the least expensive digital cameras will accomplish that. People take travel pictures to remember where they went, and to show others the same thing.

The best way to guarantee that you have some good photos of your trip to anywhere is to take lots of pictures. Use different angles and camera heights. Take a picture from close with a wide-angle lens setting and then walk a good distance away from the same subject and use your telephoto setting to take the same photograph. You will be surprised at the difference.

This trip was made difficult because I had not brought a tripod with me. I had planned on purchasing a cheap one when I got to Poland, but that didn't work out when I found out how much a cheap tripod costs there. In Germany and Belgium they were even more expensive. So I did without and tried to brace the camera as best as I could deleting images as I toddled along. I won't make that mistake again. I'll just leave out extra shirts and pants, toiletries, and a bunch of chargers and electronic devices that I seem to think I need. I may stink and not know where I am, but the pictures of where I don't know I was will be great.

Parenthetically, please be kind to other photographers. Be careful and try to not walk into someone's photograph. You know how you feel when someone walks into yours. And even worse, when someone walks into your photograph and stops. That is absolutely maddening. It's bad enough that they walked into your picture, and it gets worse when they stand there and want to have a conversation about it while you're waiting (patiently, right?). OK, wrong. Here's one that really frosts me. One of the night images illustrates this little peeve of mine. A couple is taking a picture on the far left of my photograph. I didn't have a problem with that because I was somewhat hidden down on my knees in gravel trying to balance my camera on a stone bench. What did cause my Scottish temper to almost get the best of me was that the guy held his camera up for two solid minutes for one damn picture. I wanted to point out to him forcefully something like: "Hey buddy. That building is not going to smile and it is not going to move, so take the picture,already. And I'm kneeling in gravel." This problem is a particular nuisance in really pretty cities like Bruges. End of sermon..

There are certain things that will make your picture story more personal. These are frequently images that have nothing to do with the city or place you visited. No one will look at them and say that they know where the photograph was taken. Things like window boxes with flowers, open windows with a child or pet sitting there, colorful laundry on the line, a pair of jeans drying on a window ledge, decorative light posts and lamps, interesting window displays. Very few people have the same photograph because they would have to have been there when you were there, so there is something new that they haven't seen before. I will frequently take a photograph of my feet standing on a manhole cover that shows the city or town I am visiting.

There is no secret to taking pictures in Bruges. The entire central city is just thousands ot pictures waiting to be taken. So I'll finish with a couple of other pointers. Idiot-proof point and shoot cameras are a blessing. Just remember to charge or carry extra batteries Try to avoid photographs with the sun in front of you if you have no adjustment for it on sunny days. Cloudy days have very soft light, but light coming from the northern sky is the softest. When possible, try to take pictures of people with your back facing North to take advantage of the North light. In bright or hazy sunlight, try to take people pictures in shade. To photograph a building, use your telephoto setting, walk a distance away to take the picture. The walls will not bend inward as much.

If you are in Bruges consider yourself lucky. There are not many places as photogenic.

I have a journal on photography on this website. I hope that you will find it interesting.Close

Bruges - Getting there and St. Christopher's BauhausBruges is a favorite city of mine. It is a photographer’s paradise and a wanderer’s paradise in just about any kind of weather. I fell in love with Belgium in general, and Bruges in particular in…Read More

Bruges - Getting there and St. Christopher's Bauhaus

Bruges is a favorite city of mine. It is a photographer’s paradise and a wanderer’s paradise in just about any kind of weather. I fell in love with Belgium in general, and Bruges in particular in the early 1960's. Even with the millions of demanding and spoiled tourists, the citizens of this city have so much patience with all of us, tourists and travelers alike, it defies logic. At least it defies my logic. People that I meet in hostels talk about Bruges almost as much as they do about Amsterdam, which is always a huge favorite. The comments I hear most often are how beautiful Bruges is, and how friendly the people are. Both are true. Also true is the really good behavior of tourists in this tourist-filled city. I don’t know why.

Bruges has a population of about 120,000 with about 25,000 living in the city center. Many hundreds more commute daily to the city center for their employment. To that, add three million tourists each year, hence the Bruges motto. The motto for Belgium is, "Unity Makes Strength." The Bruges motto is, "Don’t Drive In the City," or it should be.

I have visited Bruges three different times and always wish that I had planned better and allotted more time to this lovely city. Just wandering in the small side streets would take me at least a full day, if not two. I was in the city for two days and one night. I should have scheduled four days and three nights and I am planning that trip for next year. Also, Bruges was my tenth location in three weeks and I was pretty tired by the time. Definitely too many moves.

I stayed at St. Christopher’s Bauhaus which is located within a couple of blocks of a bus stop (the driver will told me when to get off and pointed me in the right direction). The right direction turned out to be through one of the city gates - Kruispoort. Before going through the gate, I noticed a lovely windmill 100 meters to my right and I returned early the next morning for pictures on both sides of the gate and the windmill. Anyway, I walked for a couple of blocks down Langstraat to the hostel which is well-managed and check-in was easy. There is a bar and restaurant that is part of the hostel and does a good business. I did not eat in the restaurant but others told me that it was quite good and far more reasonable than the downtown eateries. The included breakfast is served in the restaurant. Any Belgian beer is good.

I had a couple of very minor complaints about St. Christopher’s. One was that the staircase up to the third floor is narrow and it was difficult for me to manage with a suitcase. The dorms are quite small, but I spent very little time in the room. I was in a dorm that consisted of two rooms with three bunks in each room. Both the toilet and shower were close-by.

I do recommend St. Christopher’s Bauhaus. Its location is very good being close to a bus stop. I passed quite a few hostels walking into to city (10 minutes) and they would take longer to reach. My roller-bag and I were arguing constantly by that time. I think that I will return to St. Christopher’s in the future.

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Beer as something other than a cold drink to have while watching football is, I admit, something I've only come around to appreciate in recent years. Whilst I'm sure there are plenty of fine beers to be had in the US, my appreciation of…Read More

Beer as something other than a cold drink to have while watching football is, I admit, something I've only come around to appreciate in recent years. Whilst I'm sure there are plenty of fine beers to be had in the US, my appreciation of the drink was all but nonexistent until I moved to Europe almost a decade ago and quickly became very fond of the British pint.

Time in different places had made me more aware of the flavours and possibility of beer as a very interesting and varied drink, especially in New Zealand where their local beer (particularly in the South Island) really awoke in me a keen interest in the flavours and the different ways in which they could superbly accompany a meal.

So when I decided to go to Bruges for a few days last Christmas, I was instantly very intrigued by the idea of beer sampling in the country known for exceptional production of beer. My knowledge of Belgian beer was, up until that time, very limited to the one or two bottles I had come across in the past. As is often the case with these first samplings, they were the 'bog standard' brewery ales that almost always seem to make it out of the country and become the ones which the country is known for. Almost always I find, the options you discover (whether it be beer, wine or whisky) when you are in the place itself are vastly superior to those which are exported.

So while sight seeing, and chocolates and taking photos and enjoying the Christmas scene in the little medieval city of Bruges were all high on the list of reasons for the visit - my real desire was to sample as many of the 800 odd Belgian beers as I could in the city, in what turned out to be a very short amount of time to do so.

One of my favourite parts of the Bruges experience was the time I spent in pubs and local bars, sampling the varied and exceptional delights of their beers and ales. For one thing, the pub experience in Belgium was very different from the UK, where everyone was drinking, but most (with the exception of some large groups of tourists) seemed to drink for the simple pleasure of the drink itself and the social atmosphere. Drinking for the sake of getting drunk was not the aim, and I found this remarkably refreshing.

As such, I sampled a number of pubs as well as their beers, and tried in every one to try something new and different. My favourite in the end my have been Cambrinus (see my review) but all of them had their charms.

I went with a mild enjoyment of beer and sampling (admittedly I'm more of a wine drinker) and came back with a new found devotion and admiration of the drink in it's finest form. I went dubious that there could really be over 800 standard Belgian beers (a number which vastly increases when you begin to count their specialist beers) and that they could really be all that different.
But I could not have been more wrong. If you enjoy beer even a little, a vast sampling of the selection in Belgium is a must for a trip there. I was astounded by the variety and the quality I discovered there, and the extreme attention to detail in everything down to the variation in unique glass style each beer is served in to best represent it's flavours and texture. If you order a Kwak beer you will find it served in a large curvy glass supported by a special wooden holder. I'm not connoisseur enough to tell you exactly what this adds to the flavour and aroma, but I can tell you it makes for an interesting drinking atmosphere (try this one as one of your first on the list, so you don't have to maneuver the strange glass much when you are beginning to get fuzzy...)

And while I'm on the subject - do keep in mind (especially if you are coming from the US) that Belgian beer does tend to be quite strong, especially anything termed a 'Dubbel' which can be from 6 - 8%. Some of the flavours are so delightfully mellow (their blond ales and lagers can taste very mild, and some of the fruity beers are so sweet as to almost drown out the alcoholic flavour, so it can be easy to drink more than you realize - a good hearty Belgian sausage dinner before going out may be advisable...)

A lot of specialist shops through out Bruges sell a huge selection of these beers as well, if you'd like to take some home with you to finish your sampling on another day. Also try 2be (see my review) for an enormous selection of beers to buy and take back to try later.

Most of the cafes and restaurants I discovered in Bruges also offer a very interesting array of beer choices, so you can sample some of these with foods as well. They accompany a meal of traditional Flemish stew beautifully on a cold night. Be sure to sample one of the Trappist 'abbey' beers as well while you are there. To be called a Trappist the beer must have been brewed in a monastery, and the monks themselves must have been involved in the process, with proceeds going to the monastery. This in itself makes it a bit of a unique drinking experience.

You can also visit some local breweries as well. I recommend De Halve Maan (the Half Moon) which is not only a superb brewery to visit with in walking distance of the city centre, but also happens to make what turned out to be my favourite of all the Belgian beers, the blond Brugse Zot.

Sampling beer in Bruges in a real experience, and one not to be missed when you plan your own visit. Close

It seems like it's becoming quite popular to take one of these little 'mini cruise' ferries to Europe from Britain - as more and more often I hear about someone who's just taken one. And why not? The prices are pretty good - yeah,…Read More

It seems like it's becoming quite popular to take one of these little 'mini cruise' ferries to Europe from Britain - as more and more often I hear about someone who's just taken one. And why not?
The prices are pretty good - yeah, it's another budget way to travel and is a long way from the glories of the luxury cruises you get around the Med and from Florida which lavish you with shows and buffets and things to do and nice staterooms. But as a way to get to a destination that's more than just the incredible faff involved in flying to and from the place you want to get to. The cruise is a more leisurely way of getting there and you get to soak up the atmosphere of pure, unadulterated 'travel' in a way that it becoming hard to find amidst lines and checkpoints and baggage scans and little tiny plastic bags filled with tiny bottles of liquids.

I'd taken one of these types of cruises (they're ferries - they call them 'cruises' but they are ferries.) when I was in Finland, and again in Sweden and so I had some idea of what to expect, but had never taken one from the UK before.

The drive down to the port was the biggest inconvenience by a long stretch - I unfortunately now live so far north that to take one of these cruises (from Hull, in this instance) was practically a two day journey in and of itself. But we made that part of the trip - driving south to visit friends for the night in the Scottish borders then heading down in the morning to catch our evening boat from Hull.
The biggest drag about this was how dull most of that drive is - once you leave the area around Durham it's a pretty dreary drive the rest of the way. But even so, I just kept telling myself that I would easily have spent that much time arriving at the airport 2 hours early, going through security, waiting for the flight and eventually landing on the other side and following a similar process. I was up for the change of pace.

The cruise itself I found to be surprisingly pleasant. We took a P&O cruise for our trip to Bruges for our anniversary (you can get really amazing deals if you book in advance - I believe our tickets were buy one get one free for £89) The price was very cheap so I went expecting very little. I highly recommend that you have some dinner before getting on the ship - the options are limited and outrageously priced (and though I didn't eat at any of the restaurants on board - I have my suspicions that they were not of the highest caliber) But it's not a plane - so you can bring your own food and snacks if you want (exactly what we did - we stopped at an M&S on the motorway and got some snacks for the evening, some drinks and even some stuff for breakfast the next morning.)

It was all very straightforward. The parking was very reasonable (It was £10 for us to park while we were gone or £5 per 24 hours) and it was in a secured area - we felt very safe leaving our car there. The lines were pretty quiet and not rushed - we did seem to be the only ones on the boat under the age of 50. There was a bit of security and ticket checking - but compared to what you put up with on airplanes it was a breeze.

The whole place was a bit dated and ragged - the terminal as well as the boat. It wasn't bad - and the room we had was clean and neat - just dated. You can pay a bit more for the slightly better rooms and I highly recommend that you do. We booked a cheap room but lucked out and were upgraded both legs of the journey. The rooms were surprisingly spacious with plenty of room, bunk beds a little table and in one room a closet for our stuff and a desk. The bathrooms (en suite) were small but ample and we revelled in our little shower option we got to have in the midst of travelling. It was a very pleasant novelty.

A lot of folk were drinking on the boat on the way back - so it did get a little bit noisy and the rooms are anything but sound proof - but we took it as part of the experience and enjoyed the ride (if you want to avoid this, don't travel at the weekend, the place was actually pretty quiet on the ride over)

The staff were fine - not extremely helpful but not unhelpful either. At one point we wandered about and stopped at the cafe and had some warm soup (a great thing, I discovered to keep the sloshing seasickness from taking hold)

We arrived at the port at 9 am and were immediately picked up by the transfer bus after a cursory run though customs. The bus was very good and it only took about half an hour to get into Bruges. The bus was waiting for us when we returned the evening of the following day - very easy walking distance from town. (I do recommend that you get back to the bus early - we did so and still got on just as it was heading out.)

My only concern about doing this again was that on the way back we were put in a tiny, very very dated cabin at the very rear of the boat right next to the generator and the entire room stunk so profoundly of oil that I had a headache within minutes. The air conditioning went out and the room was so small we could barely move. There was also a crack so large in the bottom of the door we could see people walking past.
Luckily because of the air-con problem they moved us to a better, bigger cabin, without which the trip back would have been miserable.

To avoid this I will always book a higher class cabin if I do travel this way again. They were accommodating, though - so I can't fault them for that.

All in all - an interesting experience, and I at least returned home feeling smug that I'd made my trip across without contributing money to an airline.
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