The Belfry. 🔔
It dominates the skyline. A medieval skyscraper built to store the city's charters and treasury. It leans a full meter to the east.
The Climb
366 steps. The staircase gets narrower the higher you go. By the top, it is a tight squeeze. Not for the claustrophobic.
The Carillon
At the top, you are face-to-face with the massive drum mechanism that plays the bells. It still rings every 15 minutes.
Grote Markt. 🏘️
The beating heart of Bruges. Lined with guild houses that look like gingerbread cookies.
The Historium
A museum dedicated to the Golden Age. Go to the "Duvelorium" bar on the balcony for a beer with the best view of the square.
Step-Gabled Roofs
Look at the rooflines. The "steps" were designed to help chimney sweeps climb up, but mostly they were a way to show off wealth.
Frietkot
Two green stands in front of the Belfry sell fries. It is a local institution. Eat them with mayonnaise, standing up.
The Vial
Crusader Treasure
Basilica of the Holy Blood. ⛪
Tucked into a corner of the Burg square. The lower chapel is dark, heavy Romanesque. The upper chapel is an explosion of Gothic color.
The Ceremony:
Every day at 2:00 PM, the relic—a rock crystal vial said to contain Christ's blood—is brought out for veneration. It hasn't liquified since 1388.
The Beguinage. 🤫
A secluded garden complex founded in 1245 for Beguines (lay religious women). Today it is inhabited by Benedictine nuns.
Silence Please
Signs everywhere say "Stilte" (Silence). The contrast between the noisy city streets and this white-washed sanctuary is startling.
The Poplar Trees
The central green is filled with tall, leaning poplar trees. In spring, the grass is carpeted with thousands of yellow daffodils.