Brugge, Belgium

24 HOURS IN BRUGES

Bruges is like a fairytale, dreamy and ancient cobbled streets and colorful vintage houses are giving the extra charm to this gorgeous city. It is almost impossible to find anything you’d dislike in here. Maybe the weather. But that’s all, I swear.

My first time in Belgium was not dreamy at all. At first. I planned a birthday trip to Bruges and Amsterdam with my brothers, got my wallet stolen just before going on a flight and ending up missing that same flight from Budapest to Brussels.

Desperate and in a shock, my brothers wanted to give it up, but I had a feeling everything will be alright, and we will find our way to Bruges. Call us stubborn or resourceful but that meant a 16-hour long bus ride from Slovakia to Brussels, passing through 5 countries along the way and the final train ride Brussels - Bruges.

Tired and with a backache we arrived at the charming Ibis Hotel, ready to rest before our 24 hours in Bruges adventure can start. I will just tell you this, it was all worth it.

Belfry of Bruges

Upon having a delicious breakfast at Ibis Hotel, we took a walk straight to the Belfry of Bruges, the most striking medieval tower in Bruges. Even though we were caught up in a rain, we didn’t mind it much because this city is astonishing regardless of the weather.

This historical Bell tower is 83 meters tall looking scenic and powerful. Carrying so much of history and interesting facts, it was not enough just to see it from the outside, we had to go all the way up to enjoy a spectacular view from the top.

Climbing 366 stairs on this protected world heritage site was so worth it. Located in the famous Market Square it was very easy to find and the tickets costed around 8 euros per person. I would totally recommend adding this to your list if you ever visit Bruges!

The Market Square

Just when the rain stopped, we finished our tour around the Belfry Tower and decided to have a cup of hot chocolate in one of the cute, colorful restaurants in the center of Bruges, the famous Market Square.

Existing ever since the 985th year, this historically rich Square is exactly where you want to be in Bruges since it is a main tourist attraction.

Surrounded with restaurants, chocolate shops and live music, it was impossible not to feel the sweetness in the air calling for waffles. Horse drawn carriages are available for hire in the square if you would like a tour around the town.

Lake of Love

I found a weather in Bruges quite cold for an average August day, so the big cup of hot chocolate and traditional Belgium waffles warmed up not only our bodies but our hearts as well.

Being well sugar dozed and happy, we took a long walk to the Lake of Love aka Minnewater. On the way to lake, we stumbled across many beautiful, serene streets and canals and we absorbed the history of every little brick in the antique houses and buildings.

The lake itself is tucked away to the south of Bruges and is a wonderful place to visit with a family or a loved one. When we arrived, there were not many tourists and we enjoyed a peaceful atmosphere, admiring the elegant beauty of swans.

There was no entrance fee and the park and was open all day for everyone..

We wrapped a day in a beautiful restaurant in the center of Bruges, enjoying Belgian specialties for dinner.

For some reason we had a hard time saying goodbye to Bruges, wishing we could’ve stayed longer.

Next day, we took a train to Amsterdam and explored more of this part of Europe.

Hopefully you enjoyed reading this little story of our adventure and it inspired you to visit it as well!