Thanks all. Just stopping in for two nights between Paris and Amsterdam.

^^Also when I was there one time there was an interesting historical exhibition that took you around the town to learn about their economic history. I believe the first stock exchange, the Bourse, started there and the building is there. The merchant class had a lot of money so supported the painters who painted them into religious paintings as people kneeling by the cross and things like that, and they had powerful guilds and also foreign embassies . I note this because there is interesting economic and intellectual history in Belgium (early universities) which you can read about before you go. The houses, for instance, may have been owned by a particular type of merchant which influenced the style and that kind of thing.

I have a relative who lived there and have spent a couple of vacations there. I think it’s the nicest city in Belgium. It’s smaller than Antwerp and Ghent, and much more charming. It’s easy to get the lay of the land and it’s fun just to wander off the streets that lead out of the main square. There are lots of cute shops and restaurants. Canal boat is fun, also there’s a history museum that is interesting and a couple of churches worth seeing. None of it takes a long time. It’s the kind of place you can just walk around and explore. The chocolate is definitely good as are the pommes frites!

If you are Christian, you can visit the Basilica of the Holy blood in Bruge. The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges, Belgium. The church houses a relic of the Holy Blood allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders.

Daily veneration Holy Blood
Every day, the relic of the Holy Blood is presented to visitors for veneration in the upper basilica:

- every afternoon from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- every Friday morning from 10:15 am to 11:00 pm

Also, if you like Belgian beer, please visit the De Vrede Cafe which is owned by the Sint-Sixtus Abbey. The Trappist monks at Sint-Sixtus Abbey make Westvletern Beer. The cafe/abbey is about an hour from Bruge…but if you love beer and want to try one of the best in beers in the world, I would highly suggest it.

https://ourtastytravels.com/blog/how-to-buy-westvleteren-trappist-beers-belgian-beer-at-in-de-vrede-cafe/

And of course. - canal boat ride!

Avoid shootouts between hitmen

Anonymous wrote:If I grew up on a farm, and was retärded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

I do know a Belgium joke, though. What's Belgium famous for? Chocolates and child abuse, and they only invented the chocolates to get to the kids.

Wow, you have a terrible personality.

Bruges isn't about being impressed. It's not some huge city full of attractions. It's very cute and there are some great spots to get beer. It's like any of hundreds of quaint little tourist towns in Europe. It's a perfectly good weekend trip from Brussels or Paris or even London (tons of UK tourists actually). Also a good destination for beer lovers as there are great bars and breweries in town and it's also easy driving distance from a bunch of others.

But thank you for weighing in, it's been a real treat.

Agree with a canal boat tour. I'd do that almost immediately upon getting into town -- they have tours starting all the time. One of the main draws of Bruges is that it's just a very charming, pretty place, and this is a good way to see it.

Definitely visit some bars and breweries. There are a ton, probably the only "must" is Le Trappiste. Also depending on what days you're in town, I'd look to see if any of the bars or breweries have live music, as this is common and a fun way to pass an evening.

Renting bikes is a nice way to pass an afternoon and see the sights. There's the city ring and the canal path. If you are feeling ambitious, I recommend riding out to Damme and grabbing lunch or dinner there, or packing a picnic. It's a really nice ride.

The food is nothing to write home about, but I recall having good burgers? Belgian food is not really my thing, but the beer and chocolate kind of makes up for it.

Bike along the canal path

Anonymous wrote:Drink Belgian beer. Eat, drink more Belgian beer.

That is what I did

I remember visiting some type of convent (?) that was very pretty. As are the canals. And lots of handmade lace.

If you like art, do the Groeninge Museum, for sure. Really well-done.

Choco-story was cheesy, but fun.

We liked the Folklore Museum; make sure to do a drink in the pub room.

Do The Historium only if you love laughing at campy displays like wax museums. (I went with my 22 year old, and it served as fodder for several jokes later in the trip).

Follow the Rick Steve's walking tour

Buy chocolate at Chocolatier Dumon and The Chocolate Line

sit and listen to music in one of the squares

Drink Belgian beer. Eat, drink more Belgian beer.

Belfry tower. Most restaurants are for tourists but check the menus and see what appeals to you. We had excellent mussels at a place that did not advertise as being a mussels place. For Belgian waffles, look at where there are lines. They move quickly but they are much better than those without lines. Not sure where you are staying but the hotel where we stayed had a fantastic breakfast buffet, European style.

Boat ride on the canals.

Will be there for two nights. What are must do’s and restaurant recommendations?