I hopped on the train to Bruges for the afternoon, only about 20 minutes from Ghent. There were a lot more tourists here than in Ghent, but I wouldn’t blame them!
Lots of beautiful old medieval buildings. This one's a museum,
The Diamantmuseum. Belgium has one of the largest diamond markets in the world.
The winding lanes and picturesque canals of the old city are a medieval jewel. An absolute must is a canal tour.
Canal in Bruges.
Canal tour boats. An great way to see the city!
Very low bridges. Remember to duck!
Swans on the canal.
View of the Belfort tower in the background.
Like Ghent, the golden age for Bruges was in the 13th and 14th centuries, when it was a major centre in the cloth trade. The wealthy merchants lavished their fortunes on the exquisite Stadhuis, the 14th century town hall.
The Stadhuis (Town Hall).
Next door is the Heilig Bloed Basiliek, although from the outside you wouldn’t know it’s a basilica. The church isn’t out of the ordinary, but what makes it so special is one of the most sacred relics in Europe – a phial that is said to contain a few drops of blood and water washed from Jesus’ body by Joseph of Aramathea. You can place your hands on the glass cylinder holding it – pretty cool even if you aren’t a pilgrim.
Heilig Bloed Basiliek. The Stadhuis is the beige building on the left, the basilica is the drag grey building in the middle. Doesn't look much like a basilica from the outside.
One of the more unusual places I visited was the St. Janshospitaal, which was a hospital from the 12th century until 1976. A really interesting expeirence, being inside a medieval hospital! It was run by nuns, so much of the care would probably have been in the realm of “spiritual healing”, although there was a pretty cool pharmacy.
St. Janshospitaal, as seen from the canal.
A good movie to watch before visiting Belgium is In Bruges, a dark comedy starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. The bell tower in the movie is actually the Belfry or Belfort, at the centre of the town square. You can climb up to the top, which has some pretty amazing views and is especially cool when the bells are ringing right above you!
The Belfort, in the main square.
The Belfort.
View of Bruges from the top of the Belfort bell tower.
The bells.
Shops in the main square.
Main square.
Lots of bikes in Belgium! This is in the main square.
Lots of chocolate shops!
A chocolatier at work.
Bruges was an absolutely stunning city, and I could certainly have spent more time there. I caught an evening train back to Brussels (only about an hour long), where I was planning on meeting up with some Queen’s friends the next day.
A truck trying to turn down a narrow street - I was very impressed!
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