5 Recommendations for Bruges, Belgium (When you only have 24 Hours)

I know I say this A LOT ( like with Salzburg, Lake Como and Bergen to name a few…) but, Bruges is probably one of the most charming cities we have visited. Only an hour train ride from Brussels, Bruges is a beautiful city surrounded by narrow canals, medieval architecture and cobble stone streets - very fairytale like.

We had 1 day/night there and pretty much walked the entire city - it’s quite small, so it’s the perfect city for a quick stop over. Besides some of the main attractions to see in Bruges, like the Belfort Tower, City Hall and museums, here are few other things to do that I can highly recommend for your limited time!

1.centrally located airbnb/hotel

When you’re tight on time, the best thing to do is have a centrally located hotel/airbnb, and I cannot express enough how PERFECT this airbnb was for our trip! It’s located in the center of the city on a quiet street and is sweetly decorated with a cottage like feel. Super clean, cozy and the host is just as accommodating. Even though Bruges is a very small city, having this airbnb so central made our short time in Bruges much more enjoyable as we could quickly pop into our place if needed.

2.De Vlaamsche Pot

This restaurant is so delicious and quaint, it deserves 3 photos! De Vlaamsche Pot is a traditional flemish restaurant and is actually owned by the AIRBNB host mentioned above! I’m not sure if he does this all the time, but right when we sat down in the restaurant we were treated with a glass of champagne - making us love that we chose this restaurant and his charming AIRBNB even more :)

NOTE: The food is made per order, so be prepared that this will be a leisure meal - I recommend going for dinner so you can enjoy your day to the fullest :)

3.Dumon Chocolatier

Belgium is the perfect place for all the chocolate lovers as it’s the number one export! One of Belgiums most well known brands is Dumon Chocolatier in Bruges- a family owned shop that makes their chocolates locally, handmade and are REALLY delicious. This charming shop is located near the Market and is worth browsing to cure your sweet tooth :)

4.Le Trappiste

With over 1,200 reviews on tripadvisor, La Trappiste is located in an 800 year old medieval cellar in the middle of the city. The exposed arched bricks, candle lit tables and a huge selection of original Belgian beer makes this a great spot to sit back and enjoy a cold one :)

5.Bonifaciusbridge

Nestled in the city by the Church of Our Lady and surrounded by cobblestone homes and canals is the famous Bonifaciusbrug from the 20th century.

It was super rainy, grey and cold during our visit, so if you go during Winter like we did, then just keep realistic expectations of how the landscape will be…and, if you visit during the Spring and Summer, then I can only imagine how even more charming and beautiful these fairytale like neighborhoods look when everything is lush green and in bloom! However, no matter how the weather is during your visit, this area still bestows a romantic charm and is a must see! :)

If you’ve been to Bruges and have any other tips, then please feel free to leave them in the comment section! I would love to hear about your experience as we hope to visit this city again one day :)

“For always roaming with a hungry heart, much have I seen and known.”

— Alfred Tennyson