Sept 2024

I went to Gent St Peters train station and bought a ticket to go to Bruges, Belgium for a day trip. It was about a 45 minute ride going there..and usually it does not take that long, but they took us the longer route that day. Going back, there was some traffic as well and took about 30 minutes. I think usually it’s around 25 minutes (one way).

Bruges was such a cute & charming city and 6-7 hours was not enough time in my opinion! I think you need 1.5-2 days to enjoy everything, the park, the greenery, and, especially the breweries! If I had a professional camera, I would do an entire photoshoot here because it was so lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and would definitely come back! I have listed the places of things to see and do, and places to eat in alphabetical order. I also added some photos & information below the list that I have experienced.

Where Did I Stay?
I did not stay in Bruges. I did a day trip from Ghent and stayed in Ghent.

How to get around Bruges
Walking! When you get off of Bruges Train Station, you just walk to downtown Bruges.

How was the weather?
I went here in early September and it was very warm.

What’s the currency?
Euros! Majority, if not, all of the places I went to took card, but it does not hurt to have about 20 euros in cash, just incase for the souvenir shops, etc. There is only ONE currency exchange shop that I saw in downtown Bruges.

Things to Do/See
Boniface Bridge
Bruges City Hall
Burg Square/Belfry of Bruges Tower
Grote Market Square
Minnewater Park
Rosary Quay / Rozenhoedkaai

Things to eat/drink
2Be Beer
Chez Albert
FritBar 

Things to Do/See
Boniface Bridge
I actually stumbled upon this bridge walking through one of the parks in Bruges. It is a picturesque bridge and can be crowded. I saw a tour there and the tour guide said, if you and your partner kiss on this bridge, you both will last forever, and I saw three couples do that! It was very cute. Side note, there are many little bridges in Bruges and they each have a meaning behind them. There’s even a bridge called “Lovers Bridge”.

Bruges City Hall/Burg Square/Belfry of Bruges Tower/Grote Markey
All of these places are within the square and you can see all of it if you rotate 360 haha! It is a very pretty area with old architecture. Tons of spots for you to take photos. I did not go inside Bruges City Hall or the Belfry of Bruges Tower. I even ate my chocolate covered waffles and just people watched.

Minnewater Park
Also known as the Lake of Love. This park was serene and calming! There are so many things to look at in this park: the canal, the buildings, the swans, the trees, etc. Such a gorgeous scenery. My pictures will never do it justice. You just have to see it in person!

Rosary Quay / Rozenhoedkaai
Another cute spot for a photo! Lovely view and scenery. It is also near cafe shops and restaurants too. This place also leads you to the canal ride if you want to take a canal ride too.

Things to eat/drink
2Be Beer
This place is AWESOME, omg! There are a lot of breweries in Bruges, but I went to this one because there are thousands of beers on their wall! The menu is on the ceiling, hung by a string and you can pull down the menu to see what you want to order. I still can’t believe how cheap beer is in Europe. I only got one glass, but if I was with friends or stayed for a longer time in Bruges, I would have loved to try more beer, but ofcourse, traveling solo, you always have to be careful. I met an older Colombian couple and they took my photos for me – so sweet! The interior is super nice, and they also have a mist area for you to cool down (especially during warmer times). They also have a gigantic store for you to buy beer, souvenir, chocolates, etc. There is restroom here but you do have to pay 1 euro. I would love to come back here again.

Chez Albert
There are two Chez Albert waffle places in Bruges, but I got the one on Gauffres street since it was not crowded. I got the chocolate covered strawberry waffle…and wow, it was COVERED in chocolate that I couldn’t even see the waffle LOL. The chocolate was just perfect – not too sweet. The strawberries were so fresh. The waffle was warm and soft and not too sweet either since I don’t really like sweets. Wow, just blogging about this makes me drool.

FritBar
Ofcourse, I had to try some Belgian fries in Belgium! I had some in Ghent and now, here in Bruges. It tasted good! I think I enjoyed Belgian fries more than the one in Amsterdam.

Oh Bruges, it was my 2nd favorite city in my September 2024 European trip. Bruges is such a cute, charming, and calm city. I love how small it was…yet I did not “finish” the entire thing. Even though I saw a lot, I think I would have love to stay there longer to just enjoy it all. Everyone in Bruges was super nice! I met 2 locals, one from Bruges and Ghent there. I met another local from Bruges and he was on his lunch break and sat near me while I had my waffle haha. I even had a 5-10 minute conversation with another local from the currency exchange store and he was so nice. I loved Bruges so much.

As always, thank you for visiting Vivian’s Ventures. Have you been to Bruges? If so, tell me in the comments/reply section about your experience. What should I do when I go back? If you haven’t been, tell me what you are planning to do there. Any questions or comments, let me know. Let’s chat! #viviansventures