Relaxing Things To Do In Bruges

An Overview of Bruges

Bruges is a fairy-tale town best defined by it’s calm canals, numerous outdoor art sculptures, narrow, old roads, famed city walls and quaint medieval architecture. The town is easy to fall in love with, as it’s small, gorgeous and supremely walkable. Visitors can enjoy the restful ambiance, 80 canal bridges, stunning reflecting water-lights and famed lace artwork. There are many relaxing things to do in Bruges.

Relaxing Things To Do In Bruges

The Halve Maan Brewery Beer Pipeline

This is a famed direct pipeline which transports 1,000 gallons of beer into the city per hour. The brewery itself serves fantastic beers in a rustic, welcoming pub-museum. The venue is family run, with the museum portion displaying old brewing techniques and an attached dining area.

Lumina Domestica

This is an offbeat, glowing little museum exploring human ingenuity when warding off nights and darkness throughout history. Lamps, lanterns, unique light sources and old-fashioned fire management are all on display here. There are also more modern features, which show interesting methods of using electricity to light a room artfully.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed)

This is a medieval chapel which allegedly has a vial containing the actual blood of Jesus Christ, collected when Joseph of Arimathea wiped the blood of Christ off his crucified form. The relic is housed in a gorgeous building with a colorful and delicate stained-glass interior.

The Lucifernum

This is a private home and bar which is open to the public. The repurposed Masonic Lodge is owned by local celebrity, Don “Willy” Retsin. This house originally hosted a chapter of the Freemasons during the Napoleonic era and has various mementos of it’s ritual history. The walls are covered in vaguely sinister portraits and nightmare abstractions while nooks of the building house demented statues. A wide range of eras and styles are found within, though all generally pay homage to horror as a genre.

Burg Square

This is the second largest square in Bruges, hosting the Gothic Stadthuis Town Hall and the former Court of Justice. The square is an easy landmark to coordinate from while walking through the city and usually has numerous tourist activities and buskers nearby.

Markt Square

This is the heart of Bruges. The “Market Square” is surrounded by rows of gorgeous Flanders houses and several museums as well as Belfort. The square is unmistakably gorgeous, with wide plaza spaces and numerous statues. The most distinctive aspect is the riveting Belfry Tower, Bruges’ most prominent building.

Begijnhof Bruges

This is located in a calming portion of the city with various nearby buildings crafted as a religious sanctuaries for poor and elderly women. The area is also known for quiet walking trails, blooming flowers in the spring, narrow canal spaces and access to gardens and the nearby Minnewaterpark to the South.

Diamantmuseum

This is the world’s leading diamond museum, housed in a 17th century mansion. The museum is unbelievable while wandering around. Artistic skull sculptures are encrusted in diamonds, as are crowns, necklaces, heavy wristbands and even a tennis racket.

The Belfry (Belfort) of Bruges

Though the modern Belfort is a recreation of the original (which burned down in 1240) the Belfort is a large, pretty building overlooking the majority of the city. The Belfry still stands as a distinct medieval tower with a history as a treasury storage facility, municipal achieve stronghold and city-wide observation post. This is Bruges’ famed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

St. Salvator’s Cathedral

This is a remade church celebrating the grandness of Belgium becoming an independent kingdom in the 19th century. This arching structure houses weapons and tapestries belonging to the esteemed Order of the Knights of the Golden Fleece.

Frietmuseum

For a rather strange and relaxing thing to do in Bruges, visitors can check out this venue: A museum dedicated to potatoes and fries. The museum is rather cartoonish, educational and enjoyable. It also, of course, houses a café where guests can sample fries.

Sint Janshuis Mill

Though Bruges has four intact windmills from its history, only this one is open for visits on the outskirts of town. The windmill rests on a low rise in a verdant green space on the outer portion of town, overlooking a park, biking trails and the main river.

Dumon

This is an appropriately famous chocolate shop set up in a 400-year-old building. There are several Chocolatier Dumon shops throuhgout the city but the most aesthetically pleasing is located in Bruges’ gorgeous old town area.

The Ramparts

This area includes a wonderful six kilometer park that follows the outer edge of old town with ancient towers, medieval gates and natural green spaces. This walk includes a remnant wall tower and ramparts from 12th century, as well as canal overlooks.

Minnewater Lake (Lake of Love)

This is a serene, rectangular lake surrounded by a fairy-castle. It is home to drifting swans, swooping willows and the scenic Lovers Bridge. The Lake is best explored by walking through Minnewaterpark which houses mellow walking trails nearby.

Read more about relaxing things to do in Bruges and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

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