Real reviews from real travelers.
Brugge Pages by unaS
| Page Views: 466 Last Visit to Brugge: April, 2007 | Bruges/Brugge - take your choice :) by unaS - last update: Oct 15, 2007 |
| Front of Centraal Station, Antwerp |
Geting There Brugge/Bruges, Belgium 1 - 4 April
Because I travelled on a Sunday I had to take the train from Amsterdam Centraal to 's Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), and change there for the Antwerp train and then again for the Brugge train.
Thanks to the help of Noel nhoolb and others I was prepared for the changes and had no problems. In fact I met up with a couple of my own age on the train and became their guide :).
In Antwerp there was a train leaving within a few minutes of our arrival, but we couldn't have found it on time. There is a train every hour. The only complication was where/when to change…Antwerp Centraal or Antwerp-Berchem. Having received conflicting advice, when I heard an announcement on the train to change for the Brugge train at Centraal, I did just that, dragging the newly met couple after me. We went to the train information office to find which track we needed for the Brugge train, then rested. I stepped outside for a cigarette (or two) and got some nice photos of the station.
The whole trip, with breaks as I did it, took 4 1/2 hours, cost €40.80. |
| Counting money is more important than horse care. |
First day At Brugge, Monique, the owner of the B&B I was staying at met me as arranged. An extraordinarily kind person, she also took my newly met friends to their hotel despite road works requiring a long detour. Details of the B&B in Tips.
Arrived in Brugge to find it drowning in tourists, but it was a Sunday and a beautiful day so that was to be expected. By the time I was settled into my room and went for a walk, about 1700, they were all gone. I was able to have a pleasant quiet walk, enjoy my first exposure to the town and relax. Walked to the Market Square, rubber necked like any tourist and explored some side streets. There were plenty of nice places to eat at a reasonable cost once I left the Grote Market area.
Saw the horse drawn carriages that someone recommended, but decided against it. The horses were not properly cared for imho. They were forced to go at a fast clip and came in sweating and with laboured breathing from every trip. They were not covered even in the chill of the evening while standing and waiting for the next customer. |
Monday & Tuesday Real cobblestones here, not brick as in most of Amsterdam. Flat shoes with thick soles very much recommended!
Next morning took the Quasimodo "Triple Treat" tour. Nice trip, small group (9 people including me) with a good included lunch – and real Belgian waffles!! Yum!! Saw almost too much to detail here; included some beautiful Chateaus, a castle, the countryside and back roads of West-Flanders and a walking visit to Damme. One of the interesting stories the guide related – and which we saw - was "the bridge to nowhere", a political fiasco that wasted millions of Euro. Learned lots of history and about the culture of this area. Interestingly, as opposed to Amsterdam, the Catholics continued to rule here due to the Spanish occupation. The culture, the religion and the architecture are very different.
Was an all day trip. Got back to the flat only at 1800. Well worth the cost. Nice relaxing day too after all the walking I did in Amsterdam! Later went out to eat, only to find most of the restaurants closed all ready! Had to eat in an expensive place – good food, but not a lot of it for the price. Bistro Den Huzaar, Vlamingstraat 36.
Tuesday was cloudy and drizzling. Took the number 6 bus from Striven Square to the Kruispoort Gate and the windmills; lovely ride. Walked back to the city centre from Dampoort Gate along Potterierei and Genthof streets. I wanted to get to the Du Phare restaurant there, which was highly recommended but I got lost and never found it :(
Ate instead in the Burg Square at Tom Pouce – excellent chicken waterzooei! I was really lucky – just as I sat down to eat it began to really pour, by the time I was finished eating the sun was out for the first time all day :)
The Basilica of the Holy Blood in Burg Square is definitely worth a visit. Some parts of it are from 1100. Fascinating. Saw some people going up to view the holy relic.
Burg Square is said to be the earliest settlement in this area. A fortress was built here as protection against the Vikings, possibly where the memorial to Charles the Good stands today.
Visited the Memling Museum, the Beguinage and the Minnewater – gorgeous swans and a duck with 6 newly hatched goslings.
A bit chilly in the late afternoon so I took the City Bus tour. It made me realize just how small Brugge really is. Then I was naughty and had me a sit down hot coffee and waffle with whip cream on Grote Market.
My one unpleasant memory of Brugge remains, I'm sorry to say, the horse carriages and the poorly treated horses. I actually saw one driver feeding the baby ducks on the Minnewater banks while her own horse steamed uncomfortably in the cold, uncovered, breathing too heavily and totally ignored.
On Wednesday left for Antwerp with a 4 hour stop in Gent.
Photos here: Brugge |
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| Pros: | "A lovely town best seen after 1600" | | Cons: | "Horse carriages and lack of proper care of the animals." | | In A Nutshell: | "A beautiful place. Glad I chose to spend 3 nights there. Would happily visit again." |
unaS's Brugge Travel Tips
 Comments for unaS about Brugge | | | | |
Maurizioago Sun Oct 5, 2008 08:53 UTC
Brugge is on my wish list since a looong time. Ciao! | Waalewiener Sat Oct 4, 2008 05:12 UTC
Very very nice page I think Brugge is one of the nicest ''Old '' cities in Europe together with Prague . I was born in a city like that ,Delft in the Netherlands which is also very nice | ATLC Sun Aug 3, 2008 20:07 UTC
Let me guess... you rented the apartment WITH breakfast? Charging extra for sauces is normal in my view. Same in The Netherlands. As the Belgian mayonaise is exceptional, go by that and leave the other ones :-) | St_Vincent Sat Aug 2, 2008 06:48 UTC
Good tip about the frites on the Grote Markt. We may be tourists but why pay 'tourist' prices. |
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