I caught a Flixbus—four hours from Amsterdam to Bruges. It passed through Antwerp and Ghent, so I got a glimpse of those towns along the way. I arrived at the Bruges bus terminal, which was about a 40-minute walk from my hotel. The walk was pleasant; outer Bruges is quite neat and clean. As I got closer to the accommodation, it was like stepping back a few centuries—cobblestone streets, old brick terraces, and huge cathedral spires came into view. At the hotel Monsieur Maurice, check-in went smoothly, except for, once again, the city tax… it seems random how some hotels include it and others don’t. Only €8 though.
After I was settled, it was time to go for an explore.
Now, there are three things that brought me to Bruges: I knew of the chocolate, I knew of the Half Moon Brewery—but mainly, the movie In Bruges with Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell. There are a few filming locations dotted around the city, most notably the Belfry Tower and the Market Square.
I instinctively set off in the direction I perceived the market to be, and within a few minutes, the square opened up before me—a huge space surrounded by amazing old buildings. The Belfry (Belfort) Tower loomed overhead, overseeing the bustle below. I wandered through the square and down a random street, where I stumbled upon an interesting bar. Looking inside, I saw a massive wall of beers—and a sign saying “Tintin Museum Upstairs.” I went in for a pint and sat outside watching boat tours glide past in the canal. After a quick visit to the quaint but still awesome Tintin collection upstairs, I continued my walk before heading back for a rest at the hotel. My cold was much better, but still not 100%.
After a short rest, I headed out to a cool beer library called Bernie’s Bar. I intended to have dinner, but their kitchen wasn’t open—just bar food. So, a margarita pizza and bitterballen became my dinner, washed down with some excellent beers. The bar lass was super helpful in guiding me through the choices, as there wasn’t much info to go off. It was nearing sunset (a late one—9.30pm!) when I took a scenic route back to the hotel. The film In Bruges has many night scenes, and I wanted to see more of the city under the magic of dusk.
The next morning I’d had a fairly decent sleep—well, as good as you can when crook—and ate brekkie at the hotel before setting off on a canal boat tour. It was suggested that the best way to see Bruges was from the water, and I found that pretty spot-on. So much history just from the canal alone. It was only a 30-minute ride, but well worth it to see and learn more about the town.
Next up, after a quick call to Mum, I decided to climb the Belfry. Normally, I back out of tower climbs—heights make me uneasy, and steep spiral stairs do a number on me. But! It was in the movie, and there’s a carillon at the top that chimes every 15 minutes, playing a random tune on the hour. So, I steadied myself, tightened my shoelaces, and began the climb. 366 steps, broken up across about four levels.
The first two were fairly manageable, but the spiral stairs got steeper and tighter. Thankfully, my sweaty-palm perseverance paid off as I reached the carillon mechanism on the third level—about four-fifths of the way up. I rested there and waited for the 1pm musical show. Through the chimes, I could just make out the melody of Over the Rainbow ringing out from the bells above. Such a fun device—and somewhat ludicrous that it’s hoisted so high up—but well worth it. Just a few more dizzying swirls upward, and I reached the top. The views were fantastic—a 360° panorama of Bruges with 47 bells right above my head. I was there for the 1.15pm chime—not terribly loud, but it did startle me. The descent was at least quick, squeezing past people still climbing. Once back at ground level, I breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed lunch at a restaurant in the square.
Then it was time to find some chocolate. Which, I struggled with—so many bloody chocolatiers! I eventually chose Dumon, which turned out to be a great pick. A mixed box of four: grenache, coffee, caramel, and hazelnut. Unlike my sisters, I don’t have the best sweet tooth, but these were bloody good by my estimate.
Next up was the Half Moon Brewery—Halve Maan. I already know the beer-making process pretty well, but I enjoy a good brewery tour, especially one with a unique twist. The best bit? The brewery is in old town Bruges and has no space to handle its demand—so they built a 3.2km underground pipeline, 30 metres beneath the city, to a fermentation and bottling plant outside the centre. Mental—but brilliant. It’s the longest beer line in the world. The tour itself was great; Roland guided us through the whole brewery, which spans vertically—so it was up and down the whole way. A cheeky tripel beer at the end and I was off to the hotel for a bit of a relax.
Again, my dinner venue of choice didn’t have a functioning kitchen—snacks weren’t even worth having. But La Trappe Bar had a stellar beer selection, and they were playing some comforting jazz standards. I parked myself at the bar, wrote this blog entry, and enjoyed a few more great beers.
Bruges has been magical—a definite highlight—and only needed a short time to appreciate.
Tomorrow, the Belgium detour reaches its final destination: waffles in Brussels.
