JANUARY 2019

IN BRUGES

As I confessed earlier in “Wanderlist defined”, I travel not often enough in my own country, “Belgium”. So I have made myself and you the promise that I will make more time, to explore all the interesting places my country has to offer. And this being said, I have spent a weekend in Bruges mid-January 2019, to celebrate my sweethearts birthday, after all the city is referred to as a “city adored by lovebirds”.

Well hello there …

Bruges is the capital and the largest city of the province of West-Flanders in the Flemish region of Belgium, founded in the 9th century by the Vikings. The city is located at less than 20 km from the Belgian coast, so if you have the time it’s always nice to combine your stay in Bruges with 1 or a few overnights at Knokke-Heist or De Haan for example.

The historic city center is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO, since 2000. Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact, making it one of the most well-preserved medieval towns in Europe. It is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North, with its charming houses and cobbled alleys running alongside pretty canals. One of the best ways to explore Bruges is by boat ride on its web of canals. 

Bruges is often associated with the mastery of craftsmen of the past, like the world famous Bruges lace. Being the cosmopolitan home to the region’s bourgeois and elite; Bruges also attracted a great number of the day’s most gifted artists. The skilled oil painters with an eye for realism would later become known as the ‘Flemish Primitives’, with Hans Memling and Jan Van Eyck among its stars. 

But nowadays Bruges has also built itself a strong reputation in the field of gastronomy, in this region it’s possible to land in the hands of a Michelin-star chef every day of the week. Sans Cravate, Den Gouden Harynck, Zet’ Joe by Geert Van Hecke, are all located in the city center.

Bruges is also heaven on earth for beer lovers. Beer literally flows through the streets! A 500-year-old brewery “De Halve Maan” pumps gallons of beer underneath its cobbled lanes and winding canals to their bottling factory via an actual beer pipeline. Bruges annual beer festival is one of the best in the world. When you come and visit, certainly try a “Brugse Zot” or /and a “Straffe Hendrik”.

Bruges is also a chocolate hotspot! The city’s interesting Chocolate Museum, helps answering the questions on every chocoholic’s mind. Here are the top spots to satisfy your sweet tooth: Dumon chocolatier, The Chocolate Line (Dominique Persoone), The Old Chocolate House, Olivers Chocolate Shop & Bar, BbyB, Sukerbuyc, Roose Chocolaterie, Spegelaere Chocolaterie, …

“Romance, Michelin stars, interesting museums and tons of nostalgia, enough reasons to come and see for yourself!”

The Tourist Hotspots

  • Beguinage
    The ‘Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde’ was founded in 1245. This world heritage site was once the home of the beguines, emancipated lay-women who led a celibate life. Today the white houses are inhabited by nuns of the “Order of St. Benedict”. In the Beguine’s house, at the entrance, you can still get a good idea of what day-to-day life was like in the 17th century.

  • Canals of Bruges
    “The Reitjes” originate from the small river “Reie” that flew through the town. Later on, the river was canalized and secondary canals were dug. These streams with their numerous bridges still cut through the historic center and are at the origin of Bruges most known nickname: "the Venice of the north".  You can depart from several spots in the center for a boat trip on the “Reien”, but be aware that on busy days, you may have to queue a bit.

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  • Belfry Tower
    The 83 meter high belfry is Bruges' most well-known landmark and its most symbolic civil monument. The belfry formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives, and served as an observation post for spotting fires and other danger. There are only belfries in Belgium, the north of France and one in the Netherlands. These belfries (including the one in Bruges) are subscribed on the UNESCO heritage list. You can climb the belfry tower but you should be aware that some passages on the stairs (366 steps) are quite narrow. And only a limited number of people are allowed in the tower at the same time. But the panoramic view over the city makes it worth the effort. 

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  • City Hall
    The city hall of Bruges is one of the oldest in the Low Countries. The facade is richly decorated with gothic windows, towers, statues, etc … There is also a museum on the ground floor.

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  • Rozenhoedkaai
    One of the most photographed sites in Bruges, very romantic and charming. Here, the Groenerei and Dijver come together. It’s believed that the Rozenhoedkaai was a mooring place for ships back in the late Middle Ages.

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  • Breweries
    With “De Halve Maan”, “Bourgogne des Flanders” and “Fort Lapin”, Bruges nowadays has three working breweries.
    - De Halve Maan
      Has been brewing since 1856. Their house beers are “Brugse Zot” and “Straffe Hendrik”.
    - Fort Lapin 
       Opened his doors in 2011 and is situated just outside the city center, they offer 3 artisanal 
       beers.
    - Bourgogne des Flandres 
           Has been around since 1911. But the official opening of the new brewery in Bruges took   
       only place in 2016. Bourgogne des Flandres is a mixed beer, based on locally brown beer,
       cut with lambic from the Timmermans brewery.

  • Churches
    - Basilica of the Holy Blood
      The church is accessible free of charge, but for the biggest attraction you  have to pay: the 
       Museum of the Holy Blood. Since 1150 the relic of the Holy Blood has been preserved here.
    - St. Anne’s Church
      It is slightly off the beaten track but the St Anne's Church is well worth a  visit. This lovely
       little church is abundantly decorated with art, beautiful woods and carvings. The contrast 
       with the high virgin white ceiling is magnificent.
       - Saint Savior’s Cathedral
      The main church of the city has amongst its treasures medieval tombs, Brussels tapestries 
        and a rich collection of Flemish paintings (14th-18th century)
      - Church of our Lady
      This Gothic church has got the second highest tower in the world built of brick. And owns
        a very well-known Michelangelo’s sculpture, “Madonna and Child”.

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  • Museums
    Bruges houses one renowned museum after another, with an interesting variety, so there is something for everyone. From the Flemish Primitives to contemporary art, from chocolate, beer to French fries, …

    We visited the museum at the Sint-Janshospitaal. “It’s one of the oldest preserved hospital buildings in Europe. In the museum, you learn more about hospital life in the medieval. But the focus is on, the most famous of the Flemish Primitives: Hans Memling. This painter lived and worked in Bruges in the 15th century and created his most important masterpieces here, including the famous Shrine of St Ursula, which was painted specifically for the Sint-Janshospitaal. 

When I first saw you, you took my breath away!

We were lucky enough to be in Bruges, at the time the city invited “Lés Costumés”. An international group of 100 beautifully costumed men and women who stayed two days in the city to bring the atmosphere of the baroque Venice to Bruges. This gave an extra magical dimension to our visit.

My cup of tea

It was on the agenda, but due to a shortage of time we did not have a lovely afternoon coffee with something sweet. But I passed a couple of nice spots were you can go to, if you visit Bruges:

Would you like a table?

As mentioned above Bruges has built itself a strong reputation in the field of gastronomy. So you have multiple options for fine dining and a nice lunch. If I can give you one good advice, please check the opening hours & days of your preferred restaurant(s) and make a reservation(s) a few days prior to arrival, even for lunch. Because the best places fill up quickly! Somewhere I found it unpleasant that we had to keep an eye on our watch to arrive at our lunch spot in time. But this does not add up to the joy of having a table reserved on your name, while witnessing several people being sent away by the server, because they are completely full.

Amongst the stars you have:

Of good standing :

We had diner at Patrick Devos. The beautiful but classic interior is in art-deco, art-nouveau style. Patrick first selects his wines, and then creates dishes with flavors that match. We had the 4-course Alliance menu at € 85 including pairing wines. The service was friendly and correct. Good value for money!

Favorite lunch spots:

We had lunch at both “De Belegde Boterham” and “Sanseveria”. And without
any doubt I feel comfortable to recommend both places.

- De Belegde Boterham is a small charming restaurant, with a cozy, contemporary atmosphere. Although it’s located in a small and quiet street, tourists and locals do find their way here. And understandable, they offer honest food, nice sandwiches with homemade spreads, attractive salads and daily suggestions, accompanied by original homemade lemonades and cocktails. The service is smooth and professional.

- Sanseveria is a hip bagel salon, where you are warmly welcomed by young, energetic, enthusiastic ladies. The interior is funky and retro, with jazzy music at the background. Their specialty are bagels, we tried the Ruby, Ron and Amelia (average price €8). My boyfriend isn’t really a bagel fan, but he was pleasantly surprised about the crispness and flavor combinations. We did not try, but they also have quiches, salads and daily fresh desserts on their menu.

Good night, sleep tight!

After a little bit of research, I’ve booked a nice B&B. Availability is scarce in Bruges, so I advise you to book a few months in advance if possible. Most of the hotels in Bruges have a minimum stay of 2 nights during the weekend. As we only wanted to stay one night, it was extra challenging to find a lovely place to stay.

We stayed at:

B&B Number 11 Exclusive Guesthouse
www.number11.be
€ 180 for a double room, including breakfast

The historic building, located close to the “Groenerei”, has three exclusive guest rooms and one luxury suite. The house dates back to the seventeenth century. The authentic character was preserved when it was renovated, without compromising on modern comforts. From the pleasant breakfast room and the lounge with its fireplace, there is access into a peaceful walled garden. The whole house exudes charm, comfort, peace and culture. Various scenes from the world-famous film “In Bruges” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were recorded in the exclusive setting of Number 11 in 2007. The guesthouse is owned by Carine Destrooper - Deprez, she and her husband Patrick Destrooper (from the cookies empire Jules Destrooper ) stayed here in 2018. Karin was telling at the breakfast table that she really loves this kind of B&B and that she dreams of owning one of her own. Fortunately the former owners overheard the conversation and indicated that they were thinking at selling the place. We did not meet Mrs Destrooper, but we were hosted by Tania. She warmly welcomed us and gave us a brief introduction on what Bruges has to offer and told us that she would light the fireplace in the evening, and we could serve ourselves a drink from the honesty bar to enjoy at the salon. This seemed like a romantic plan, but in my opinion the honesty bar didn’t offer enough variety and I missed a little bit of company, because that’s what I can appreciate in a B&B in comparison with a hotel. The rooms were a bit smaller and older than I expected, but still nice though. The breakfast was good, but pretty standard, no flights of fancy. I think the location is fairylike and close to all main attractions, so perhaps that justifies the price. But in my honest opinion, price / quality ratio, this guesthouse is slightly too expensive.

Other properties that draw my attention:

  • The Doghouse  www.thedoghousebruges.co.uk
    As the name suggests, dogs are welcome. Free handmade bikes are at your disposal when you stayovernight. The interior is modern and luxurious, with a Scandinavian touch. Totally in line with my personal style.          

  • B&B Huis Koning www.huiskoning.be
    An adults only B&B, with only 4 rooms in a contemporary, bright style. The price is really affordable. The eye catcher of this B&B is the beautiful waterfront terrace, very romantic! The owner, Lynn loves to bake; the smell of fresh pastries is always present. Worth mentioning is that in 2015 they were declared as 3rd best B&B in the world by TripAdvisor and now in 2019 they ended on the 22nd place. Another B&B in Bruges ended this year on the 14th place, namely B&B Spaalmansrei.  

  • Canal Deluxe www.canaldeluxe.com
    Canal Deluxe occupies a pair of historic houses overlooking a small canal. It’s a romantic place to stay, pure luxury, antique furniture, intriguing art objects, log fires and huge beds. All the rooms have access to courtyard gardens or terraces. And there is private parking nearby.

  • La Maison de Nathalie http://lamaisondenathalie.be
    When we were walking through the city, I saw a car parked advertising for a B&B that bears my name. So when I was writing this blog I could not restrain myself to take a look at their website. In June 2018 they participated in a Belgian TV show "Met vier in bed", where 4 B&B’s compete against each other. Apparently they took the win! La Maison boasts 3 contemporary suites, each decorated in beautiful simplicity and offering the added bonus of stunning views at the St Anna church.

  • Dreamhouse www.bb-dreamhouse.com
    I’ve only read good comments about this B&B! From Charlotte is an amazing host, to the breakfast is to die for, brilliantly decorated, elegant style, cozy and welcoming, …    

  • Van Cleef  www.utopianhotels.com/hotel/the-van-cleef-hotel
    The visually-orientated and Instagram-obsessed generation is looking for novel experiences instead of pure luxury. A few of the small independent hotel collections have immediately detected this hype and effortlessly respond to the high expectations of this new travel generation. Belgian entrepreneur Paul Cordier is one of them; in 2018 he launched together with Ronald Homsy, the Utopian Hotel Collection. There are 5 principles that make a hotel “Utopian”:  an eye for detail and a story behind, places with a sense of discovery, equality between the guests and service team, using technology in an innovative way and the playful character. The first, and to date; only Belgian member, is hotel Van Cleef. It’s an Italian inspired mansion with an incredibly rich history, situated on one of the most beautiful locations in the heart of Bruges. Opulent antiques meet modern art. Your host is Frederik Vanhaecke and his family. They also own a prestige pastry shop in the Vlamingstraat, so fresh bread and pastries are guaranteed for breakfast.          

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  • The Duke’s Palace www.hoteldukespalace.com 
    Not really my cup of tea, but an established, city’s icon and one of the best 5* superior hotels in Europe. So I feel slightly obliged to mention it anyway. This former palace has 110 rooms, it’s all about historical pride and luxury.         

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  • The Secret Garden www.secretgarden-suites.com
    An exclusive mansion with a privileged location, facing the most beautiful and picturesque canal the “Groenerei”. The well-maintained garden with heated pool and hot tub is a good option for those who want to combine a city break with some wellness time. All suites are sumptuously and extravagantly furnished. Hermes products, excellent champagne, burning fireplaces,… a perfect option for them who like to spoil themselves.

I could give up shopping, but I am not a quitter.

When it comes to shopping, you cannot compare Bruges with Antwerp or Brussels, but the West-Flemish capital has its own assets. The 2 main shopping streets are the Steenstraat and Noordzandstraat. Here you find the big chain stores like Zara, H&M, Massimo Dutti, Scotch & Soda, … In the side streets you can find many interesting small boutiques. Bruges is famous for its lace as I mentioned before. Whole over the city there are several shops selling lace. Often made by machines, but you also still find manual work, which is a bit more expensive.

Here is a shortlist of my favorite shops:

  • Frederiek Van Pamel www.frederiekvanpamel.be
    So much more than an ordinary flower shop. A few years ago the renowned florist Frederiek Van Pamel bought a stately building in the Ezelstraat. His dream was to create a typical Parisian flower shop. He is not just a florist: he is a decorator, an art lover. He puts different styles together and makes them complement each other in harmony, and adds the wright background music. Everything you see is for sale. It’s a kind of magic!

  • The Chocolate Line www.thechocolateline.be
    Dominique Persoone, recognized as the innovator in the chocolate world, gets name and fame by making unique creations for worldwide famous restaurants as a chocolate designer. His sense of creativity goes beyond taste alone. He learns to roll the Rolling Stones chocolate with his self-designed Chocolate Shooter and he created the chocolate lipstick that brightens up numerous dinners. But despite this high rock 'n roll caliber, The Chocolate Line, remains the address for sophisticated and gourmet pralines.

  • Le Pain de Sebastien www.lepaindesebastien.be
    Sébastien Cailliau, is a passionate craftsman. He went to France, to learn the baker's trade in a number of French top bakeries. He perfected his kneading and learned how to bake according to the strict rules of French art that promote you to “Artisan Boulanger”. Automation is ruled out. Here you will only find 'vintage'.

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  •  Lilola www.lilola.be
    The multi-brand store in Bruges with elegant and colorful items. Lots of prints, shiny materials and bold combinations. Not cheap, but unique.

  •  Billy June
    They describes themselves as fashion for girls and women with a sunflower soul and rock-n- roll eyes. They not only offer clothes, but also fun earrings and Boho-style items.

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 “Never underestimate the power of chocolate”