Christmas time has always been a magical time of the year but Christmas in Bruges takes it to another level. It is nothing short of a fairy tale.
Bruges (sounds like “Bruce”) as I often call it, is the French spelling and pronunciation. For the Flemish, it’s actually Brugge (sounds like “Bru-geh”).
Two days before last Christmas, my friend, Lote and I took the 12:58 Eurostar from London St Pancras. A three hour train ride took us to Brussels. From there, we took a connecting local train that lasted around an hour. By the time we got to Bruges train station, it was close to 18:00 and raining. Undeterred, we decided to simply walk in the rain to our hotel.
Bruges is well known as one of the best preserved historic medieval towns in Europe and on entering the old town, you can be forgiven to think the city is made of gingerbread. The buildings around Market Square definitely look like those in Hansel and Gretel!
Horse drawn carts plodding by, ring a ling of bicycles, perfectly preserved buildings, pretty cobbled streets, fairy lights and Christmas trees. The beautiful medieval square lit with colourful lights. If only there was a light dusting of snow instead of the drizzle, it would have been perfect. But nothing can dampen our mood. We’re on a holiday!
Winter wander-land
The cobbled lanes take you along a maze of narrow canals. The old town itself is the perfect size for leisurely strolls, getting lost and be pleasantly surprised by what you may stumble across. A note of advice: wrap up warmly and put on a pair of warm and comfortable walking shoes.
After checking in and freshening up, we headed out to get something to eat. The Christmas market at Grote Markt was calling for us. There, we succumbed to the smell of waffles and bought one each. You can’t come to Belgium and not eat a few waffles!
We then headed to Simon Stevinplein. Here, there was another Christmas market. Smaller than the one at Grote Markt, no doubt but still with no shortage of stalls tempting you to stop by.
By 20:00 we were starving and needed to find proper food. We entered Poules Moules and ordered a pot of mussels each. No sharing! Another must when in Belgium! The mussels (and frites) I mean. You should highly consider the “no sharing” too.
With our stomach full, we stepped out of the restaurant into the night to check out any shops that were still opened before heading back to the hotel to sleep.
Belfry of Bruges
After breakfast the next day, we headed to Belfry Tower. It was the day before Christmas and we were conscious that many shops and tourist spots will close earlier than normal. We wanted to cross off Belfry Tower from our list first before anything else.
When we got there around 10:30, there wasn’t too long of a queue. However, there is a limit to the number of people allowed at the top of the tower so there was some waiting time. We got in the queue, bought our tickets (EUR12 for adults) and waited. When it got to our turn, Lote who was standing in front of me got the green light but I had to wait. When it was finally my turn, I took a deep breath and started my climb. As I ascended the tower, the spiral staircase became narrower and narrower. It was a bit of a morning workout and I was out of breath by the time I got to the top. Altogether, there are 366 steps – all worth taken for the 360° panoramic view of Bruges. While we were at the top of the tower, the bells chimed a beautiful melody.
Canal boat tour
We were happy to see the boat tour was running the day before Christmas so we got in the queue. Luckily the queue wasn’t that long and we only had to wait for about 15 mins. The boat tour itself cost EUR8 for adult and lasted half an hour. The captain was a young chap who gave commentaries on the history and architecture of the town in both French and English. I have been on the canal boat tour on my previous visits but this was Lote’s first time in Bruges. I was more than happy to do it again knowing that it’s one of the best ways to see the town.
Church of Our Lady
We entered the Church of Our Lady briefly. We were mindful that it was Christmas eve and we didn’t want to be in the way of church goers. The Church of Our Lady took between the 13th to 15th century to complete. Inside, you can see the beautiful Carrara marble Madonna and Child sculpture by Michelangelo.
Minnewater Park
We expected a lot of places to be closed on Christmas day. Our initial plan was to go to Gent (as trains were running albeit on Sunday schedule). However, laziness descended upon us so we scrapped that plan. We slept in and started the day late.
It was close to 11:00 when we left the hotel. We decided to go to the park where the Lake of Love is the heart of it.
Like the story of Romeo and Juliette, the story of Minna and Stomberg is no less tragic. According to the legend, a young pretty girl named Minna fell in love with Stomberg, a warrior from a neighbouring village. The father did not give his blessings, wishing Minna to marry a man of his choice instead. Minna escaped and ran away into the forest. She was found near the lake but died in Stromberg’s arm out of exhaustion. The lake was named after her and the bridge by the lake was considered the bridge of love in her honour.
Here, you can also see the swans which are the city’s emblem.
Chocolate Heaven
After wandering around Minnewater park, we headed back to town. We admired the window displays and aimlessly entered any shops that were opened. Surprisingly, there were many. When I say shops, I am mainly referring to chocolate shops. Don’t get me wrong. For the past two days we’ve checked out quite a number of chocolate shops and bought (and of course eaten) loads of chocolates already. But we’re talking about Bruges here where there might be more chocolate shops per square mile than any other towns/cities in the world. It’s crime not to check ’em out (multiple times)!
Who doesn’t like chocolates anyway?
Boxing day arrived and it was time to leave Bruges. But not before we tried the “best hot chocolate in the world”. Even though we just had a big breakfast at the hotel, we made room for a little bit more. If you’re in Bruges, you have to check it out. I’ve not tasted all the hot chocolates in the world to back up their claim. But I can say the ones we had here were damn good! It’s at The Old Chocolate House on Maria straat.
I had one of the shop’s recommended pre-blend: Death by Chocolate. Yes, it’s so good you can almost taste heaven.
Lote on the other hand ordered the DIY hot chocolate. You can choose the type of chocolate you want i.e. 70% cocoa, 60% cocoa, milk chocolate etc. The chocolates you get are in a form of chips, served in a small cup (made of chocolate too). Together with the chocolate chips, you will get a cup with frothy hot milk and a small whisk. You can add as little or as many chocolate chips to suit your taste buds. Whisk everything to help the chocolate melt and to make it more frothy.
Did I say it comes with a cup of hot milk just now? Correction. It’s a bowl. Look at how big it is. It’s the size of Lote’s face!
Where to stay
There are many hotels in Bruges to suit everyone’s budget. It is advisable to book your rooms in advance especially if visiting over the festive season.
We stayed at The Hotel Peellaert Brugge Centrum and couldn’t be happier with our choice. Location is good, on the more quieter street just a few minutes walk to the Grote Markt. Because it was Christmas, the entire hotel was beautifully decorate for the festive season. The staff were friendly and helpful – nothing seems to be too much for them. The hotel also has a gym and a sauna that you can use. We didn’t use the gym but took advantage of the sauna on our last night there. The best thing for us is, the hotel is an adults only hotel. I have nothing against kids but sometimes, some peace and quiet is nice!
