Wonderful Bruges

Admiring the beautiful architecture of the houses of the Grote Markt and the spaciousness of the square. Taking in the intricate details of the Gothic Stadhuis in the Burg. Walking along the canals. Wandering the gardens of the Beginjnhof in the spring when the daffodils are in bloom. Shopping for lace and tapestries. Going to the Wednesday market at the Markt and Saturday market at the Zand. Snacking on french fries, chocolate and pastries. Breakfasting w/ bread and pate.... The list is endless.

Quick Tips:

Stay overnight in Bruges so you can enjoy it in peace and quiet after the day trippers have left. Rent an apartment and live like the natives. Make it your base for day trip to Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, even Keukenhof (the tulip park outside of Amsterdam) in the spring.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is the best way to see Bruges since most of its streets are very narrow and one-way. Bring your best walking shoes. Cobblestone can be hard on your feet. We rented a car and ended up garaging it the entire week we were there. Take the train to Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp,.... It is much easier than trying to drive.

The De Drie Koningen is a historic 3-story row house located on a quiet residential street, a few blocs from the Burg and Grote Markt. The house is owned by a very nice and helpful couple of architect and lace shopowner who live next door and speaks fluent English.

The house is divided into 3 apartments: the ground and first floor apartments each with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, and the 2nd floor apartment with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. The decor is very homey with flower wallpaper and nice tapestry. The house is newly renovated and kept extremely clean.

As with other apartments in Bruges, the rent is very reasonable and you have a choice of the entire week, the weekend or just the weekdays. The rent includes water and cleaning charges but you have to pay for utilities separately. The apartments come with linen and kitchen ustencils.

We have stayed in the ground floor (once) and first floor (twice) apartments and seen the second floor apartment. The ground floor colors remind us of Ralph Lauren style and the first floor of Laura Ashley. The second floor has just been finished about a little over a year ago and has a humongous living area.

This place has become so popular we were unable to book it last Christmas or Easter even though we called 6 to 9 months ahead.

The carriage took us from the large busy Markt to the Burg, through streets with beautiful row houses, along the canals, through some quiet residential streets, to the open area of the romantic Minnewater (Lake of Love). En route the driver who doubles as a guide, narrates in beautiful English the history of the places we passed by.

Belgium is famous for chocolate but in no other Belgian towns are chocolate shops as numerous as they are in Bruges. You will find a chocolate shop practically every few doors. Neuhaus, Godiva, Leonidas each have several stores there.

The best ones are hand-made pralines. They are hand-packed to order and come in ballotins of 50grs to 1kg. Sample them all by buying the smallest ballotin in each store. Decide what you like best and come back for the big order.

We bring back several kilos each time. They make for wonderful gifts at a low price. We paid as low as BEF 400/kg. They are several times more expensive once imported to the States.

On the way from the train station and the Minnewater (Lake of Love) to the town center, you will pass the Beguinage on your left. The Beguinage was founded in 1245 for the beguines. Beguines were devout women who made the vows of obedience and chastity but not the vow of poverty and, unlike nuns, their vows were nonbinding, meaning that they could break their vows at any time and leave the beguinage. They usually dedicated their lives caring for the sick. Today, it is occupied by the sisters of the St Benedict order.

Visitors enter the Beguinage via a bridge over the canal. The Beguinage is a group of houses between 300 and 400 years old around a garden covered with large poplar trees. In the springtime, this huge lawn is covered with daffodils. The Beguine's House provides a good picture of the day-to-day life of the former inhabitants. The Beguinage is also a good place where one can find peace and quiet away from the busy and crowded town center.

There is a Sunday service at the Beguinage church.