Bruges is the unofficial tourist capital of Belgium, and rightly so. Like Amsterdam, Bruges has a rich history and a remarkable canal system, which means that nearly every street includes a bridge, a landmark, and a water-front view.
However, Bruges is much smaller than Amsterdam, and tourists can usually ‘conquer’ it in a day.
The following fourteen photos give an idea of what Bruggian tourists might encounter during that day:
1. The busy train station and its impressive board of glowing departure times.
Next Stop - Amsterdam by José Goulão
2. Cobblestone sidewalks
- as if cobblestone streets weren’t charming enough already.
road by Wolfgang Staudt
3. Shops galore
- selling, in particular: chocolate, lace, clothing, and various tourist trinkets.
Toys in backlight by José Goulão
4. The maffia of swans that hang out in the Minnewater canal.
The white swans of Minnewater by Aaron Gustafson
5. Tour boats
- regardless of the weather.
In Brugges by Robert Álvarez
6. Colorful window frames and unexpected stained glass.
pump by Wolfgang Staudt
7. The curious Pandreitje housing complex, a maze of quiet streets and modern apartments.
- actually, it was a prison until 2002.
Cuadriculado by Baturix
8. The peaceful nunnery [also called béguinage (FR) or begijnhof (NL)]
- it’s still thriving, too.
Nunnery by Steve Jurvetson
9. The many merry windmills
- they sit on the city’s outskirts and wait for Don Quixote.
mill by Wolfgang Staudt
10. Horse-drawn carriages
- like ice cream and ‘traditional’ restaurants, no tourist city would be complete without them.
hello....! by Wolfgang Staudt
11. Large Gothic cathedrals
- the ‘church down the street’ is actually ‘cathedral down the street’ in Bruges.
Burg by Joan Puigcerver
12. Stone buildings
- or wood buildings that look alarmingly old.
Bruges by Wolfgang Staudt
13. Successful street musicians
- which, like carriage horses, are also mostly found in tourist towns.
Violin case by José Goulão
14. The prevalence of street lights.
Brujas nocturna / Bruges by night by Ricardo Samaniego
