Visit Bruges

A taste of Bruges

Bruges is the closest thing Europe has to a fairy-tale preserved in amber. The Markt and Burg squares form the medieval heart, dominated by the 83-metre Belfort whose 366 steps reward climbers with the best panorama in the city; the carillon above plays 47 bells. A short walk away, the Basilica of the Holy Blood claims to hold a relic of Christ's blood (publicly displayed daily), and the Church of Our Lady houses a marble Madonna by Michelangelo — the only work of his to leave Italy in his lifetime. The whole UNESCO-listed centre is laced with quiet canals best seen from a 30-minute boat tour from the Rozenhoedkaai, the city's most photographed corner. The Begijnhof, with its silent white houses around a green courtyard, was founded for lay religious women in 1245 and still functions as a place of contemplation. Stay for the late afternoon when the day-trippers leave, find a B-side bar serving De Halve Maan's Brugse Zot, and the city's slow magic kicks in.