Bruges

With tree-lined avenues, hushed cobbled streets, narrow alleys, huge squares for events and intimate, characterful corners, Bruges is full of squares and special streets. Some hidden, others magnificent, all calling for your attention. Places that combine history and joie de vivre. Ages old, but vibrant. In short, streets and squares full of stories where you’ll want to linger for hours.

Bruges is growing and blooming. The city is full of all kinds of parks where city-goers, large and small, can relax and play, and there are flowers everywhere. From flower towers to flowering hanging baskets and window boxes full of floral delights. Bruges has a green heart, and it’s beating strongly. Residents and visitors can enjoy the many oases of green to the full.

Centuries-old or brand-new, world-famous or a forgotten jewel, humpbacked or gently sloping: Bruges has a huge number of bridges. Naturally enough, how else could you cross all those canals? No two bridges are alike, but they all have one thing in common: they all serve up magnificent views of the city. Admiring Bruges from a bridge is always special.

The canals of Bruges — the ‘reien’ — are the arteries of the city. Nothing is as pleasant as chugging along in a boat on a sunny day as you sail past all the most beautiful places in the city. From the ‘reien’, it’s almost like you are seeing Bruges for the first time. Unexpected views, hidden romantic corners, secret gardens: you discover them all from your vantage point on the water. There are regular daily sailings from any of the five moorings in the heart of the city. A voyage lasts half an hour and takes you past all the most photogenic spots Bruges has to offer.

The most adventurous and probably the most romantic way to discover Bruges is by hot-air balloon. Bruges Ballooning organizes both a morning flight (including a champagne breakfast) and an evening flight (including a bite to eat, champagne or a beer) over Bruges. The whole trip lasts for three hours, with at least one hour in the air. You will be picked up and dropped off wherever you are staying.