Bruges: top attractions & road trip guide
Bruges is a canal-laced Flemish city so well preserved that its entire medieval centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once a major trading port linked to the sea by a since-silted channel, it stagnated economically after the 15th century, which paradoxically left its Gothic architecture largely untouched by later development.
Top attractions
Belfry of Bruges
An 83-metre medieval bell tower overlooking the Markt square, climbable via 366 steps to a viewing platform with a 47-bell carillon.
Basilica of the Holy Blood
A two-level chapel on the Burg square said to house a relic of Christ's blood brought back from the Second Crusade, combining a plain Romanesque lower chapel with an ornate Gothic upper chapel.
Church of Our Lady
A church with a 115-metre brick tower, one of the tallest in the world, holding Michelangelo's marble Madonna and Child, one of the few of his works to leave Italy in his lifetime.
Groeningemuseum
A fine arts museum with an outstanding collection of Flemish Primitive paintings, including works by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, alongside later Belgian art.
Minnewater (Lake of Love)
A tranquil park and lake at the southern edge of the old town, once part of the medieval harbour system, now known for its swans and a romantic footbridge.
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