Bruges WestFlanders
5
Day Itinerary •
Belgium
Five days in Bruges and West Flanders gives you the full extraordinary depth of the finest medieval city in northern Europe, from the remarkable Jan van Eyck and Flemish Primitive masterpieces to the extraordinary WWI Ypres Salient with the Last Post at the Menin Gate, the remarkable Tyne Cot Cemetery, the fine De Haan Belle Epoque coast and the extraordinary day trip to Ghent's Van Eyck Altarpiece. This extended route covers Bruges and West Flanders completely. Two days in the extraordinary medieval centre including the Belfry, Groeningemuseum, Begijnhof and canal tours, a remarkable full day in the extraordinary Ypres Salient on Day 3, the fine Damme cycle and De Haan coast on Day 4, and the extraordinary Ghent day trip to the Altarpiece and Graslei on Day 5.
Best Time To Visit
March to October, July and August busiest
Getting There
Train from Brussels 1 hour, Eurostar from London 2 hours
Getting Around
Walking and cycling in Bruges, car or train for Ieper and coast
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 200 EUR per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, flat city and countryside
DAY 1
HISTORIC HEART
MORNING
MARKT SQUARE, BELFRY AND HISTORIC HEART
The extraordinary Markt, the most beautiful medieval market square in northern Europe, where the remarkable 13th-century Belfry tower rises 83 metres above the extraordinary guild houses that line the cobbled square. The remarkable Belfry climb of 366 steps gives the finest elevated view over the extraordinary medieval roofscape of Bruges and the flat West Flanders countryside beyond. The extraordinary carillon of 47 bells plays from the remarkable Belfry tower every quarter hour. Entry approx 14 EUR. 15 min walk
MIDDAY
BURG SQUARE AND BASILICA OF THE HOLY BLOOD
The extraordinary Burg Square adjacent to the Markt, the finest architectural ensemble in Belgium, where the remarkable Gothic Town Hall from 1376 is the oldest in the Low Countries and the extraordinary Basilica of the Holy Blood contains the remarkable relic of Christ's blood brought from Jerusalem by Count Thierry of Alsace in 1150. The fine upper chapel of the Basilica is an extraordinary example of High Gothic Flemish architecture. Entry to Basilica free, treasury approx 2.50 EUR. 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
ROZENHOEDKAAI CANAL AND BOAT TOUR
The extraordinary Rozenhoedkaai, the most photographed canal view in Belgium, where the remarkable junction of the Dijver and Groenerei canals creates the finest medieval waterscape in northern Europe with the extraordinary Belfry framed between the remarkable 15th-century merchant houses. The fine canal boat tour from the Rozenhoedkaai gives the extraordinary view from water level through the remarkable medieval bridges and the fine Begijnhof gardens. Tour approx 11 EUR.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Bonifaciusbrug footbridge in the Begijnhof quarter, a remarkable 1910 neo-Gothic stone arch bridge crossing the fine Groenerei canal, gives the most extraordinary intimate canal view in Bruges entirely free of the tourist crowds that fill the Rozenhoedkaai. The remarkable combination of the bridge, the canal and the fine Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk tower above is the finest hidden viewpoint in Bruges.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Terrastje, Bruges Outstanding breakfast near the Markt. Fine Belgian pastries and excellent coffee before the Belfry opening. | Lunch: Restaurant De Beurze Outstanding traditional Belgian lunch. Extraordinary waterzooi and fine Flemish beef stew near the Burg. | Dinner: Den Dyver, Bruges The finest beer-cuisine restaurant in Bruges. Every extraordinary dish paired with a remarkable Belgian beer.
DAY 2
MUSEUMS
MORNING
GROENINGEMUSEUM FLEMISH PRIMITIVES
The most extraordinary collection of Flemish Primitive painting in the world, housed in the fine Groeningemuseum on the Dijver canal. The remarkable works of Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Gerard David and Hieronymus Bosch represent the finest 15th-century Flemish painting on earth. The extraordinary Madonna with Canon van der Paele by Jan van Eyck from 1436 is the finest single painting in Belgium. Entry approx 14 EUR. 10 min walk
MIDDAY
BEGIJNHOF AND MINNEWATER LAKE
The extraordinary Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1245 and the finest surviving Beguine enclosure in Belgium. The remarkable whitewashed houses around the extraordinary courtyard garden retain the fine atmosphere of a medieval religious community. The remarkable Minnewater Lake immediately south, known as the Lake of Love, is the finest willow-shaded water in Bruges with the extraordinary swans that have been resident since the 15th century. 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
CHOCO-STORY AND BELGIAN CHOCOLATE TOUR
The extraordinary Choco-Story Museum, the finest chocolate museum in Belgium, tracing the remarkable history of Belgian chocolate from its Mayan origins to the extraordinary Belgian praline invented by Jean Neuhaus in Brussels in 1912. The fine demonstration of extraordinary Belgian chocolate making is followed by the remarkable tasting session. Entry approx 12 EUR. The remarkable chocolate shops of the Katelijnestraat outside are the finest in Bruges.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary St Janshospitaal Hans Memling Museum, one of the finest preserved medieval hospitals in Europe and home to the most remarkable collection of Hans Memling paintings in the world, is the finest hidden cultural gem in Bruges. The extraordinary Shrine of St Ursula from 1489 is the finest example of Flemish Gothic miniature painting. Entry approx 14 EUR.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast Good breakfast before the Groeningemuseum. Arrive at opening for the finest experience of the extraordinary Jan van Eyck. | Lunch: De Garre, Bruges Outstanding Belgian bistro in the extraordinary hidden alley De Garre. Fine stoemp and remarkable local cheese. | Dinner: Restaurant Zet'joe The finest modern Belgian restaurant in Bruges. Extraordinary seasonal Flemish ingredients and fine wine.
DAY 3
YPRES SALIENT
MORNING
IEPER AND IN FLANDERS FIELDS MUSEUM
The most extraordinary WWI memorial city in Belgium, the remarkable Ieper rebuilt identically after being entirely destroyed in the Great War. The outstanding In Flanders Fields Museum in the reconstructed Cloth Hall, one of the finest war museums in Europe, tells the extraordinary story of the Ypres Salient where 600,000 soldiers died between 1914 and 1918. The remarkable Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate has been performed every evening without interruption since 1928 at 8pm. 30 min drive
MIDDAY
TYNE COT CEMETERY AND PASSCHENDAELE
The extraordinary Tyne Cot Cemetery 10km east of Ieper, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world with 11,954 graves, where the remarkable rows of white headstones across the fine Flemish field create the most extraordinary and moving landscape in Belgium. The remarkable Passchendaele village site of the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 is adjacent. The fine Memorial Museum Passchendaele explains the extraordinary horror of the mud battles. 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
MESSINES RIDGE AND POOL OF PEACE
The extraordinary Spanbroekmolen mine crater at Messines, the Pool of Peace, one of 19 enormous craters created by the remarkable simultaneous detonation of 19 mines under the German lines at 3:10am on 7 June 1917, the loudest man-made explosion in history to that date heard in London. The remarkable circular lake that now fills the extraordinary 40-metre deep crater is the finest hidden memorial site in the Ypres Salient.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Langemark German war cemetery 5km north of Ieper is the most atmospheric WWI cemetery in the Salient, where the remarkable dark basalt lava stone markers and the fine oak trees create an extraordinary contrast to the white Commonwealth cemeteries. The remarkable student volunteers buried here, some as young as 17, include the finest German youth of 1914.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast before Ieper Good breakfast before the drive to Ieper. The In Flanders Fields Museum is finest in the morning. | Lunch: Restaurant In 't Klein Stadhuis, Ieper Outstanding traditional West Flemish lunch in the remarkable rebuilt Ieper town centre. | Dinner: Hotel Restaurant Ariane, Ieper Outstanding dinner in Ieper near the extraordinary Menin Gate for the 8pm Last Post ceremony.
DAY 4
WEST FLANDERS
MORNING
DAMME CANAL CYCLE
The extraordinary 7km cycle along the remarkable straight Napoleon Canal from Bruges to the fine medieval village of Damme through the outstanding flat West Flanders polder landscape, the finest easy cycling in Belgium. The remarkable poplar trees lining the extraordinary canal towpath create a fine architectural avenue across the flat landscape. The remarkable Damme Town Hall from 1464 and the extraordinary ruined Gothic church are the finest medieval survivals in the West Flanders countryside. 30 min by bike
MIDDAY
DE HAAN BELLE EPOQUE RESORT AND NORTH SEA
The extraordinary De Haan, the finest surviving Belle Epoque seaside resort in Belgium, where the remarkable early 20th-century villas and extraordinary seafront promenade retain the fine character of the golden age of Belgian seaside tourism. Einstein holidayed here in 1933. The remarkable North Sea beach and the fine dunes of the De Haan nature reserve are the finest undeveloped stretch of Belgian coastline. 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
OSTEND FISH MARKET AND COAST RETURN
The extraordinary Ostend, the largest Belgian coastal city, with the remarkable daily fish auction and the fine Visserskaai fishermen's quay where the outstanding North Sea catch of grey shrimp, sole, turbot and the remarkable Belgian coast's finest fresh fish is sold directly from boats. The extraordinary Museum aan de Stroom in the old fishing quarter and the remarkable James Ensor House are the finest cultural attractions in Ostend.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Zwin Nature Reserve at the Belgian-Dutch border near Knokke, the finest bird reserve on the Belgian coast, was the original harbour entrance of Bruges in the medieval period before silting closed the sea access. The remarkable wading birds and the extraordinary tidal salt marshes are the finest wildlife near Bruges.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast before cycling Good breakfast before the Damme canal cycle departure. | Lunch: De Haan seafront restaurant Outstanding fresh North Sea fish and the remarkable grey shrimp croquettes at a De Haan terrace. | Dinner: Restaurant De Karmeliet, Bruges The finest restaurant in Bruges. Extraordinary three-Michelin-star Belgian cuisine. Book weeks ahead.
DAY 5
GHENT DAY TRIP
MORNING
GHENT DAY TRIP FROM BRUGES
The extraordinary Graslei medieval quayside in Ghent, the finest guild-house waterfront in the Low Countries, with the remarkable Romanesque Grain Weighing House from 1200 and the extraordinary row of five Flemish Gothic and Romanesque guild facades simultaneously visible across the water. The fine Gravensteen castle moated in the centre of a living city is the most remarkably preserved medieval castle in Belgium. Ghent is 30 minutes by train from Bruges. 30 min train back
MIDDAY
GHENT ST BAVO CATHEDRAL AND GHENT ALTARPIECE
The extraordinary St Bavo Cathedral housing the most remarkable single work of art in Belgium, the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan and Hubert van Eyck from 1432, the first great masterpiece of oil painting and the most stolen artwork in history with 13 thefts recorded. The extraordinary polyptych of 12 panels, recently restored to extraordinary quality in a new viewer-accessible display, is the finest medieval painting in the world. Entry to altarpiece approx 6 EUR. 30 min train back
AFTERNOON
BRUGES FAREWELL CANAL WALK AND AFTERNOON
A final extraordinary afternoon in Bruges exploring the remarkable quiet northern canals of the Langerei and Spinolarei, the finest and least crowded canal streets in the city. The extraordinary golden afternoon light on the remarkable medieval facades reflected in the fine Bruges canals at this hour is the finest farewell to the most extraordinary medieval city in northern Europe.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Lissewege village 10km north of Bruges, a remarkable whitewashed Flemish polder village with an extraordinary 13th-century Gothic church rising from the flat landscape that makes it visible for miles across the fine West Flanders polder, is the finest and most overlooked village near Bruges. The remarkable combination of whitewashed cottages, the extraordinary church and the flat polder is the finest hidden scene in West Flanders.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast Good breakfast before the Ghent train. | Lunch: Groentenmarkt, Ghent Outstanding traditional Ghent lunch at one of the fine Groentenmarkt restaurants. Extraordinary waterzooi stew. | Dinner: Den Dyver or Zet'joe, Bruges Outstanding farewell dinner in Bruges with remarkable Belgian beer cuisine.
Where To Stay
Bruges Historic Centre Hotel de Orangerie or Hotel Jan Brito. Canal views. Approx 120 to 300 EUR per night. Quiet Alternative B Hotel or Hotel Heritage. Fine location. Approx 100 to 220 EUR per night. Budget Snuffel Hostel or Bauhaus Hostel. Approx 25 to 70 EUR per night.
Top Tips
1. The Menin Gate Last Post ceremony is every evening at 8pm without exception since
1928. Do not miss it.
2. Book the Ghent Altarpiece timed slot online. Entry approx 6 EUR and queues can be long.
3. The Groeningemuseum Jan van Eyck is the finest 15 minutes in any Belgian museum.
4. The In Flanders Fields Museum requires 2 hours minimum. Book online to skip the ticket queue.
5. Bruges summer weekends are extraordinary but very crowded. Weekday visits are far superior.
6. De Karmeliet requires booking weeks ahead. One of the finest tables in Belgium.
Total Budget
65 to 435 EUR/day