On my first trip to Europe 5 years ago, my mom really wanted me to visit Bruges in Belgium. She visited when she was around my age and absolutely fell in love with it. I didn’t make it over there my first time in Europe, but I’m so glad I got the chance to see it this time around! Bruges is probably the most popular Belgian city and for good reason because it looks like a fairytale town! We visited during the summer and the amount of tourists there was unreal. I definitely suggest visiting during an off season if you can. Either way, it’s a dream.

Sint-Jakobsstratt

On our way to Markt Square from the train station, we walked down the picturesque Sint-Jakobsstratt. The buildings and shops there were so cute! The architecture was beautiful and every alley and street we passed looked straight out of a fairytale. You could definitely get lost here!

Markt Square

Markt Square is a bustling area in the heart of the city where tourists, horse carriages, and locals all meet. There are a ton of museums, restaurant patios, and shops in this area so it’s a hot spot for tourists. I loved the street on the left side of the square with this strip of colorful buildings! We first stopped by to see the square in the morning and there was a decent amount of people, but when we passed by again later in the day, it was packed! I was amazed by the amount of bikes lined up in the square. If you want to avoid the crowds, definitely stop by earlier in the day!

Burg Square

Burg Square, just off of Markt Square by way of the Breidelstraat, is another popular area with a park and several Gothic buildings surrounding it. The Civil registry building is located here as well as the old City Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. The architecture of these buildings was just stunning! There are also several restaurants and shops in this area so it would be a great spot for lunch. From Burg Square, we walked down Blinde -Ezelstr. and ran into several beautiful bridges on the Bruges Canal.

Huiden-Vettersplein

Blinde-Ezelstr.

Bruges Canals

There are so many beautiful bridges in Bruges with amazing views of the canal and city. Some of my favorites were the bridge just off of Blinde-Ezelstr. and the bridges that you can see from Huiden-vettersplein.

Almshouses

There are several Almshouses all over the city of Bruges. We ran into one just off of Astridpark on Nieuwe Gentweg (street) as we were walking to the Hof Arents. We peaked through a door and saw a beautiful, hidden courtyard with a garden and several small, white houses surrounding it. The Almshouses were actually hostels for the old and poor to find refuge. There are actually a total of 46 Almshouses in the city! They are definitely worth visiting for a quiet place to rest and/or explore.

Gruuthusestraat

We happened along this beautiful street on our way back to Markt Square. It’s a stunning street with a canal beside. I loved the gorgeous willow trees and the pretty buildings lining the street! The Church of Our Lady is located here too as well as several other museums so it’s definitely a tourist hot spot. It was insanely packed when we visited at the end of the day. It is a popular town after all 😉

Jan Van Eyckplein

Jan Van Eyckplein is a beautiful, small square with a statue, cute little buildings, and a stunning view of the Bruges canal. This was my favorite canal view by far! The street along the canal looked like a photo of Copenhagen. There are some really cool gothic buildings in this area too! We popped in to a really cute coffee shop not too far off the Jan Van Eyckplein.

That was everything we made it to on our day trip to Bruges! I really hope you enjoy this post and if you decide to visit Bruges, you will not regret it 😉

XOXO