Itinerary
Your schedule
Day 1
- 09:00 Belfry (Belfort) – The 83 m medieval belfry with 366 steps up to a panorama over the roofs of Bruges, plus its carillon.
- 10:00 Market Square (Markt) – The medieval main square, dominated by the Belfry and lined with stepped gables and horse-drawn carriages.
- 10:30 Burg square – The old seat of power, framed by the Gothic City Hall, the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Liberty of Bruges.
- 10:45 Basilica of the Holy Blood – Two chapels on the Burg: a Romanesque lower church and an ornate upper chapel holding the relic of the Holy Blood.
- 11:15 City Hall (Gothic Hall) – One of the oldest Gothic city halls in the Low Countries, with a painted vaulted hall and a history of Bruges and the sea.
- 14:00 Rozenhoedkaai – The Rosary Quay, Bruges’s most photographed corner, with the Belfry rising over the canal and old gables.
- 14:20 Canal boat tour – A 30-minute guided trip in an open boat from Jan van Eyckplein to the Beguinage, past the best-known canal views.
- 15:30 Choco-Story (chocolate museum) – The 5,500-year story of cocoa and chocolate, with a live chocolate-making demonstration and tastings.
Day 2
- 09:30 Church of Our Lady (Michelangelo’s Madonna) – Brick Gothic church with a 115 m spire, Michelangelo’s Madonna and the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary.
- 10:30 St John’s Hospital (Sint-Janshospitaal, Memling) – A 12th-century hospital with six Memling masterpieces, the St Ursula Shrine and a 17th-century pharmacy.
- 11:40 Bonifacius Bridge & Arentshof – A tiny, much-photographed stone bridge between the Church of Our Lady and the Gruuthuse, beside the quiet Arentshof garden.
- 14:00 Groeningemuseum – Six centuries of Flemish art, from Van Eyck, Memling and Bosch to Magritte, in the Dijver museum quarter.
- 15:45 De Halve Maan brewery – The family brewery of Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik: a 45-minute tour with a rooftop view and a beer at the end.
- 17:00 Beguinage (Begijnhof) – A UNESCO-listed courtyard of whitewashed houses around a green, still home to women living quietly.
- 17:30 Minnewater (Lake of Love) – The Lake of Love: swans, willows and the old lock house on the southern edge of the old town, beside a quiet park.
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