Bruges: beautiful but too touristy

Beautiful but touristy. This is certainly, for me, Bruges (or Brugge in Flemish). An hour and 15 minutes by train from Brussels, it lies along the line that links the capital to the sea, at Ostend. So be prepared to fight to get on the trains (fortunately with a very good frequency from early morning until late evening) because in summer there are hordes of young people going to enjoy a day at the seaside. Compared to Antwerp, Bruges is a jewel of medieval construction, well kept and certainly very touristy because of this. The prices, even for eating, are decidedly higher not only than Antwerp but also than Brussels. There is the possibility of taking a half-hour boat trip along the canals (it is one of the many Northern Venices, a definition I have heard used for Amsterdam, Stockholm, etc.).

The trip is pleasant and costs 6.90€ per person, and you had better start queuing from the morning to avoid long waits while groups of elderly people and school parties go ahead of you (it seems groups take priority over individuals). In this case too the walk from the station to the centre is really pleasant and there is no need to take public transport. If you really want to, and the heat (or the cold, depending on the season) allows, then you can rent a bicycle, but be prepared to put up with the cobblestones that will shake your backside to pieces! What to see in Bruges? Well, just to give you an idea, it is very nice even just to stroll through the streets of the historic centre, getting lost in the alleys, tasting a Trappist beer now and then, or taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage (a trip costs around 20€, in my view acceptable).

But the main attractions are certainly the large Begijnhof park, where the beguines are housed, that is widowed or unmarried women who devote themselves to others. In this park the church and the white building that houses their dwellings (not open to visitors) are very interesting. The park is very well kept, there are beautiful little bridges over the canals, swans... all very idyllic and silent, it is certainly worth a visit. Here too, as in Antwerp, there is the Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk), very charming, in a sober style. Inside, however, there is a work of art you absolutely must not miss, namely the only work by Michelangelo Buonarroti that has ended up outside Italy. It is the statue of the Madonna with Child, which can be visited free of charge.

Then the Markt, that is the largest open square in the city, where you can eat, shop and admire the Belfort, that is the massive bell tower 84 metres high. You can climb the bell tower by going up its 366 steps until 4.45 pm. The 47 bells of the Belfort are still played by hand from 2.15 pm to 3.00 pm every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from October to June, and from 9 to 10 am on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday for the remaining months of the year. Also very beautiful is the Burg, perhaps even more charming than the Markt. The Burg houses the important building of the city, the Stadhuis, that is the town hall. The one in Bruges is the oldest in the whole country and is certainly also the most beautiful. On the right of the town hall, don't miss the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Heiligbloed Basiliek.

You enter free of charge and you can admire, besides the splendid interiors, also a very important relic, namely the blood of Jesus brought to this church in 1200. You can see and touch the relic under the supervision of a person. You are invited to leave an offering and say a prayer. The relic is cleaned each time for hygiene reasons before the next person is let through. On the Burg square there is also a good restaurant with a fixed menu at 16€ where you can taste Flemish dishes cooked with dark beer, such as rabbit and stew. Not exactly summery (also because they have to be accompanied by a not-so-light Leffe beer) but certainly worth trying. Of course it is forbidden to leave Bruges without having tasted at least 200 of the 300 types of beer (300, I'm not joking!) offered by one of the oldest inns in Bruges, namely 'T Bruges Beertje.

Personally very friendly, it will suggest the best local beers or those that suit your tastes, and you can also order small snacks such as salami and Flemish cheeses to try not to give too much room to the fumes of alcohol. Watch out, because the place opens after 4 pm. Opposite 'T Bruges Beertje there is another rather famous place, De Hobbit, whose speciality is grilled pork ribs. There is a fixed price of 40€ eat as you want, but it opens after 6 pm and closes the following morning (if you can handle the weight of the ribs and the alcohol). What more can I tell you? If you want to buy lace, this is the right place, even though it is all produced in China and no longer locally (legend has it that if you ask the shopkeeper he will also show you those produced on site, but at off-market prices!). It is certainly a pleasant little town, perhaps one in which to spend a couple of days.

In a day, as in Antwerp, you can comfortably get around and manage to see everything. Be prepared to jostle with the tourists, because it is certainly not as free as Antwerp, nor as sprawling as Brussels. The city is small and the attractions are rather concentrated in a few points. It was, however, a nice discovery, and praise to the inhabitants and the administration of Bruges for how they have managed to enhance and preserve this medieval historic masterpiece.