Ghent and Bruges in One Day From Brussels: Bruges Itinerary
Now Go See It is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
After a packed morning in Ghent, we boarded the train for the next leg of the trip, Bruges. Bruges is a popular tourist destination with many wonderful medieval sites.
Bruges One-Day Itinerary: (Jump To)
Arrival: Bruges Train Station to Central Bruges
Upon arrival at the train station walk a few steps to the bus depot. From the depot grab any bus marked Centrum and take the bus to the city center (Markt). If you’ve been following part one of the itinerary you will have a pass that covers your day on the bus. If not, you can buy a ticket at the machine near the bus stop, or directly from the driver.
Things To See in Bruges
Market Square, or simply Markt, has been the central meeting place in Bruges since at least the year 958. The tradition continues to this day with a weekly market in the square every Wednesday.
Towering over the square is the most famous sight in town, The Belfry of Bruges. I love a good trip to the top of things, so I happily paid the ten euros to climb the 366 steep and narrow steps to the top. Elliott stayed on ground level.
The reward at the top is a panoramic view of the entire city, a close (and loud) look at the historic bells, and the feeling of accomplishment for reaching your daily cardio goal.
From markt, we walked to the nearby Basilica of the Holy Blood. Not too impressive in size, especially compared to the nearby belfry, the church is worth a walk-by for its historic age and significance. The devout will want to pay to enter the church to view the relic of the holy blood-a vile said to contain a drop of Jesus’ blood.
Behind the church we found ourselves wandering through the lanes and alleyways. Tiny canals and stone bridges make up the picturesque commercial district. It is the most wonderful place for an afternoon stroll.
Keep an eye out for the spires of the Church of Our Lady Bruges, keep making your way through the beautiful lanes toward the imposing stone megastructure.
Once you land at the church’s doorstep, If you’re interested, for a small fee you can enter the church to admire the 15th-century architecture and one of the few Michelangelo statutes outside of Italy. Sadly, it was closed to the public during our visit.
Follow the canals to a small dam. This is the best place to see some of Bruges' famous “long neck” swans. Local legend says that the particularly nasty swans are a forever curse on the city left by a 15th century exiled emperor who sought revenge on the citizens of Bruges for imprisoning him and killing one of his loyal councilors, Pieter ‘Long Neck’ Lanchals.
The dam creates the Lake of Love “Minnewater.” Take a quiet walk (hopefully with someone you love) along the bank of the lake. Believe it or not, you are now just a short walk from the train station where the day in Bruges began.
We boarded the train and took the approximately one-hour journey back to Brussels.
This day is part of our Three Day Brussels Itinerary.
Things To See in Bruges:
Market Square
The Belfry of Bruges
Basilica of the Holy Blood (and the Blood of Jesus Relic)
Church of Our Lady Bruges
Meet the Long Neck Swans
Lake of Love (Minnewater)
