Part 1.
21 June 2024
by The Jaunt
Nestled on the west coast of Europe is the country of Belgium. It’s relatively small size and close proximity to Calais and Dunkirk make it an ideal location for a short getaway from the UK.
Our primary destination was the city of Brugge/Bruges, a picturesque cobbled city in the North West of Belgium. It is famed for its waterways, cobbled streets and Markt Square.
This was our first trip using the DFDS ferry service from Dover and only our second driving experience abroad, the first in our own car.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction to Bruges/Brugge
- How to get there?
- Where to Stay?
- What to do?
- Where to Eat & Drink?
- Tips and Tricks
- Budgeting Advice
- Summary
1.
Bruges, known for its beautiful cobbled streets and romantic canals. It is located in the Flanders. After much deliberation about the spelling, we discovered that the French/English spelling is Bruges. The Flemish or Dutch spelling is Brugge. Bruges is a popular destination for a many romantic weekends and one of Western Europe’s most popular sightseeing destinations.
Highlights:
Bruges is a city brimming with historical charm and scenic beauty, offering numerous attractions for visitors. Here are some of the main highlights:
Belfry of Bruges (Belfort)
• This iconic medieval bell tower stands in the Markt square and offers breathtaking views of the city from the top of its 366 steps.
Markt Square
• The bustling heart of Bruges, surrounded by colorful, historic buildings, shops, and cafes. It’s a great place to start exploring the city.
Canals and Boat Tours
• Often called the “Venice of the North,” Bruges’ picturesque canals can be explored through scenic boat tours that provide a unique perspective of the city’s architecture.
Basilica of the Holy Blood
• A beautiful Roman Catholic basilica known for housing a relic believed to contain the blood of Jesus Christ. The basilica features stunning Gothic and Romanesque architecture.
Groeningemuseum
• This art museum is renowned for its collection of Flemish and Belgian paintings, including works by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling.
Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk)
• Famous for its 122-meter high brick tower and Michelangelo’s sculpture of Madonna and Child, this church is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
Beguinage (Begijnhof)
• A serene and historical area that was once home to a community of beguines. It’s a peaceful retreat with white-painted houses and a beautiful garden.
Minnewater Lake (Lake of Love)
• A tranquil spot surrounded by parkland, perfect for a leisurely stroll. The lake is associated with romantic legends, adding to its charm.
2. How to get there?
We travelled to Bruges from our home in West Oxfordshire using the usual M40-M25 route. We travelled on a Friday morning once we had dropped the children off at school and our babysitter had arrived. We had a successful traffic free journey at this time and made it to Dover in approx 2.5 hours.
We arrived at the terminal in Dover early and tried our luck at the check in as we were not familiar with the protocol. Upon approaching the gate we were kindly welcomed by the DFDS staff and offered the opportunity to travel on the earlier Dover-Caláis ferry as opposed to our pre booked Dover-Dunkirk route. We gratefully accepted and were ushered through the gate and toward security.
Security was fairly straightforward, we were asked to open some areas of our vehicle for further inspection and upon completion of this we were guided towards a row of parking lanes. From here you simply wait until the arrival of the ferry and you are boarded one lane at a time. We had a very short wait and were almost immediately pointed in the direction of the ferry. Boarding is really simple, drive on and join (another) parking lane. Turn off your engine and go upstairs to the main foyer of the ship. Here you can find restaurants, seating areas and a viewing platform. We went to the viewing platform and took in some views of the White Cliffs of Dover as we set sail for France.
We realised when on board that we needed a ‘UK’ vignette to display on the rear of our vehicle to drive in France and luckily this was inexpensive to purchase onboard the ferry. A magnetic UK vignette was approx ÂŁ5 so remember to purchase one prior to boarding or bring your preferred method of payment with you. The duration of the ferry is approx 1 hour 30 minutes so plenty of time for a coffee too. Upon arrival in Calais you are disembarked and free to drive straight away. This is due to clearing passport control and security in the UK.
We drove to Hotel Olympia in Bruges via the A16 and E40 motorway, this was a really easy drive with no tolls needed. Journey time was around 1 hour 30 minutes. Overall I would recommend driving as it was really quick and surprisingly easy. Public parking was available for free just down from the hotel entrance so this was an added bonus and there were an abundance of spaces too. At the hotel you could hire bicycles to explore however we love to walk and both the city centre and train station were less than half an hour to walk.
3. Where to stay?
As mentioned we opted to stay in the Hotel Olympia, this was a 3 star rated hotel probably best described as mid range or premium budget.
For a more luxurious stay you could try the Dukes Palace at a princely ÂŁ264 per night however for us the Hotel Olympia was a great choice at just ÂŁ280 for 2 nights including breakfast. There are also plenty of AirBnBs around but we elected to book our trip through Booking.com. The hotel was clean, the lobby was modern and the rooms were adequately appointed if lacking slightly in some mod cons. Tea making facilities would be a solid addition, for brits abroad this borders on necessity. The location was great, central enough to walk in but in a quiet neighbourhood with the bonus of free street parking. Overall i would definitely recommend this hotel for couples looking for an affordable and comfortable nights sleep close to the centre who are prepared to walk a little.
4. What to do?
We managed to get round most of the aforementioned architecture the first afternoon. It was whistle stop for sure but we collected some nice photographs and marvelled at all of Bruges beauty if only for a short while. We didn’t enter the museum, this is not really our cup of tea. We tend to enjoy architecture and sightseeing more than reading about history and culture. We were lucky with the weather too, it was a dry and mild summer evening with no rain and plenty of sun. As the light began to fade we decided to look for somewhere to eat and drink.
5. Where to eat and drink?
After all of our walking around we took our weary legs off to get something to eat and settled on Vlaminck ’14 a restaurant not far from Grote Markt. We both went for Rabbit the Flemish Way with Potato Croquettes and it was delicious. We both enjoyed it and cleared our plate. Price was around ÂŁ100 for 2 people with a couple of drinks and a 20% tip as the service was exceptional. We opted to go elsewhere for desert mainly because we were ready for our first helping of Belgian waffles. We got waffles at one of the many waffle shops around the area and then went for drinks at Bar ‘N this was a nice place and one of the only bars we felt had music and atmosphere. A lot were relaxed and more restaurant bars. We stayed for a couple of beers and then took a walk back to the hotel. On the way back we stopped at Parazzar. This was a bar we’d come across on the way into Bruges earlier in the day, I’d promised the very friendly chef that we would return in the evening and he promised it was open as long as people drank. We stayed for a couple of hours and they had an extensive drinks menu, a great vibe with interesting decor and an exceptional knowledge of beers of which I tried a few whilst my wife dipped into the local gin on offer. After all this it was almost midnight and we completed the remainder of the journey to hit the hay.
6. Tips and Tricks
Wear suitable shoes and dress as there is some walking, it’s flat but a moderate distance particularly if you are on a tight schedule like us!
The phone number for emergency services in Belgium is 100 should you require any assistance
Make sure to visit Parazzar, this was by far our favorite watering hole in Bruges we honestly didn’t want to leave and went back every day.
7. Budgeting Tips
We booked the ferry through aferry.com it was only ÂŁ99 return. Booked around a week before departure. We thought this was a good deal.
Expect to spend around ÂŁ100 exc. service for a meal and waffles, more if you decide to eat desert inside the restaurant.
A round of drinks was around €20 for a G&T and a local beer. Similar prices to England mostly.
8. Summary
In summary we had a great afternoon, the travel was straightforward and the hotel was well located and clean and well maintained. Driving in Belgium was easy, the people were very welcoming and expect to spend a similar amount on food and drink to the UK. Parazzar was a particular highlight. The food was excellent and the nightlife was pleasant if a little subdued for our liking.
Have you been to Bruges? Did we miss anything? What else would you recommend in Bruges? Get in touch more more advice, leave a comment and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Make sure to follow all our socials at the bottom of the website for more content and lots of pictures and stay tuned for an update on days 2-3 coming soon.
Leave a Reply