00:00 intro
01:23 map route
01:42 Markt
02:00 Belfry
03:18 outdoor produce market
06:46 walking tour
07:50 Rosary Quay
08:34 Groenerei canal
09:21 Dijver craft and flea market
10:25 bicycles
11:21 Philipstockstraat
11:35 Vlamingstraat
11:50 Jan van Eyckplein
13:19 Spiegelrei
13:52 Gouden-Handrei canal
16:56 Sint-Jakobsstraat
17:42 De Republiek
republiekbrugge.be/
19:14 Geernaartstraat
19:35 Eiermarkt
20:08 Geldmunstraat and Steenstraat
25:07 Simon Stevinplein
25:40 Tourist Information Office website
www.visitbruges.be/en
26:04 Minnewater
27:49 Begijnhof
29:17 De Halve Maan Brewery www.halvemaan.be/en
30:32 Walplein
31:29 Katelijnestraat
32:27 Duke's Palace Hotel
hoteldukespalace.com/
33:58 Burg
34:36 sunrise taxi, travel tips
36:46 windmills
37:33 Sint-Anna
38:23 Langestraat
Ooh. Bruges. There are few cities in Europe of equal interest as Bruges, Belgium, with its precious heritage of the Middle Ages that has preserved so much of its medieval character, a city of sleepy streets, ancient buildings and picturesque canals and it's a lively place to go shopping and enjoy some great meals sitting at an outdoor restaurant. Fine dining or just a quick bite washed down with the national beverage beer, of course, and appreciate some of the world's best art.
Then find some bargains at a flea market. We'll bring you to streets lined with shops and cafes and then get you off the beaten track on those little side alleys. High towers rise above several of the major churches that date back to the Gothic and earlier periods. You'll enjoy the stained glass and old architecture, then step into several of the history museums, some of them in former palaces with dramatic architecture looking like an old stone fortress.
Perhaps the canals are the most beautiful sights to see in Bruges, and we're going to show you many of them. The boat docks are just a block away from the main market square, as we walk north to south, east to west, throughout the city in our complete tour. A quick outline on the map shows the route that we will be taking walking out in both directions from the central market, next heading south to charming plazas, parks, a lake, then north to the windmills and through a quiet residential neighborhood.
The Markt is the most popular gathering place in town. You will come back to this plaza time and again during your visit because it's in the center with wonderful sights all around it, especially the most famous building in town, the symbol of the city -- it's the belfry, which dates back to the 13th century and is 83 meters high, with the Market Hall's courtyard at its base where you can purchase a ticket to the staircase that will lead you 366 steps to the top. It's protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. In the center stands a colossal old monument with a statue of two heroes who were skilled masters and leaders of the citizens of Bruges in the massacre of the French garrison in 1302, which helped the Flemish gain their freedom from France.
Naturally, you will see lots of bicycles in Belgium, like the nearby Netherlands. They love getting around on two wheels, and some of them are quite innovative, such as the ever-popular cargo bike. Another way to get around town is taking a horse carriage ride tour. You can find lots of them right here waiting for you at the market.
Later we reach the De Halve Maan Brewery, with an outdoor beer garden featuring their own brews. It's a family-friendly place where you can have a beer along with a light meal, and you can step inside and do a tour of the brewery.
We'll visit Dukes Palace Hotel, where I had the good fortune to stay for three nights in my visit to Bruges. It was a bit of a splurge on five-star deluxe, but I figured, duh, as long as I'm in Bruges, one of the great cities, I want to be as comfortable as possible.
travel videos & photos at: townsofeurope.com/ with text, maps & links.