Everything that I knew about the town of Bruges, Belgium came from the 2008 Irish black comedy In Bruges, in which two hitmen are sent to Bruges by their mob boss to go into hiding after mistakenly gunning down a child. “Bruges? What the fuck is in Bruges?” I remember one of the hitmen lamenting.
It turns out that there’s quite a lot in Bruges. In fact, to hear Bruges tell it, Bruges used to be the hub of the universe from the 12th century to the 15th century, owing to its key location as a seafaring trading link. These days, Bruges is Belgium’s ultimate tourist destination, with a historic town center teeming with medieval buildings, architecture, and chocolate shops. It was well worth the 60-minute train ride from Brussels. Even the gray, cold weather could not squelch the city’s charm.
Swans in Bruges
Our first stop was a tour of the ‘De halve Maan’ (The Half Moon) brewery, which has been active since 1856.
Beer Tanks
Beer Can Collection at Half Moon Brewery
We learned that the Belgians are as fanatical about beer as the French are about wine — they’re all about food pairing, aging, and proper storage. Each brand of beer has its own unique glass that is, supposedly, perfectly engineered for that beer.
Beer and Glasses
After going up and down numerous narrow staircases to tour the brewery, we were rewarded with a lovely glass of Brugse Zot beer.
After the brewery, we walked through the quaint streets, smiling at the quaint buildings.
This shot is known as the postcard view, as it shows both the canal and the belfry.
Postcard Bruges View
As it was Monday, all three of the major museums were closed, but we were still able to tour the astounding Gothic room in the Town Hall — a stunning testament to the city’s former prominence.
Bruges Town Hall
Gothic Room
We stopped in a touristy restaurant for lunch. I ordered a beer. “Small, medium, or large?” the waiter asked. I asked for a medium. I’m incredibly glad I didn’t ask for a large.
Gigantic Medium Beers
We finished out our afternoon in Bruges in the picturesque main square, where we climbed all 350-something steps to the top of the belfry.
Bruges from the Belfry
After an all-too-short 6 hours in Bruges, we boarded the train back to Brussels to spend our final night in Belgium. In the movie In Bruges, the main character says “If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn’t, so it doesn’t.” Well then, call me a mentally impaired bumpkin! because I was impressed.
