Lots of charm, character and class . . . and great beer
Disadvantages:
Crowded during the day, canals were a little 'ripe'
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I don't know whether I mentioned it beforehand or not, but I visited the Flemish city of Bruges recently. STOP! Don't hit the back browser, it's not another beer review, honest.
BRUGES, BRUGGE, BRUGS or even BRUGSE - (BRÜGGE for any German schoolteachers that may read this), is situated in the north of Belgium and is an ideal place to visit for a short break from the UK. It's actually quite feasible as a day-trip destination from the Kent ferry ports - it takes a little longer from Scotland.
We took advantage of a special offer on the new ferry service from Rosyth in Fife, which entailed a short drive to the ferry port for a 5pm departure, an overnight journey (a mini-cruise, if you will), and arrival at Zeebrugge at 11.30am the following morning. BRUGES is a 20 minute drive from the port. (If you travel as a foot passenger there are train and bus links to coincide with the ferry timetable.) Our return journey departed at 6pm the following day, giving us ample time to explore this lovely, medieval city.
The ferry docked pretty much on time (20mins late) and we arrived at our hotel - the Ibis Brugge Centrum - and were in our room by 12.30. This was a minor miracle because, as Bruges is such a well-preserved, medieval city, the road system has not exactly been geared up to cope with the onslaught of the combustion engine. Somehow or other though, we managed to find the underground car-park, directly below our hotel, first time.
TIP: Don't even begin to think about driving around in the city, it can't be done! There are six 'Poorts', or gates, into the medieval heart and the one-way system is geared so that when you enter one gate, you are guided, via a tortuous circuit, towards exiting by the next one. It may well be possible to drive through the city, but I very much doubt it! As I said, we were booked into our hotel by 12.30pm and, as we had already showered etc. on the ferry, it was a case of dumping the bag in the room and heading off. Obviously the term bag refers to my luggage and is not a derogatory term for my beloved Mrs P. Our hotel was about a 5-minute walk to the Markt along a route lined with chocolate shops, lace shops, souvenir shops and even more chocolate shops. You could literally smell the chocolate as you passed by the doorways. I like chocolate (who doesn't) but I'm not really passionate about it. If you are the type of person who thinks chocolate is better than sex, this place will have you organizing......just how much chocolate you can take home. It's a chocoholic's paradise. Bruges is very touristy and anyone shopping for the three main souvenirs: Lace, chocolate and beer, will be well catered for.
We arrived at the Markt around lunch-time but we weren't tempted into any of the cafes and opted instead to share a portion of frites from a kiosk in the square. Our first port of call was supposed to be the tourist office but we somehow or other got sidetracked and we never did find it...no matter, we had guidebooks and there are large maps strategically placed around the town so there wasn't the slightest chance of getting lost. Naturally, we got lost. We ended up practically back at our hotel.
So, while I'm getting my bearings, you can peruse the following section.
Here are a few selected highlights to the city. It is not exhaustive, but should help to illustrate the kind of cultural attractions on offer. Bruges is quite a small. compact city and so lends itself well to a tour by walking or by horse-drawn carriage. As it's sometimes known as The Venice of the North, there are lots of companies offering canal-boat tours. There are also tours by mini-coach and it's possible to hire bicycles. We walked.
•• MARKT -- The Belfry dominates the main city square - where markets were held from 1200 until 1983. The Belfry tower is 86m high, has 366 steps and leans southeast. It has a 4-octave carillon of 47 bells which marks the quarter hour - that gets old fast. -- You can climb the tower for some spectacular views across the city...you can, we didn't.
•• BASILLICA of the HOLY BLOOD -- A double chapel with Saint Basil's Chapel (1139-1149) on the ground floor. The upper chapel was rebuilt (19thC) in neo-gothic style. A museum displays the reliquary of the Holy Blood. -- The chapel building and interior is pretty amazing.
•• CHURCH of OUR LADY -- Dating from the 13th century, it has a 400ft tower. The church is famous for its art treasures: paintings, wood sculptures and especially, the Madonna and Child by Michelangelo. It is also home to the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy. -- Very impressive.
•• BEHUINAGE -- Founded in 1245, it is no longer inhabited by Beguines, but by Benedictine nuns. -- Although this was close to our hotel, we didn't visit.
•• THE CITY GATES-- Blacksmith's Gate, Ghent Gate, Cross Gate, Donkeys Gate - old city gates that were part of the medieval fortifications constructed in Bruges in the 13th - 14th centuries.
•• GROENINGE MUSEUM -- This museum houses Dutch and Belgian paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries. The centerpiece of this collection are masterpieces by the Flemish Primitives, Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling.
•• GRUUTHUSE MUSEUM -- In the former palace of the Lords of Gruuthuse, this 15th century mansion displays a collection of historic furnishings, kitchen ware, silver, tapestries, glass, ceramics and weapons, as well as musical and measuring instruments.
•• OLD ST. JOUNS HOSPITAL and MEMLING MUSEUM -- The hospital, 13th century church, and the adjoining chapel house six masterpieces by Hans Memling.
•• STADTHUIS -- Dating from 1376, the Town Hall is the oldest civil building in Belgium. This is one of the grandest and most richly ornamented of all Flemish Town halls. A spectacular staircase leads to a Gothic Hall with vaulted ceiling and historic wall paintings. -- Spectacular.
•• FOLKLORE MUSEUM -- This has authentic reconstructions of period interiors such as a cobbler’s, hat maker’s and cooper’s workshops, kitchen, grocery store, pharmacy, confectionery and a museum pub. -- This was was good, but it wasn't great. The museum pub was authentic but I didn't bother with a beer while there - you've got to have some self-control, after all.
So what else did we do?
- Not a lot actually. I managed to persuade Mrs P to visit a brewery but she made me pay her back later.
• De Halve Maan (half moon) Brewery Tour •
The brewery has been in operation since 1856, although records show beer was brewed here in the 1500s, and even though the brewery has been modernized, the building itself is old and rickety. It's an adventure on its own just wandering the narrow passageways, steep staircases and bumping your head on the low ceilings. One of the rewards of this assault course is the roof-top view which gives you a fantastic panorama of the town. Another is the welcoming glass of Straffe Hendrik at the end of the tour. I'm not greatly interested in the processes of brewing, my passion is for the end result, but it was fairly interesting and I enjoyed it. The tour lasts about 35-40 minutes and cost 3 euros, which includes the beer.
De Gouden Boom is another brewery in the old Town, but I wasn't allowed to visit that as well. They are resposible for Tarwebier (a wheat beer), and Brugse Tripel, an excellent beer which I sampled later on.
>>>>>>>>>
That evening, we ate in a restaurant in the Markt called the SINT-JORIS where I had waterzooi, a tasty fish stew that went down a treat. Mrs P had the Flemish beef (cooked in beer) which was pretty good as well. We had the restaurant almost to ourselves as the city tends to quieten down once the day-trippers are gone. We had a chat with the owner who took great delight in telling us of his recent touring holiday in Scotland (via the ferry) - he'd been places that we hadn't! Apparently, there's been a big rise in the number of visitors coming over from Rosyth.
TIP: If you're interested in sampling the local, or a speciality beer, don't be afraid to ask. Most cafes and bars do not display the wide range of beers on offer and you may find just 3 or 4 taps. If they don't have a menu, check the glasses on the gantry to find out what they sell. Failing that, ask for a recommendation, they'll be glad to help. If you don't stipulate, you'll end up with Jupiler, Maes or something similar.
By the time we'd finished our meal we took a slow walk back to the hotel by way of Kemelstraat - which was actually in the opposite direction of our hotel - and stopped in at 'T BRUGS BEERTJE. It's a bit of a dump from the outside, in fact it's hardly the Ritz inside, but it's classy. Dark and brown, the walls are covered with old tin-plate adverts for beer while it seems every shelf around the bar is groaning under the weight of the myriad beer bottles. What a choice! 300 different beers to choose from...and every one a classic. I came over all giddy. Needless to say, I sampled one or two and you'll be pleased to know I'll be reviewing them in due course.
After a short while, I had this strange sensation in my left arm - it was Mrs P tugging away, and insisting on our return to the hotel. " 'mon you ya stupid auld juicer, ye've hud enough." she suggested, "Let's shoot the craw." Now I'm not the kind of guy that lets any woman tell me when I've had enough beer, but since the redoubtable Mrs p isn't just any woman, my response had to be, "Shertainly, Mishush P.....Shweetheart." So we left.
The next day was a bit of a blur - partly because there was so much we wanted to do and so little time to do it - but mainly because one of us had went totally over the score and wasted it for everyone....again. So, after a bit of touristy stuff in the morning, it was a mad scramble to load up with goodies to bring home. These mostly consisted of beer it has to be said, but Mrs p (selfishly) wanted to do some shopping for herself. No, not chocolates. She wanted a windmill. Not a full-size one obviously - that would be ridiculous - but one about 3 feet high as a garden ornament. (Don't get me started) You would think it would be a simple matter to come across such an item in Flanders - the home of the windmill. Think again. Anyway, long story short, she got her windmill....and I got mine.
TIP: Bruges is infested with shops selling beer but, although these are good for obtaining some of the rarer brews, the beer is relatively expensive with prices similar to the UK. Supermarkets can supply a huge range of classic brews, including most of the Trappists, for around 25% of the price.
very helpful
very helpful
very helpful
