Bruges (Belgium)

...our three night break in Bruges through the Sunday Times Leisure Direction. On paper this appeared to be a four day break to be taken in the period between Christmas and New Year but we failed to take too much notice of the travelling time involved in getting from West Dorset to Bruges. Our best option would have been to fly from Bristol to Brussels but we had set our hearts on journeying by Eurostar from Waterloo International to Brussels as a first ...
...train journey from Brussels to Bruges was matter of minutes. Wrong on that one; up and down escalators with our luggage and a twenty minute wait on a cold platform then what must have been the slow train to Bruges arriving at 5.30 pm. A taxi to our hotel in the centre of Bruges and we were finally in our hotel room at 6.00 pm. Have you got that? A car, three trains and a taxi with a total travelling time of ten hours; it didn't take that long to ...

mornev 04.01.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

...~~~WHERE IS BRUGES? Bruges is in the small European country of Belgium and can be found in an area in the north called West Flanders. The main language in this area of the country is Dutch (French is the dominant language in the Southern regions ~ Wallonia), although English is widely spoken and also German. Belgium is part of the E.U. so the currency is the Euro. Bruges is known for its canals, earning it the name of “Venice of the North” and you ...
...THERE? We traveled to Bruges on the train from Ostende and the journey took us approximately 20 minutes ~ no time at all. Bruges is also easily accessible by road and rail from other destinations in Europe (we traveled from the UK and rail links from the channel tunnel and ferry ports were regular and convenient). ~~~GETTING AROUND. Once we arrived in Bruges we opted for the old fashioned method of transport and walked from the station to the centre. ...

tange 22.07.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

...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 ...
...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 ...

proxam 26.03.2003 (01.09.2004) · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

We recently took advantage of a cheap Ryanair deal to visit Bruge, somewhere we have wanted to go for years now. The flight was very reasonable - £24 each way for each of us. There were three in our party - myself, my husband and my 'almost' three year old daughter. We also booked our holiday flat via the internet after a search to reasonably priced accommodation. There are a few larger hotels in Bruge which looked gorgeous. One was £2,800 BFR for ...
...which was ideal for us, was a holiday flat. It had it's own little kitchen with oven, hob and microwave, lounge/diner (with tv that even picked up BBC1, BBC2 and ITV if that's what you want when in a foreign country), bathroom with a shower, double bedroom and a mezzanine for the children to sleep in. We had our reservations about this last room for children as it was basically in the roof rafters with a metal ladder to get up to it in the same room ...

Loopy27 23.11.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

This City is known as the Venice of the North due to the 12 miles of canals that run through the city. Despite the fact that I have never visited Venice, I was very impressed with Brugge which will be European City of Culture next year. We decided to visit Brugge for a short break during the October half term holidays. It was chosen because it was less than a 2 hour drive from Calais. It was easy to find and there were few traffic problems until ...
...expected as we arrived at 5.30 in the Evening. We stayed at the Novotel in the Centre of Brugge which was ideally situated for exploring. Most of the major attractions were no more than 15 minutes walk away. The Hotel was very friendly and not too expensive (approx £65 room only for a family of 4). Upon arrival, we studied the City map and decided to go for a short walk. We were very impressed with the City as it retained its old charm and had ...

WFCfan 07.11.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

...preferred taking the Eurostar to Bruges rather than taking the plane. The city of Bruges itself is very compact, and if you put your mind to it, you could probably walk and see most of the city in a day. On the first night that we were there, we arrived at our hotel, one of the Small luxury hotels of the world called the Romantik Pandhotel, which is situated brilliantly in the centre of Bruges. However, we found our double room a bit on the small ...
...canals, and what trip to bruges would be complete without a boat ride!? There are many companies doing boat tours, and they seem to be similarly priced, so i guess one company is just as good as any other. The guides speak in 3 languages (english, french and Flemish), so you can just sit back, relax, and tune in whenever your language is up. The boats take you down most places in the city except for the "Minnewater" or "lovers lake" area , which ...

redstar79 08.10.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

Bruges is one of the most picturesque towns in Europe. With improved road links, it is now just over an hour’s drive from Calais. Parking is free and you can easily explore the town on foot. The current strength of the pound means there are some bargains to be had, or you could just soak up the wonderful atmosphere. WHAT’S BRUGES LIKE? It is a quaint old town with cobbled streets and canals running through it. You can take a guided boat ...
...famous for its chocolates, and Bruges has a large number of shops to tempt you. There are the more well-known brands (Godiva, Leonadis, etc) plus MANY more. Expect to pay about half the UK prices. All shops accept credit cards, and most will also accept sterling and other European currencies. BEER - Belgium is equally famous for its beer. There are many bars where you can enjoy a glass or two, and specialist shops where you can buy the souvenir ...

mandyhaley 12.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

If you have read my Review on Bruxelles, you will know that my style is to try and describe the atmosphere rather than list specific attractions, and this applies here too If you have NOT read my Bruxelles Op, WHY NOT!!! I always imagined Brugge to be a quaint little town that was probably over-rated and infested with coach tours on their way back to the channel ports. On the latter point there is a grain of truth, it gets very popular in the summer ...
...part of Belgium so if you've been to quaint Dutch towns you will notice a resemlance It is a working town though, although it relies on tourism it is home to a train manufacturer which (fascinating fact) has built all the Virgin Voyager trains and others supplied to UK rail companies. You are unlikely to se smokestack industry though I have driven there from Calais and it was easy enough to navigate, right into the town centre, but I would advise ...

mark-southside 26.04.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

Bruges is a delightful city in the North of Belgium in the part of the country known as Flanders. The first habitants called it Bruggia or Burg and it literally just means borough. However in the 13th century the Counts of Flandres built parts of the town and it became a centre for trade and the arts from the 13th century. It is that town that it is possible to see today. I recently visited the city again. As regular readers of some of my reviews ...
...many Belgian towns and cities Bruges has a splendid Market Place surrounded by old impressive buildings. In the Bruges Market Place there is the Provincial Palace along one side and the Belfry at one end. Around three sides of the square now there are shops and bars and cafes and these are all very reasonably priced. I always try to get my usual portion of Moules and Frites (cost about 495BEF less than £8) and have never been disappointed. Of course ...

polydeuces 01.07.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

...took a day trip to Bruges a couple of weeks ago when France and Spain were playing the Euro 2000 quarter-final there. Bruges is a really beautiful city with picturesque canals and rivers (they call Bruges, or Brugge in Flemish, the Venice of the North). It has a wonderful town square where one can sample a few Belgian beers (or ten!) and the people are very friendly. It is perhaps a bit touristy though and there are too many gift shops. It is a shame ...

megafu 11.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

I have visited Brugge or Bruges to the French, in the Flanders region of Belgium many times. I have to say it is probably my favourite European city. There are two parts to Brugge, the new and the main residential exterior area, and the old walled medieval town and haunt for the many tourists that are drawn to it. Brugge dates back hundreds of years but detailed history of it starts around the 13th century, hence there is some marvellous architecture ...
...the central Markt and main square. If you fancy the exercise, scale the 370 odd steps to gain a superb view of the town. There are great and inexpensive places to eat and drink in Brugge. If you like Belgian beer, try the local golden ales, that in some cases will literally blow your head off. The beers are served to you in ornate decorated glasses, worthy of a country who place beer above wine as their favourite tipple. Belgian food is also very ...

henryhallandhisdog 19.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

...go. Wandering off the beaten track, we managed to discover some of the nicest parts of the area, and a boat ride along the rivers allowed us to see the city from a different angle. Bruges was a great experience, and one that I can't wait to relive. ...

Vistaway 11.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

I spent a weekend in Bruges and I'm counting the days to my return. The city is absolutely stunning. I visted for the Christmas market in December 2000 and all I can say is visit Bruges. The city is absolutely beautiful. The view from the top of the tower in the main town sqaure is absolutely breathtaking giving a great view of the city (providing you don't mind heights!). For Christmas, a skating rink is put up in the town square and there are all ...
...are also available to see Bruges and both the canal trip and the horse and trap trips are well worth the money. If you have time, just walk around and explore the city. Everybody is friendly and everyone speaks English really well (although you can catch people out if you try a few words of Flemish). Also, look out for a pub hidden in an alleyway just off of the main square. It has 150 different beers ! I only had one problem with Bruges. The beer ...

gear 25.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

We said this a lot whilst here, from the moment we stepped on the train. It was our second visit and we can’t wait for our third. It’s a stunning place, amazing achitecture and wonderful food (they eat a lot of chips with mayonnaise here – and you haven’t really eaten mayonnaise till you’ve tried it in Brugge). Then there are the chocolates. We went just before Christmas and bought a kilo each of chocs for over twenty people and it came to £70 ...
...If you are a couple it’s worth a visit to the Minnewater (the lake of love) – traditionally couples go here to wish themselves heaven on earth. My then boyfriend proposed to me last visit and we’ve been married a year now, so our wishing worked. Beautiful place. . ...

Baldrick 15.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)

This modern three star hotel is located right in the middle of Bruges, and next to the Belfry, leading on to the Markt Square. The hotel is build in a very modern minimalistic style, using good quality materials, but with a total lack of atmosphere, which is more like a youth hostel or railway station. The reception is particularly awful but the staff very helpful. The rooms we had allocated on the 4th floor were extremely small and poorly equipped, ...
...and an extremely small bathroom. not at all up to the standard expected of a 3 star hotel. After complaining we were however moved to their standard rooms the following day, which were bigger and better equipped. The buffer breakfast was particular good and varied, but again the atmosphere in the breakfast room was a bit bland and cold. A nice enough, but overpriced hotel in an excellent position in a beautiful city with its own underground car ...

viggo 19.11.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Bruges (Belgium)