Bruges was like a fairy tale, with incredibly old winding streets and picturesque old buildings. I only spent about 24 hours in this wonderful place, and while it was more than enough to see all the main sights, I could easily have spent a few more days just relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere. It is one of the few places that I would highly recommend to visit, and in fact I look forward to returning again.
Transport and Accommodation
I got to Bruges via train from Brussels which took just over one hour. Since I am under 26 years old I qualified for a Go pass, which means I can travel anywhere in Belgium for only €6.40, which is fantastic value! I was also surprised to find out that there are a few hostels in Bruges, and they were similar in price to what I found in Brussels too. I stayed at Hostel Lybeer which was very close to both the train station and the historic centre and although it was quite nice, however I would be open to staying somewhere else if I were to return.
If you haven't, you should try watch the film In Bruges before you go. I'd seen it a few years ago but I actually didn't have the time to watch it before I went so I'm rusty on the details. I'm probably a little prejudiced since it's an Irish film, it's a black comedy and a little bleak at times, but a really well made film and it does show you quite a few sights around Bruges as well. It was on Netflix however I think it may have been removed from the lineup.Weather
As I visited in May, the weather was gorgeous - getting to around 29 degrees Celsius (which for my Irish skin was a bit much). Apparently I was lucky with the weather as I was told Belgium is quite a rainy country, and in fact it rained on my second day there, however I had already seen all the sights and was getting ready to leave anyway. Since the aesthetic of Bruges is all outdoors, I do think wet weather would put a damper on it, but these are risks you take!I arrived on an early train from Brussels, left my baggage at the hostel and started my day with a free walking tour by Legends of Bruges. It was a 2 hour tour and was a good introduction to Bruges and took us around all the main sights, as well as giving a brief history of the town. I really enjoyed it, and think it may have been one of the better free walking tours I had been on. Following on from the tour I walked around the sights again and took my time, especially with photos etc.
The best way to get around Bruges is walking, it's a short walk from the train station and the town itself is very small to get around. There's also horse and carriage rides, and of course boat rides as well. The boat ride tour itself is very good value, €8 for about 30mins, and they run every few minutes. I found it very enjoyable, however they really fill the boats so it was a little cramped in terms of legroom.While Bruges does offer surprising more value for money than expected in terms of accommodation and sightseeing, I feel the biggest barrier is eating out. I found it difficult to find or decide on a restaurant that would offer value, so I settled for buying my own breakfast and lunch in the supermarkets. There is a McDonalds, however I am glad to say I didn't need to visit!
