Taking a Break in Beautiful Bruges

Over the years I’ve heard so much about Bruges and that it’s well worth visiting. So this spring I thought I’d give it a go and take a trip with my husband.

We didn’t want to take our car so we figured out it would be quite easy to do with a Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry crossing and train from Amsterdam to Bruges.  I bought the train tickets online with Rail Europe and they cost just over €50 each way – not too bad.

So we set sail on a sunny Thursday afternoon. We dropped our bags in our cabin and headed straight up to the Sky Bar. It was nice to have a drink in the fresh air and enjoy the views of the banks of the Tyne from the ferry.

Next we had a little browse in the shop and I bought some Clarins moisturiser – it was cheaper than I’d seen before so I was happy about that.

We’d booked dinner in 7 Seas. My husband is a vegetarian and I don’t eat meat (but I do eat fish and seafood), but there was plenty of choice for us both. I especially loved the canapés and salads. They are so fresh and tasty. After dinner we alternated between Columbus Club and Navigators where the troubadour played our song requests.

Next morning we headed for breakfast and then took the coach transfer to Amsterdam. It drops you right by the station so it was very handy. But we had an hour before our train so we sat in an outdoor café by the canal and watched the boats for a while.

The train journey to Bruges took just over 3 hours with a change in Brussels. It was really easy and I enjoyed watching the Dutch and then Belgian countryside pass by.

We arrived in Bruges in the early afternoon and it was a 15 minute walk to our hotel. We always get lost trying to find our hotel, but for once we didn’t which was a pleasant surprise and a good start to our 2 days in Bruges.

We’d booked 2 nights in the Martins Brugge hotel. It was a comfortable hotel and the location was fantastic – literally opposite the Belfry. The rest of that day we just wandered for a few hours and tried a few of the recommended pubs including De Garre, De Kelk and Bierbrasserie Cambrinus. Some of the beers were so VERY strong, but tasty!

Next day we had a yummy breakfast (loads of choice including cooked options, fresh bread, local cheese and even proper juice which you squeezed yourself). Again we wandered around and just took in the ambience. We walked to the windmills at the edge of the city via a few parks, canals and pretty streets.

Back in the centre, we took a look at the horse and carts – a bit steep at €50 per ride so we gave it a miss and sat in an outdoor bar and watched instead.

Dinner that night was at Diligence where some of the bar scenes were filmed for the movie In Bruges. Great film!

The following day we visited a few stunning churches, took a canal tour and then headed to the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery for a tour. It was pretty cool and interactive and we chatted to the brewer himself. Of course we had some tasters at the end and sat on the terrace in front of the canal. Very relaxing.

Next day we did some last minute sightseeing, climbed the belfry for amazing views and bought some chocolate to take home.

We headed back to the station for our train journey and ferry crossing back to Newcastle and all went without a hitch.

Overall we had a fantastic break – you can either take it easy and relax or tick off the must-see attractions, of which there are plenty.