I really wanted to visit Bruges, Belgium. After doing a little research, I decided I probably didn't need a ton of time to see Bruges, so a day trip from Amsterdam would work. There isn't a straight shot from Amsterdam to Bruges by train, so I decided to look for a tour. I almost always book my tours for European travels via Viator. They don't actually run the tours, but they are a good place where local tour groups are combined together. I found a 12 hour day tour to Bruges. After reading about the tour, and the comments (comments are always important on these), I found that this was mostly an "on your own in Bruges day", which is exactly what I wanted.
We boarded a double decker travel bus and had a 3 hour (ours was a bit longer because of traffic) drive into Belgium. From the bus drop-off, our tour guide walked us into the heart of town, giving us some direction and information as we went. That probably lasted about 30-45 minutes, and then we had the rest of the time on our own.
A little about Bruges: Bruges is in Belgium, which has two official languages, French and Dutch. So Bruges is the French spelling and Brugge is the Dutch. Bruges is located in the west Flanders portion of Belgium. Bruges' entire city center is on UNESCO's World Heritage Collection. Miraculously, Bruges escaped damage during World War II, and thus has buildings dating back to the 12th Century. It's a magical little storybook town!
Church of Our Lady
2nd tallest brickwork tower in the world, and tallest structure in Bruges
Houses Madonna & Child sculpture by Michelangelo
Burg Square
In Burg Square you will find, the Town Hall (built in 1376), Old Civil Registry (1537), and Basilica of the Holy Blood (named because it has a relic from the Crucifixion, a piece of fabric said to be stained with Jesus' blood)
A canal cruise is a must in Bruges, and the moment our tour ended, I was in line for a boat...
There were some art installations around Bruges, and this big plastic whale is one. Made from plastic pulled from the ocean, it was meant to raise awareness for eco-issues (kinda jacked with the view though)
Church of Our Lady again...
Back through Burg Square
With a stop for a waffle, because when in Belgium, what else are you suppose to do?
Chocolate, Strawberries, and Chantilly Cream with a waffle buried under there somewhere!
Market Square
This houses the 12th Century Belfort among other buildings.
They were taking down from a big World Cup viewing party
(Belgium came in 3rd)
Simon Stevinplein Square
St. Salvator's Cathedral
Construction on this building began in 1250 and lasted about a century. It is the oldest church in Bruges.
I just loved all the building and their character
St. John's Hospital
This hospital has been caring for people since the mid-12th century
The Beguinage or Begijnhof
A convent garden founded in 1245, was home to the beguines, emancipated lay-women who led pious celibate lives. Today it is inhabited by nuns and Bruges women who have decided to remain unmarried.
It was so lovely and tranquil.
These look too perfect to be real!
Anywhere you wonder in Bruges, you feel like you are in a story book!
The bus got back to Amsterdam at a few minutes after 9:00. I took an Uber to my hotel and then wondered over to the Foodhallen for a Pimm's and dinner.
I took this picture at about 10:15 p.m. to give you an idea on how long the days last in Summer.
That's a wrap on Day 6.
Stay tuned for my last day where I venture out to the Dutch countryside...
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