14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Bruges

10 min readDec 6, 2023

Beautiful Bruges is a tourist’s dream. This is Belgium’s most perfectly preserved medieval city, and its breathtaking, beautiful architecture attracts more than two million visitors every year. If you’re short on time on your Belgian travels, Bruges should be your number one. With its wealth of interesting old buildings and its canals, Bruges still has a distinctly medieval atmosphere. Anyone who takes a walk through the narrow streets or a boat trip on the canals is immediately captivated, enchanted by the atmosphere of what is for many the most wonderful of all the cities in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking north of Belgium). Because the center of Bruges is relatively small, even those with only a day to spend sightseeing can get a good idea of all the major attractions. Essential viewing should definitely include the main square with the belfry, the Burg with the Basilica of the Holy Blood and a tour of the canals.

1 Belfort en Halle

Belfort en Halle

The south side of Bruges’ Markt (the central square) is dominated by the Halle with the belfry — Bruges’ most striking landmark — overhead. Begun in 1248 and expanded twice, first in the 14th century and then again in the 16th century, the Halle once functioned as the city’s main marketplace. The building encloses a picturesque courtyard and the balcony above the entrance was once used by the city fathers to distribute their statutes to the population gathered below.

The 83 meter high belfry is one of the most beautiful bell towers in Belgium and is entered from the courtyard of the Halle. Construction of the bell tower began in 1282 and the crowning octagonal upper part was finally completed in 1482. Today, a carillon of 47 bells still hangs in the tower. For the best view of Bruges, you can climb the 366 steps to the top of the tower. On the way upstairs, the old Treasure Room where civil documents are kept behind wrought iron grilles can be visited on the second floor.

Address: Markt, center of Bruges

2 Basilica of the Holy Blood

Basilica of the Holy Blood

The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) leads the central square known as the Burg . The church is famous for the crystal vial kept within it, known to contain a drop of Christ’s blood, brought back from the Holy Land by Dietrich of Alsace in 1149 on his return from the Second Crusade. Every year in May, this holy relic is carried through the streets of Bruges in the Procession of the Holy Blood . The facade of the basilica with its three arches in flamboyant style and gilded statues was built between 1529 and 1534. The basilica itself consists of a Romanesque lower chapel and a late Gothic chapel at the top, where relics of St. Basil are kept by Robert of Palestine II, Count of Flanders. An elegant spiral staircase leads to the upper chapel (built in 1480), where every Friday the vial of the Holy Blood is brought out and shown to the faithful.

Address: Burg, central Bruges

3 Market

Market

The Market is located in the heart of the city; The bustling main square of Bruges, surrounded on all sides by beautiful buildings from different periods. The east side is dominated by the neo-Gothic Provincial Court building which dates from 1887 and is the seat of the provincial government of West Flanders. On the west side, occupying the left corner, is the attractive brick 15th century House Bouchoute . On the opposite corner is the Craenenburg where, in 1488, at the insistence of Ghent, the citizens of Bruges imprisoned the future Habsburg emperor Maximilian for 11 weeks. He was only freed after agreeing to respect the authority of the ruling Regency Council and order the withdrawal of all foreign troops. The best way to admire all this architectural finery is to join visitors and locals at one of the Markt’s many cafes and spend a while enjoying the historic splendor around you.

Address: Markt, center of Bruges

4 City Hall

City Hall

On the southeast side of the Burg is the Bruges Town Hall, one of the oldest in Belgium, built between 1376 and 1420. The facade of the delicate Gothic building shows the strong vertical emphasis characteristic of the style, with rising pilasters, three of which end in octagonal turrets, separated by tall Gothic arched windows. Images of the Counts of Flanders from Baldwin Iron Arm fill the 49 niches. Inside, don’t miss the good Gothic hall on the first floor with its beautiful wooden vaults, dating from 1402, and the murals depicting events in the city’s history by A and J de Vriendt (1895–1900).

Address: Burg 12, central Bruges

5 Freedom of Bruges

Freedom of Bruges

On the east side of the Burg , the Bruges Tourist Office occupies part of what was until 1984 the Law Courts , built between 1722 and 1727 on the site of the former Freedom of Bruges, where independent magistrates exercised jurisdiction over the region. Some fragments of the older building have been preserved, including the beautiful 16th century facade overlooking the canal at the rear. One or two of the more historic rooms inside are now the Brugse Vrije Museum and can be admired by visitors. Of particular interest is the Schepenzaal (magistrate’s court) where you can see the famous shelf above fireplace designed by the painter Lanceloot Blondeel in 1529 and executed in black marble and oak by Guyot de Beaugrant. This magnificent piece of Renaissance craftsmanship features an alabaster frieze above the story of Susanna and the elders with carved oak figures of Emperor Charles V and his parents, Ferdinand and Isabella of Castille, Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian.

Address: Burg, central Bruges

6 Groeninge Museum

Groeninge Museum

Head to the Dijverkanaal , to visit the Groeninge Museum (Municipal Museum of Fine Arts), with the best art collection in Bruges. In addition to the excellent donations of old Flemish paintings, the museum also contains a gallery of modern art and a beautiful collection of views of old Bruges. However, the first five rooms of the museum are the most likely to demand your attention as they contain quite exceptional paintings by old Flemish masters. In Room 1 there are two important works by Jan van Eyck: Madonna and the Donor, Canon van der Paele (1436) and the portrait of Margaret van Eyck, the artist’s wife, painted when she was 33 years old (1439). In Room 3 there are panels illustrating the legend of St. Ursula and a portrait of Luis Gruuthuse, both famous works by unknown Bruges masters, and the Last Judgment by Hieronymus Bosch is one of the paintings in Room 5 .

Address: Dijver 12, center of Bruges

7 Church of Our Lady

Church of Our Lady

The 112 meter high spire of the Church of Our Lady is the highest in Belgium. Work on the nave and aisles began around the year 1230. The outer aisles and chapels were added in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church has a wealth of art treasures, including a sublime sculpture by Michelangelo, Virgin and Child (1503–1504). The statue stands on the altar of the chapel at the end of the south aisle. The Calvary on the main altar is by Bernaert van Orley, the triptych Adoration of the Shepherds is by Pieter Pourbus, and the Transfiguration of Christ is by Gerard David.

Address: Dijver, center of Bruges

8 Memling Museum

Memling Museum

In the Memling Museum, six beautiful masterpieces by Hans Memling (c. 1430–94) are on display, each a pearl of old Flemish art. Notable even among these is the Reliquary of St. Ursula (1489), recognized as one of the master’s most important works. Almost less known is the Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine , painted for the so-called St. John altar. Completed in 1479, it depicts Saints Barbara and Catherine flanked by John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. The four other works by Memling in the museum are the Maarten van Nieuwenhove diptych from 1487 (in which the Virgin hands the Christ Child an apple on one wing, and a beautiful portrait of the donor on the other), a triptych (1479) with the Adoration of the Magi and the donor Jan Floreins, another triptych with the Descent from the Cross (1480) and finally the portrait of Sibylla Zambetha (1480).

Address: Dijver, center of Bruges

9 Sint-Janspitaal

St. John’s Spital

Directly opposite the west door of the Church of Our Lady is the oldest building in Bruges, the Sint-Janspitaal, founded in the 12th century. Look up at the tympanum, over the masonry gate to the left of the Mariastraat entrance, decorated with reliefs showing the Blessed Virgin bearing the date 1270. Inside the old building, in what were once wards, an exhibition of documents and surgical instruments charts the hospital’s history. The old pharmacy next to the departments has also been preserved. South of Sint-Jansspitaal, the Walstraat street is lined with small, exceptionally beautiful sixteenth- and seventeenth-century houses with gables, where lace makers still practice their craft.

Address: Katelijnestraat, central Bruges

10 Begijnhof

Begijnhof

In medieval times, Minnewater (the “Lake of Love”), just across the Wijngaardplein, was part of Bruges’ busy outer harbour. Today only the Gothic Lock House at the northern end gives a clue to its distant past. Standing by the Lock House is a beautiful view over the bridge to the Begijnhof ten Wijngaerde in Bruges with its white 17th century houses grouped around a grassy court with trees. It was founded in 1245 by Margaret of Constantinople, and today it is home to Benedictine nuns. Between the entrance gate and the church (founded in 1245, restored in 1605), one of the former wooded houses has been turned into a Beguinage Museum , offering a fascinating insight into life in the Beguinage.

Address: Wijngaardplein, Bruges

11 Dijver mansions

Dijver mansions

On the left, at the far end of the Dijver, stands an attractive ensemble of 15th-century buildings comprising what was once the Heren van Gruuthuse mansion. Here in 1471, the fugitive English king Edward IV fled. The original “lords” were merchants with a monopoly on the trade in dried herbs (gruut). Part of the manor is now home to the exceptional Gruuthuse Museum , which features an exquisite collection of antiques and applied arts in 22 rooms. Particularly eye-catching are the lacework, wood carvings, tapestries and weapons, as well as the wonderfully restored and completely authentic old Flemish kitchen and the dispensary. The Brangwyn Museum , in the 18th century Arentshuis next to the Gruuthuse Museum, has porcelain, pewter pottery, ceramics, mother-of-pearl and a charming collection of views of old Bruges, as well as an exhibition of paintings and drawings by the Bruges-born English artist Frank Brangwyn ( 1867–1956).

Address: Dijver, Bruges

12 St. Salvator’s Cathedral

St. Salvator’s Cathedral

From the Church of Our Lady , take the short street of Heilige Geeststraat to St. Salvator’s Cathedral, the oldest parish church in Bruges and a cathedral since 1834. Originally founded in the 10th century, most parts of the current building date from the 12th and 13th centuries. The fortress-like 99 meter high west tower was built in several phases, the lower Romanesque part between 1116 and 1227 and the brick part between 1183 and 1228. Over the centuries, the cathedral has survived four fires as well as the iconoclastic fury. The 101 meter long interior contains a number of striking furnishings. Particularly noteworthy are the Baroque partition in the church that separates the altar from the church with a figure of God the Father by Artus Quellin the Younger, the 15th century choir stalls embellished with the coat of arms of the Knights of the Golden Fleece and, above the stalls, Brussels tapestries made in 1731. Just off the right transept is the cathedral museum , which contains some priceless art treasures. To reach Bruges’ Market from here, take Steenstraat with its row of typical Bruges gabled houses that have made it famous as one of the most beautiful streets in the city.

Address: Heilige Geeststraat, central Bruges

13 St. Jacob’s Church

St. James’s Church

From the northwest corner of the Markt, Sint-Jacobstraat continues beyond the Eiermarkt to the Gothic Sint-Jacobskerk, passing the 18th-century music academy on the left and the Boterhuis (a cultural centre) on the right. Gifts from the Dukes of Burgundy, whose palace was nearby, transformed the 13th to 15th century church from its relatively modest beginnings to its current size. The richly decorated interior contains a number of fine 16th to 18th century paintings by local artists and some interesting tombs. Among the latter, to the right of the choir, is the twin tomb of Ferry de Gros (a treasurer of the Order of the Golden Fleece who died in 1544).

Address: Sint-Jacobstraat, central Bruges

14 Jerusalem church

Jerusalem church

The late Gothic church of Jerusalem Church dates from 1428 and is modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The Adorne family, who built the church, had made a pilgrimage in the Holy Land and built this church upon their return. Visitors should note the church’s extremely beautiful stained glass work, which dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and also make sure to see the copy of Christ’s tomb (a replica of the one in the Holy Sepulchre) while they are here. On the outside, the Jerusalem Church is most famous for its tower, which is clearly different from other church towers in Belgium due to its oriental influences.

Address: Peperstraat, Bruges

Where to Stay in Bruges for Sightseeing

The medieval center of Bruges is easy to explore on foot and the best place to stay is within walking distance of the Markt, the city’s main square, dominated by the enormous Halle and its famous belfry. Other easy-to-reach attractions from your Old Town accommodations include the Burg, home to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, and the city’s many beautiful old canals. The following hotels are highly recommended:

— Luxury Hotels: Minutes from the Markt, Hotel Prinsenhof Brugge is beautifully decorated and is a tourist favorite for its intimacy and quiet rooms, some with canal views. Hotel Heritage — Relais & Chateaux is popular for its pampering. It pampers guests in the large, luxuriously furnished rooms with delicacies such as chocolate (Belgian, of course) and fresh, fluffy robes. If you want to stay in one of the city’s older buildings, try Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, with its medieval exterior, antique furnishings and oak-beamed rooms overlooking a canal.

— Mid-Range Hotels: Family-run Hotel Ter Duinen is located on the banks of a canal and close to the Markt. It is popular with tourists who want a real taste of old Belgium, with its beams and traditional decor. Beautifully decorated and intimate, the eco-friendly Hotel Fevery offers canal-view rooms (some with balconies) and the kind of comfort usually only found in luxury hotels. Equally charming, Adornes offers free bicycle rental in addition to its beautiful oak-beamed rooms.

— Budget Hotels: Canalview Hotel Ter Reien is popular for its charming courtyard and casual atmosphere. It offers reasonably spacious rooms with modern furnishings. Also worth a look is Hotel de Goezeput, in a well-preserved 18th-century building with exposed beams and cozy rooms, and the charming Hotel Van Eyck, with some rooms large enough for families.