Things to do in Bruges
Get on your bike out to Flanders
With its famously flat surface, cycling around Belgium is joy unbridled for amateurs and enthusiasts alike. You can stick to Bruge’s wobbly pavements, but there’s rural beauty galore in Flanders’ cycling trails, which take in the region’s waterways and villages. Speak to De Ketting (tel: +32 50 344 196; www.deketting.be) about getting decked out with some wheels.
Put your hiking boots on
If wandering around Bruges’ sights doesn’t quite quench your appetite for walking, there are plenty of hiking trails to be discovered just outside the city. The tourist office (tel: +32 50 444 646; bezoekers.brugge.be) will be able to point you in the direction of some of the finest countryside walks in the Flanders region.
See beer, smell beer, drink
The Maes family has been brewing beer in Bruges since 1856, and have opened the doors to their brewery for visitors to get an insight into the creation of this most Belgian of tipples. Tours of De Halve Maan run daily between 11am and 4pm (though sometimes run at 5pm on Saturdays) and take 45 minutes, with each visitor getting a glass of the Bruges Zot Blonde at the end.
Take a visit to the Chips Museum
Consider for a second: chips. Is there such an evocative word in the culinary dictionary? In Belgium they certainly don’t think so, which is why Bruges is home to the world’s only museum dedicated to them. The Frietmuseum (tel: +32 50 34 01 50; www.frietmuseum.be) will take you on a whistle stop history of the little golden wonders then give you a chance to eat your fill. Glorious.
Watersports a’ plenty
Belgium’s iconic waterways might have been valuable trade routes for many centuries, but more recently they’ve been commandeered by the watersports bridge. From kayaking and canoeing to jet skiing and yachting, there are plenty of water-based activities to get involved in in the Flanders region. The good folk at Water Creatie (www.waterrecreatie.be) will do you right.
