A Trip to Bruges

Snow. Snow in Brussels.

It had been quite a long time since I’d been graced with seeing it’s wintery presence and when we woke up Saturday morning, there is was. Barely. But it was there.

So we woke up, dragged ourselves to the windowsill engulfed in blankets and stared at the magical sight. And then we shook ourselves out of our reverie, clamored to get ready and headed to the Brussels train station. Today we were going to Bruges!

By the time we arrived, the station tracks at Brussels had only ever the lightest signs of snow…

The train journey to Bruges takes only an hour. So simple, and so easy to do.

My best advice is to look up train times before you go. We knew what time our train was meant to leave (FYI it’s the TGV trains you take). Also, it’s good to know that trains to Bruges have a few stops along the way, so Bruges won’t be the ‘end’ destination but a stopping point along the way.

An hour and two stops later we stepped off the train in Bruges. The station is tucked away just outside of town. It’s easy enough though, a quick walk 15 minutes and you’re in the center of Bruges!

You pass along the cobbled streets.

The winding rivers…

The old buildings, with church tops peeking through…

And before you know it, you’ve arrived!

The center of Bruges! Bruges may be one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. The buildings are historic, very old world. You feel like you’ve stepped far back in time, until you happen to stumble upon a section of high street filled with Zara, H&M or The Body Shop.

But even with modern stores integrated throughout, for the most part, these are the incredible city views.

Naturally, there are little fun shops around too filled with bits and bobs.

And the best cup of hot chocolate you can find (it really was, we stopped by during our cold walk back to the train station later on).

And apparently you can take a boat tour around the city. Normally, I’d be all about that. But with the freezing temperatures… I didn’t envy these people!

We carried along our merry way through the winding streets, soaking in each and every sight.

Some more amusing than others…

Finally we made it to the very center of the city.

The Grote Markt. It’s beautiful!

Chocolate shops, restaurants and pubs line the busy square.

And oh look, it’s me freezing!

The Grote Markt is fun to walk around, but it’s incredibly touristy. Each of the restaurants offers up the same type of cuisine, complete with a listed menu outside boasting a French, German, and English translation. We probably could have stayed somewhere around here for a drink but I always like to find something a little bit off the beaten path. Besides, we still had much more of the city to see!

So after wandering around the market, we ventured off to look at more of the canals. We got a teeny bit lost and were down some side streets for awhile before we stumbled upon them…

Ah, there they are.

At this point I definitely couldn’t feel my limbs anymore. Frozen beyond belief. We certainly picked a wonderful weekend for visiting!

For those of you wondering about my winter weather fashion choices…

I’m absolutely in love with this North Face jacket. I’ve had it for a few years now and I can’t recommend it enough. Living in New York where the weather is always cold, means this is exactly what you need to have in your daily life. I’m extremely happy that I brought it with me to England…and subsequently on my trip to Belgium.

I ordered my scarf from ASOS ages ago, but here are some similar options on their site. Not too expensive either!

  
      The North Face                        ASOS Check                    ASOS Check Grey

And here’s a scarf that’s a bit more of a lightweight option… good for spring!

           ASOS Scarf 

Anyways, enough about the outerwear, it was about time for a drink. When in Bruges!

We found a spot called the Bar Des Amis.

It’s a small bar in the center of Bruges filled with friendly locals and fellow travelers. The bartender behind the counter chatted with us about London and happily tipped up our glasses.

We ordered a round of Stellas and munched on some chips.

It was the perfect way to get out of the cold and we definitely needed the warming up.

After we felt sufficiently warmer, we decided to head back out and explore the rest of the city. These are the iconic views that you think of when you talk about Bruges…

It was a one of those bone chilling days where we couldn’t help but seek refuge again after nearly an hour.

We found a great local place called the Brugs Beertje.

It’s seemingly tiny. But then you head through a walkway and suddenly you’ve stumbled upon a second bar area.

We ordered something that everyone around us was drinking. When in doubt, follow the pack right? I’m glad we did, it was fantastic. The Brugse Zot.

We stayed for a drink and a quick bite to eat, before we left to head back to the train station.

We didn’t want to leave it too late to journey back towards Brussels. So we went to catch a train around 7PM. I think we had a full six hours in Bruges and it was plenty of time to get a good look around. But I’d love to go back and stay in a quaint hotel and visit more of the city in depth.

As we walked back to the station through the city, we realized the temperature had once again dropped significantly.

At least we were treated to gorgeous views.

But then we happened to pass this shop again…

It’s safe to say that with the cold engulfing us, it was definitively the best hot chocolate we could have had.

Visiting Bruges was a great experience. I am so glad that we made the impromptu decision to go there that Saturday. It was easy to get to, and a wonderful place to spend the afternoon exploring. I’d recommend the trip to anyone. Next time we’ll have to stay a bit longer.

Of course, while we were tired from our Bruges excursion, we still had our final day in Brussels to look forward to!

Stay tuned for more…

Kelly xoxo