As we welcome our new phase of life as empty nesters, we discovered ‘Emptynestcation’s’ are a thing… and we’re enthusiastically on board! We recently traveled to visit Brugge, a beautiful historic city in Belgium that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, often referred to as the “Venice of the North.”
Bruges is the French spelling and Brugge is the Flemish spelling (FYI Belgium is a trilingual country with French, Flemish, and German speaking regions) so you’ll often see the spelling fluctuate. I’ve chosen to go with the Flemish spelling.
Brugge is famous for its network of canals that crisscross the city, and we loved exploring the unique and picturesque old cobbeled streets. Each canal is flanked by medieval buildings, churches and architecture and you can get lost in the history.
Visitors are able to take boat tours and explore Brugge from the water, to get the perspective of this magical city from the canals.
Some of the best-preserved medieval buildings in Europe, including Gothic-style churches, market squares, and residential houses can be found in Brugge.
As we walked miles around the city we discovered the city is filled with awe-inspiring buildings and architecture around every corner.
Brugge is well-known for its tasty cuisine, including delicious Belgian waffles, chocolate, and beer. (of which we sampled plenty!) Traditional Belgian pubs and cafes can be found all over the city and especially surrounding the pedestrianized market square. It’s the perfect place to order a beer, grab a chair and people-watch.
Brugge is filled with charming and picturesque streets and squares, such as the Markt square and the Burg square, which are surrounded by historic buildings, and are a popular gathering place. From the cobbled narrow roads to the bustling squares, Brugge is filled with charming sights and sounds.
Brugge is the perfect base to explore other cities in Belgium. Ghent is 30 minutes away from Brugge by train and is a beautiful city with a lot of history and culture. Antwerp is about 90 minutes away by train and is famous for its diamonds and art galleries. Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and is about an hour from Brugge by train, and it’s just a short train ride to the beautiful Belgium coast. So there are plenty of options.
Brugge offers a charming and romantic atmosphere, rich cultural heritage, and loads of historic streets to explore. We stayed at the charming NH Brugge Hotel, and I’d highly recommend it when you visit Brugge.
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I’m a travel and health writer, digital and brand consultant, breast cancer survivor, and supermom to two active boys! I keep it real and share stories of raising teenage boys, family life after a cancer diagnosis, and family travels around the world! Each story is shared with my dry, and sometimes naughty sense of humor.
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We were excited to check Belgium off our travel list and recently took an ‘…
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Nestled in the heart of the historic city of Brugge, the NH Brugge hotel oozes…
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