Highlights of the Day
Day two in Bruges unfolded like a walk through a living medieval painting. Following Rick Steves’ advice, we discovered why this small canal city ranks so highly among Belgian destinations. Red-brick houses, quiet waterways, and elegant swans created a calm atmosphere despite the crowds. At De Halve Maan Brewery, we learned about the family-run history of Belgian brewing and the ingenious underground pipeline built to protect the historic streets. Lunch featured classic Belgian flavors — mussels, fries, and locally brewed beer. We then visited the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Church of Our Lady, home to Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child. A chocolate museum offered insight into Belgium’s sweet heritage, complete with tastings. Waffles added the final indulgence. Though an evening boat ride was missed, the day felt complete — a rich blend of history, flavor, and gentle medieval charm.
Accommodation: MOXY Brussels City Center
Transportation: Public transportation or rideshare
European travel expert Rick Steves once wrote in his guidebook: if you only have two days in Belgium, go to Bruges; if you have more time, then add Brussels and other cities. That alone speaks volumes about Bruges’ appeal.
It takes just over an hour by train from Brussels to reach Bruges. This is a port city that once enjoyed great economic prosperity, but over time gradually transformed into a tourism-focused town. Most of its medieval buildings remain remarkably well preserved, making it one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. It reminded me of Sarlat in France, which I visited a few days ago—also considered one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Quite an interesting coincidence.
Despite the large number of tourists, the town carries an innate sense of tranquility. Red brick houses, green tree-lined streets, small bridges over flowing water, and those proud white swans—all of it allows you to mentally tune out the noise and truly enjoy a moment of peace.
Belgium is often called a paradise for beer lovers, so today we visited a brewery. De Halve Maan Brewery was founded by Henri Maes in 1856 and is now run by the sixth generation of the family. The brewery has two locations: the one we visited handles brewing, while the bottling plant is more than three kilometers away. In the past, beer was transported by trucks, but to reduce traffic impact and avoid constant shaking over the cobblestone streets, the company built an underground pipeline in 2016 to transport beer between the two sites. The project was crowdfunded—depending on the level of contribution, some supporters earned free beer for life, while others secured it for their families for generations.
We had lunch at the brewery’s restaurant. Beer was, of course, essential, and each visitor received a complimentary glass. Mussels, a Belgian specialty, were also a must, along with some fries. As for dieting—well, that can wait until we get home 😀
There were also two churches worth visiting. The Basilica of the Holy Blood is not large, but it is famous for housing a relic said to contain the Holy Blood, brought back from the Holy Land by Count Thierry of Alsace during the Second Crusade. The building has two levels, each serving as a separate chapel, with the relic kept upstairs. After climbing to the second floor and following a long queue, I reached the altar, where an elderly priest sat quietly. In front of him was a small glass vial containing a reddish substance. I didn’t linger—just took a quick look and moved along with the crowd, leaving a coin as others did.
The other church is the Church of Our Lady, famous for housing Michelangelo’s sculpture Madonna and Child.
Chocolate is another Belgian specialty, so we visited a chocolate museum. It’s not large, but very well done. We learned about the origins of chocolate and how it was originally consumed as a drink. Later, a royal woman who had married far from home missed the beverage so much that solid chocolate was invented to make it easier to transport. At the end of the visit, there was a live demonstration—an impressively skilled chocolatier made a filled chocolate and gave everyone a piece to taste. At the exit, we discovered several dispensers filled with different types of chocolate. A sign said you could eat as much as you wanted, just not take any away. As someone who can’t resist chocolate, I obviously had to try a few.
We also passed by a waffle shop. Realizing that I hadn’t yet had waffles on this trip to Belgium, I found myself torn—worrying about weight gain while still enjoying the food. Not easy, is it?
In just one day in Bruges, I managed to check off all of Belgium’s famous foods: beer, mussels, chocolate, and waffles 😀
They say a canal boat ride here is also a wonderful experience, but unfortunately, people here truly know how to enjoy life—everything closes by five. That will have to wait for next time.
We found a restaurant by the river in the evening. The outdoor tables were full, which seemed promising. Unfortunately, aside from the beer, the food was rather disappointing. Well, I’ll just consider it part of the diet plan.
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