For a perfect holiday that won’t break the bank on taxis and transport, why not try Bruges. This tiny city is frequently ranked as one of the most walkable in Europe, meaning it’s perfect to explore – as long as you’ve got some comfy trainers on and don’t mind getting your step count up.
This Belgian city, star of the cult classic film In Bruges, is increasingly popular with British holidaymakers and it’s easy to see why.
The city, which is the capital of West Flanders in the northwest of the country, attracted more than 8.3 million tourists to its charming cobbled streets last year, though the population is less than 120,000.
Because it’s reasonably small, all major attractions in Bruges are easily explored on foot and there’s a wealth of beauty and culture at every turn.
Thought to have been one of the world’s earliest tourism destinations, the entire city is a dedicated UNESCO World Heritage Site
With plenty to see and do, you can walk in almost any direction and find the perfect Instagrammable spot, stunning park, or quaint cobbled lane lined with shops to peruse.
Famed for its chocolate shops, you can stop in and enjoy the best confectionery Bruges has to offer – after all that walking you will have earned a sweet treat. Or maybe a Belgian beer in one of the countless pubs this city offers?
In Markt, Bruges’ central square, there’s a weekly market which has been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years – and still sells all the staples you need for a great picnic every Wednesday morning.
Once you’ve stocked up on supplies, you could wander south for 15 minutes until you find Minnewater – nicknamed the Lake of Love. This gorgeous lake and surrounding park offer a serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of the central city. Legend has it that couples who cross Minnewater Bridge will have eternal love – so why not take a partner and try your luck?
But if you’re single, don’t worry – Bruges has the perfect place for that. Nearby Minnewater is a béguines- a community for emancipated single women. These small communities where single or widowed women lived either with their children or on their own, are dotted across Bruges and Belgium. Unlike nunneries, where lives were dedicated to prayer and worship, the béguines worked and lived as a community in these walled villages inside the city.
The ‘Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde’ with its white-coloured house fronts and tranquil covent garden was founded in 1245, and is now free to visit. It is now populated by some nuns from the Order of Saint Benedict and the Order of Vincent de Paul – as well as a number of single women from Bruges.