Brugge is the most beautiful, picturesque city in the province of West Flanders, in Belgium. The city is surrounded with water and canals. Hence, also referred as Venice of North. A fairy tale land to stroll around and be fascinated with the architecture, old buildings, windmills and cobbled stone street. Bollywood movie PK was also shot in this beautiful city of Brugge. The city offers different guided tours that reveal the hidden stories which we often fail to observe. Horse drawn carriage and boat tours are the best for elders and kids.

If you are planning to take a train from other cities in Belgium, you can easily get down in Brugge station and walk towards the centre of the city. At the square you can find creative sculptures around a fountain.

You can collect the map from the tourist information centre which is close to the square. You can also get some suggestions for a day tour as well.

Horse-drawn Carriage
The tours usually start off at the main central Market, which lasts for half an hour for the price of 50 euro, with maximum 5 members. The coachman gives a very good explanation of town and hidden secrets. A fairy tale experience which cannot be missed. The last destination of the tour was a canal, where the horses were given few minutes of break. A beautiful, romantic location with low canals, swans and ducks.

Boat ride:
A half an hour trip to discover different canals and buildings/architecture of the city, in a different perspective. I could also compare the city canals to Amsterdam canals, but the architecture of the buildings are completely different and old.

You can also take a map and self explore or rent a bike. Some of the major attraction which we were able to cover in a day are listed below:

Belfry:
Is a 13th century bell tower, comprising 48 bells, the city’s most prominent symbol, in the centre of Bruges. The building was formerly used for housing treasures and served as an observation place for spotting danger. The bells in the tower regulated the life of the people by announcing the work hours and other social, religious events. At present, there are 47 bells, together weighing about 27.5 tonnes and the bells are rung hourly.

Provinciaal Hof:
The gothic style building was formerly used as a government meeting hall and is now used for exhibitions and ceremony. The interior of the building is decorated with sculptures and paintings of famous people from West Flanders.

The Windmill:
Windmills in the city of Brugge make the place even more attractive. These windmills have been constructed at the end of 13th century. The only windmill open to visitor is the Sint-Janshuis Mill, built in 1770.

Christmas market:
The best time to visit Brugge in winter, is during the Christmas season. The city will be decorated with lights and bells, with a huge market which offers unique items and food.

The city has more things to offer, such as the Diamond museum and chocolate museum. Since we opted for a day trip we were not able to cover these museums. The visit is also incomplete without having waffles, fries and warm chocolate milk.