The mixture of old buildings, brick houses, colored Hanseatic houses, interesting churches and cathedrals, narrow cobblestone streets, lovely canals and delicious  chocolate and beer makes Bruges an amazing destination. A medieval and picturesque air can be felt in every corner of this town.

Visiting Bruges is indeed a relaxing experience, so I advise you to take your time and enjoy this town. However, if you won’t be able to spend too much time in Bruges you should know that its most famous tourist attractions are all gathered downtown. Despite the fact that Bruges is the largest town of West Flanders Province, its center is not very large and it can be easily visited in a few hours.

No matter how much time you will spend in Bruges, make sure you will visit the following places, which are in my opinion the most representative ones:

1.Built in a neo-Gothic style, the Provincial Palace (Provinciaal Hof) used to be the seat of the Provincial Council of West Flanders. Situated in Markt Square, this impressive building has an interesting exterior embellished with spires, statues and ornaments.

2.The Bouchoute House (Huis Bouchoute) is the oldest building in Markt Square. This perfectly symmetric building seems to be cut out from a different story compared to all the other asymmetric buildings. The octagonal instrument that embellishes its façade gives the house an imposing allure.

3.The Craenenburg House (Huis Craenenburg) is also a beautiful historic building located in Markt Square. The legend says that the Craenenburg House is the place where Emperor Maximilian of Austria was imprisoned. This building currently hosts a famous traditional Flemish café.

4.The most special attraction in Bruges, Belfry & Halle is a famous building with an interesting exterior design. Its 83 meters tall medieval bell tower seems to guard the entire Markt Square and it is considered a symbol of liberty and wealth. A really special thing about this place is the fact that it has 47 different bells.

5.Markt Square also hosts a group of lovely Hanseatic houses. I have to confess that these colored houses with their strange roofs are my favorite buildings in Bruges. An interesting detail about them is the fact that their roofs were built in the shape of stairs.

6.Situated in Burg Square, The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) is a Roman Catholic church. It is said that a crystal vial containing a drop of Christ’s blood is kept in this church. The Basilica of the Holy Blood has an interesting exterior embellished with arches and golden statues.

7.Also located in Burg Square, The Town Hall (Stadhuis) is an impressive Gothic building. Its exterior is decorated with arched windows, small turrets, interesting pilasters and beautiful statues. The interior of Stadhuis hosts a collection of interesting paintings, splendid wall murals and a colorful vaulted ceiling.

8.The Palace of the Liberty of Bruges (Brugse Vrije) perfectly completes the beautiful collection of buildings which are situated in Burg Square. This building used to function as the seat of the Liberty of Bruges and also as the courthouse of Bruges. Now it hosts the council administration and the archives of Bruges. The Palace of Liberty of Bruges is famous for its beautiful black marble fireplace.

9.Situated in the Djiver quarter, the Church of our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk) is a beautiful medieval church. This church is famous for its 122 meters tall tower and also for its white marble sculpture by Michelangelo, called The Madonna and Child. The tower is the tallest in Belgium and also the second tallest brick tower in the world.

10.Saint John’s Hospital (Sint-Janshospitaal) is one of the oldest hospital buildings in Europe. You should know that this building is open to the public. It is really interesting that the old infirmary hosts Hans Memling Museum, where you can admire a collection of objects that relate to medicine: hospital records, medical instruments, medical documents, paintings and other works of art.

11.The beautiful Dijver Houses are situated on both sides of the Dijver Canal. These lovely medieval buildings have an imposing allure and play an important role when it comes to the beauty of Bruges. Some of the Dijver Houses host museums, restaurants, cafes or shops.

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Situated in northern Belgium, Bruges is indeed a charming town. It is the most well-preserved medieval town and also one of the most beautiful in the entire country. Once you get to this picturesque town, you should be prepared to plunge into a fairytale world. Bruges is one of the tourists’ favorite destinations when it comes to amazing fairytale towns.

This town seems to be more than a tourist attraction, it is a mixture of medieval old buildings, lovely Hanseatic houses, interesting brick houses, beautiful churches and towers. The abundance of narrow cobblestone streets, lovely canals and horse-drawn carriages completes this scenery in a harmonious way.

Beyond its fairytale image, this town has an incredibly vibrant atmosphere. It is warm and friendly and it makes you feel like you are on top of the world. This is indeed my own perception, but I am sure that after your experience there you will feel the same.

There are a lot of beautiful places to discover in Bruges and some of them are definitely a must-see. I am talking about the lively Markt Square with its Belfry & Halle, the Provincial Palace (Provinciaal Hof) , the Bouchoute House(Huis Bouchoute), the Craenenburg House(Huis Craenenburg) and all those colored Hanseatic houses, the lovely Burg Square with the Town Hall (Stadhuis), the Basilica of the Holy Blood(Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) and the Palace of the Liberty of Bruges (Brugse Vrije), Bruges’ beautiful canals, the Church of Our Lady(Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk), Saint John’s Hospital (Sint-Janshospitaal) and the Dijver Houses.

I could go on talking about all these beautiful places, but I will choose not to. You should take a look at the following pictures and let yourself be charmed by this amazing town. I have to confess that a collection of pictures was the aspect that convinced me to visit Bruges. On this note, I will let you enjoy the following pictures which I am sure will convince you to add this town on your trip list.

1.Hanseatic Houses2.Belfry & Halle3.Belfry & Halle

4. The Provincial Palace

5.The Provincial Palace6.Markt Square with the beautiful Craenenburg House7.Markt Square with the beautiful Bouchoute House8.The Town Hall & The Palace of the Liberty of Bruges9.The Town Hall&The Basilica of the Holy Blood10.The Basilica of the Holy Blood

11.The Town Hall12.Bruges’Canals13.Bruges’Canals14.Bruges’Canals15.Dijver Houses16.Dijver Houses17.Dijver Houses18.Saint John’s Hospital 19.The Church of Our Lady20.The Church of Our Lady

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