The Belgian city of Bruges offers visitors a bevy of museums, a market and canal tours. However, it's the amazing medieval architecture that keeps them coming back.
The Belgian city of Bruges has done much to preserve the medieval look and feel of this quaint, yet thriving area. Known as the "Venice of the North" because of its numerous canals and position near the North Sea, Bruges is typically viewed as a day trip from Brussels despite having several attractions to hold the attention of visitors.
If you're looking for something a little off the beaten backpacker track, Bruges is a laid-back, interesting option. Here are just a few of the sights to behold:
* Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk: Our Lady's Church sees a lot of visitor traffic not because it's the most important church in Bruges, but because of a Renaissance-era Italian: Michelangelo. His Madonna can be seen in Our Lady along with a number of other works of art.
* Brewery tour (it is Belgium, after all): Take a tour of the De Halve Maan Brewery (http://www.halvemaan.be) And discover Brugse Zot, an interesting and tasty beer.
* Numerous museums: OK, so Europe isn't short on museums, but Bruges definitely has some beautiful buildings filled with amazing pieces of artwork and other collections. No, none of them are as well known as the Louvre or anything Guggenheim, but visitors find unexpected treasure troves full of works. For example, learn more about the Mexican world of chocolate at the Choco-Story, or dig deeper into the history of diamonds, one of Belgium's most important exports, at the Diamond Museum.
* For the children: A boat tour through the canals or a horse-drawn cab ride around the city will keep those kids entertained. Also, many of the museums are suitable for children (Choco-Story, for example), while others offer play areas for kids so their parents may enjoy the museum.
* The market place: Grote Markt is a lively center of town. The huge square is free from traffic and offers a gathering place for people complete with restaurants, museums, a belfry tower and a statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, leaders of the 'Battle of the Golden Spurs.'
* Just look around: The architecture alone attracts thousands of visitors a year. Bruges is generally considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe because it has much of its medieval architecture intact. A few buildings to be sure to check out: Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady), the Beguinage, the Heilig Bloed Basiliek (the Basilica of the Holy Blood) and the St-John Hospital.
If you've got a day to check out Bruges, great; if you've got a couple, even better.
