Last Updated on April 17, 2026 by Adrienne
One of my favorite parts of our trip to Belgium was our day in Bruges, which is an easy day trip from Brussels. Bruges is absolutely gorgeous and looks like it was lifted out of a fairytale, with picturesque canals winding their way through the city and Gothic architecture.
I will say that Bruges is definitely not a hidden gem 😉 and it was the most crowded and touristy place we visted in Belgium. It’s still very much worth a visit, just be prepared for crowds, especially during high season (the summer months and the winter Christmas market season).
How to Get to Bruges from Brussels
Direct trains connect Bruges and Brussels several times per hour, and the journey takes just under 60 minutes. I found the Belgian train system quite easy to navigate. Up-to-date schedule info can be found here. The train station in Bruges is about a 20 minute walk from the tourist areas, so you may want a stroller for little kids.
Things to Do with One Day in Bruges
Explore the Scenic Canals
Known as “Venice of the North,” Bruges is perhaps most famous for the system of canals that connect it to the North Sea. In summer, taking a boat tour of the canals is a very popular thing to. In the winter, some boat companies still operate tours for hardier tourists if the weather is decent, but we opted to just explore on foot.
Belfort (Belfry) and Grote Markt
Bruges’ best known landmark is it’s belfry, which dates back to the 1200s. You can climb 366 steps to the top for panoramic views of Bruges and a small museum about the city’s old treasury. If you want to do this on your visit to Bruges, it’s best to reserve tickets well in advance, since they can sell out, especially during peak season.
The Belfort overlooks Grote Markt, Bruges’ central market square, which is home to a farmers’ market on Wednesdays in the summer months and to a daily Christmas market in the winter. The lower level of the Belfort building houses a small Salvador Dalà museum. It’s mainly sketches, not paintings, and I think it’s a tad overpriced at 10 euros for adults (as of 2026) but the fact that children under 10 are free eases the sting a little, and my family enjoyed walking through it.
Waffle Class & Beer Tasting
Cooking classes are one of my favorite things to do while traveling (especially with kids) so we knew we wanted to do a waffle-making class while we were in Belgium and we booked a combo waffle-making workshop and beer-tasting through the aptly named Waffles ‘n Beer. Since we had done a hands-on chocolate class as part of our chocolate tour in Brussels, we booked this experience for our day in Bruges, although the company has a Brussels location as well.
This class was so much fun. We sampled three local beers, which were surprisingly tasty even though I don’t love beer that much, and then we made – and feasted on – homemade Belgian waffles. Sometimes in cooking classes you only get a small sample of the finished product, but here the recipe made so much batter that it was essentially all-you-can-eat. The class was very kid-friendly: our instructor was awesome and very patient, and I’d say any kid over the age of 4 or so would be able to meaningfully participate in the waffle-making process. They also had juice for the kids during the beer-tasting portion, which was a nice touch.
Provincial Palace
The Provincial Palace in Bruges was opened to the public a few years back and is accessible year-round and free to visit. We hadn’t planned to visit and just sort of stumbled upon it, but were glad we went inside to check it out. It’s a beautiful building inside and out, with some really attractive stained glass, and although you don’t need to devote a lot of time to this, it’s worth a quick walkthrough. The Palace is located right on the Grote Markt.
Minnewater Park and Poertoren (Gunpowder Tower)
If your kids need space to run around and burn off energy – or you’re just looking for an escape from Bruges’ tourist crowds – head to this serene park set just south of Bruges’ historic center (it’s also on the direct route to and from the train station). Kids will love exploring the medieval tower built to fortify the city, and the park is a great place to have a picnic or sit and watch Bruges’ famous swans.
Where to Eat in Bruges
DEES Speciality Coffee
We grabbed a quick breakfast before our waffle-making class at DEES Specialty Coffee, which had excellent coffee and pastries.
SOUP
We ate lunch at the cozy SOUP, where you can get a bowl of one of their yummy homemade soups, served with crusty bread and an apple, for about 10 euros.
Chez Albert
Naturally, we couldn’t leave Bruges without sampling the local waffles. My internet research had led me to Chez Albert and I felt validated when our waffle-making instructor told us that they were the best in town. The waffles here did not disappoint! We indulged in a “tourist waffle” with strawberries and nutella – the locals eat them with powdered sugar.
Chocolate Shops
Chocolate shops can of course be found all over Belgium, so we focused on places that were local to Bruges and didn’t have outposts in other cities. Chocolatier Dumon was our favorite.
Until next time, Bruges! You were lovely.
This post contains affiliate links. If you book an experience through my link, I will earn a commission at no added cost to you. Thank you for your support of Destinations & Desserts.
The waffle class and beer tasting sounds like such a fun thing to do
Awww I loved Bruges, it’s just SO pretty! And there is so much to see & do, I’d love to go back.