Bruges in Winter: Old-World Charm and Christmas Cheer

Ahh, beautiful Bruges (or Brugge). It stole my heart in minutes. Quaint gingerbread houses, cobbled streets, lavish townhalls and meandering romantic canals, Bruges has all these and more. The architecture on display was spectacular.

Market Square (Markt)

Ringed by the Provincial Palace, the Belfry and charming stepped gable houses, Market Square is the main square in Bruges.

Belfry of Bruges

Tiring climb up but the view from the top was fantastic.

Burg Square

Canals of Bruges

We took a boat tour but you can see just as much from land.

Nightfall and Christmas Season

Bruges at night was magical, doubly so with Christmas cheer oozing from every brick and steeple. While the Christmas market itself was small and unremarkable, Christmas songs boomed in every restaurant and shop, numerous decorations adorned the streets and beautifully-lit Christmas trees appeared in unexpected corners. It is hard to imagine a more Christmas-perfect town.

Food and Drinks

The Old Chocolate House

In general, we can’t pinpoint why but we don’t love Belgian chocolates as much as say, Swiss chocolate. That goes for their hot chocolate as well. The Old Chocolate House was a lovely experience though. Their hot chocolate was served as a cup of chocolate chips, accompanied by a tiny whisk and a giant cup of milk. We were so enamoured by the experience that we bought a similar cup and whisk from their first-level retail store. Can’t wait to recreate the experience at home!

Gran Kaffee de Passage

This restaurant was recommended by our hotel and I’m glad we decided to try it. We had to wait a short while for our table but it was worth it. The food was awesome.

Arthie’s

Did not expect to enjoy a meal of mussels, chips and beer much, but I really did.

Where We Stayed

Hotel de Goezeput

The 10-minute walk from the train station felt really long as pulling suitcases across Bruges’s cobblestoned lanes took real effort but once there, we felt right at home. The no-frills room was warm and cosy. We also appreciated the modern bathroom, even though it was super tiny. The location was ideal. We could walk everywhere from the hotel but Bruges is really small so that might apply to every other hotel there.