Top 10 Things to do in Bruges 2025 | Belgium Travel Guide

Gorgeous Bruges is a tourist's dream. This is Belgium's most perfectly preserved medieval town, and it's jaw-dropping. Beautiful architecture attracts more than 2 million visitors every year. If you're short of time on your Belgium travels, Bruges should be your number one stop. With its wealth of interesting old buildings and its canals, it's the best place to visit in the country for anyone interested in Belgium's history. Tourists taking a walk through the narrow streets or a boat trip on the canals falls immediately under its spell, charmed by the atmosphere of, what is for many, the most delightful of all the cities of Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium. In this video, we're going to be taking a look at the top 10 rated attractions and things to do in Bruges, and just wait till you see the top 3 that we're going to be showing in this video, something you would never even have thought of, so make sure you watch till the end. Before we begin, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more awesome travel guides and make sure you hit the notification bell so that you know when we publish a new video. So now let's cut to the chase. At 10, visit Sint Jaspintaal, Old St. John's Hospital. Immediately opposite the west door of the Church of Our Lady stands the oldest building in Bruges, the Sint Jaspintaal, founded in the 12th century. The tympanum over the bricked-up gate to the left of the Maristraat entrance is embellished with reliefs showing the Virgin, which bears the date 1270. Inside the ancient building, in what were once wards, an exhibition of documents and surgical instruments charts the hospital's history. The old dispensary adjacent to the wards has also been preserved. Also within the walls of the old hospital is the Memling Museum, a small collection of the works of Hans Memling. Outstanding among these is the Reliquary of St Ursula, recognized as one of the master's most important works. Scarcely less famous is the Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine, painted for the so-called St. John Altar. South of Sint Jaspintaal is the street of Wolstraat, rimmed by tiny, exceptionally pretty, gabled 16th- and 17th-century houses in which lacemakers still practice their craft. At nine, admire the Church of Our Lady. The 112-meter-high spire of the Church of Our Lady is the tallest in Belgium. Work began on the nave and aisles around 1230, the outermost aisles and chapels being added in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church holds a wealth of art treasures, among which is a sublime sculpture by Michelangelo, Virgin and Child. The sculpture stands on the altar of the chapel at the end of the south aisle. The cavalry on the high altar is by Bernard van Orley, the triptych Adoration of the Shepherds is by Pieter Porbus, and the Transfiguration of Christ is by Gerard David. Next up at eight, photograph the famed St. Boniface Bridge. One of Bruges' most popular photography spots, St. Boniface Bridge is a narrow brick pedestrian bridge crossing the canal right between the Church of Our Lady and the Groninger Museum. Although the bridge is modest in stature and also one of the youngest bridges in the city, built in the early 20th century, it's famous because its position along the canal provides bridge crossers with some of the city's most tranquil canal views, as well as great photos of the Church of Our Lady. In high summer, do expect a bit of a line for photos at this spot. The best way to avoid that is to get here early in the morning when far fewer people are about. And now at seven, see the art inside the Groninger Museum. Head to the Diewer Canal to visit the Groninger Museum, which holds Bruges' best collection of art. In addition to its excellent endowment of old Flemish paintings, the museum also incorporates a gallery of modern art and a superb collection of views of old Bruges. However, the first five rooms of the museum are the ones most likely to claim your attention, as they contain quite exceptional paintings by old Flemish masters. In room one hang two major works by Jan van Eyck, Madonna and the Donor, Canon van der Perle, and the portrait of Margrit van Eyck, the artist's wife, painted when she was 33 years of age. In room three are panels illustrating the legend of Saint Ursula and a portrait of Louis Gruthus, both famous works by unknown Bruges masters, and The Last Judgement by Hieronymus Bosch is among the paintings in room five. Next up then, at six, it's view the Liberty of Bruges. On the east side of Burg Square, the Bruges Tourist Office occupies part of what was, up until 1984 at least, the Law Courts, built between 1722 and 1727 on the site of the former Liberty of Bruges, from where independent magistrates exercised jurisdiction over the region. Some fragments of the older building have survived, including the pretty 16th century façade overlooking the canal at the rear. One or two of the more historic rooms inside are now the Bruges of Riga Museum and can be admired by visitors. Of particular interest is the Cheppenzal, lay magistrate's court, where you can see the famous chimney piece designed by the painter Lancelot Blondel in 1529 and executed in black marble and oak by Guyot de Begrondt. This magnificent piece of Renaissance craftsmanship has an alabaster freezer above depicting the story of Susanna and the elders with carved oak figures of the Emperor Charles V and his parents, Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile, Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian. At five, tour the Town Hall. On the southeast side of the Burg is Bruges Town Hall, one of the oldest in Belgium, having been constructed between 1376 and 1420. The façade of the delicate Gothic building displays the strong vertical emphasis characteristic of the style, with soaring pilasters, three of which end in octagonal turrets, separated by tall Gothic arched windows. Statues of the Counts of Flanders from Baldwin Iron Arm onwards fill the 49 niches. Inside don't miss the great Gothic hall on the first floor with its beautiful timber vaulting which dates from 1402 and its murals recording events in the town's history by A.N.J. de Vrindt. At four, cruise the canals. For the most relaxing sightseeing experience in Bruges, the top thing to do is hop aboard one of the tourist cruise boats. The boat cruise route runs right through the heart of Bruges between the Berginhof and Jan van Eyck Square, with great views of the canal-side architecture all the way. Boat trips run every half hour between 10am and 6pm daily between March and mid-November. If you're travelling during the depths of winter, check with your Bruges accommodation as the schedule changes according to the weather, but expect far fewer trips. The boats are uncovered but do provide umbrellas for passengers when it's raining. There are five different companies offering boat trips from five separate jetties all in the central city, but all offer exactly the same route, boat type and ticket price so you don't need to choose between them. Tickets can't be booked in advance, just turn up at the jetty and buy your ticket there. Note that in high summer, the boat trips are extremely popular. Plan to hop aboard the first cruise of the day when fewer day-trippers are about. At three, sightsee at the Markt. At the very heart of the city is the Markt, Bruges' bustling main square, surrounded on all sides by fine buildings from a variety of different periods. The eastern side is dominated by the neo-gothic Provincialhof building, which dates from 1887 and is the seat of the West-Vlaanderen Provincial Government. On the western side, occupying the left-hand corner, is the attractive brick 15th-century Kruisbuchhut. On the opposite corner stands the Kranenburg where, in 1488, at the instigation of Ghent, the Burghers of Bruges kept the future Habsburg Emperor Maximilian imprisoned for 11 weeks. He was freed only after agreeing to respect the authority of the ruling Regency Council and to order the withdrawal of all foreign troops. The best way to admire all this architectural finery is to join the throngs of visitors and locals at one of the Markt's many cafes and sit for a while, soaking up the historic splendour around you. At two, visit the Basilica of the Holy Blood. The Basilica of the Holy Blood presides over the central plaza known as the Burgh or Burgh Square. The church is famous for the crystal vial kept inside that is reputed to contain a drop of Christ's blood, brought back from the Holy Land by Dietrich of Alsace in 1149 on his return from the Second Crusade. Each year in May, this sacred relic is carried through the streets of Bruges in the procession of the Holy Blood. The facade of the basilica, with its three flamboyant-style arches and gilded statues, was erected between 1529 and 1534. The basilica itself consists of a Romanesque lower chapel and a late Gothic upper chapel, which houses relics of Saint Basil, brought from Palestine by Robert II, Count of Flanders. An elegant spiral staircase leads to the upper chapel, where every Friday the vial containing the Holy Blood is brought out and shown to the faithful. And finally, at number one, climb to the top of the belfry. The south side of Bruges-Markt is dominated by the Halle with the belfry, Bruges' most distinctive landmark, soaring above it. The Halle was begun in 1248 and twice enlarged, first in the 14th century and then again in the 16th century, and once functioned as the city's main marketplace. The building encloses a picturesque courtyard, and the balcony above the entrance was once used by the city fathers to promulgate their statues to the populace assembled beneath. The 83-meter-high belfry is one of the finest bell towers in Belgium and is entered from the Halle's inner courtyard. Construction of the bell tower began in 1282, and the crowning octagonal upper section was finally completed in 1482. Today a carillon of 47 bells still hang in the tower. For the best view over Bruges, you can climb the 366 steps up to the top of the tower. On the way up, the old treasure room, where civic documents are kept behind wrought iron grills, can be visited on the second floor. And there you have the top 10 rated attractions and things to do in Bruges. Did you like what you saw? Let us know in the comments down below. 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