Very few do it on foot: Bruges and its countryside

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Around 8 million visitors come to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Bruges every year, but few perhaps realise how accessible the beautiful and peaceful country is that lies just outside. When looking at Bruges on a map you’ll notice that there is a large patch of green stretching north-east from the city, with nearly no development separating it from the tourist hotspot. Although the area is very popular for cycling (which I highly recommend) it also makes for a beautiful and easy day hike.

I chose a route that takes you from the heart of Bruges to the medieval town of Damme, passing through typical Flemish farmland and fields of Belgian Blue cattle. Entering Damme, the route traces its early-modern star-shaped defensive works before turning into the town’s charming cobblestones. The way back follows the Damse Vaart, a historic canal connecting Bruges en Damme. Along the way back, you’ll pass a picturesque windmill before continuing along the canal beneath a roof of stately poplar trees, perhaps not too different from how medieval traders entered Bruges by ship in the Middle Ages.

This is the very first Silent Hiking film I shot with a proper camera. Up until that point, I had been shooting this type of walking-away-from-the-tripod shots with my phone until I finally bought my Sony A6400 in the summer of 2022. Before committing to a long-distance trip abroad I wanted to test out my new gear, so what better place to start than my hometown of Bruges? Hiking solo that day, I took my time to rediscover some of the landscape where I grew up and learned a lot about my gear, shooting angles, and composition along the way.