Welcome to Bruges! Stop two on our whirlwind friendcation through Europe. After jumping back on the train at Centraal Station in Amsterdam, we made the 3.5 hour journey to Bruges, Belgium. This gothic city is the total opposite of Amsterdam and we welcomed the new architecture, food, and beer. Join along as we narrate our jaunt through narrow alleyways on the search for the best breweries in Bruges.

There are so many hidden alleyways in Bruges

Staying in Bruges

Once again, we stayed in a hotel with separate space for each couple in Bruges. We wanted a bit of luxury for this portion of our trip, so we stayed at the Hotel De Tuilerieën. What a PLACE. This hotel is just oozing with historic charm and our rooms were huge and had spectacular views of the city. There is also a very cozy bar on the ground level of this hotel and ending the night with a drink by the fireplace is a real treat. We had some rain during our few days in Bruges, which truly felt apropos in this stone city. A rainy night by the fireplace is a VIBEEEE. I was there for it.

Day 1: Never Ending Stairs and Never Ending Chocolate

We arrived in Bruges by train and took a bus just four stops to get to the front steps of our hotel. Once we dropped our bags, we were in desperate need of food and immediately sought out some waffles. Is it a cliche to each Belgian Waffles in Belgium? SURE. Were they incredibly delicious and worth it? DUH. We ended up at the bright and airy Lizzie’s Wafels right off the main “Markt”. We were seated right away as a large group and our waffles came out hot and fresh. As our sugar highs started to kick in, we explored Bruges with no specific destination in mind. We checked out all of the different chocolate shops, found some very special beer brewed by monks, walked past the infamous beer wall, and shopped for souvenirs.

A great activity to do right in the center of the city is climb the Belfry Tower. We had a gorgeous sunny afternoon on our first day, so we decided to head up to the top and get a view of the whole city. You can pay for your ticket upon arrival and we did have to wait in line for about 20 minutes to get access to the tower. They do a one-in-one-out procedure to keep the narrow stairs clear for folks, so once you get past the ticket counter the crowds are manageable for your climb up the 366 steps (!!) to the top. The first section is a doozie, the stairs are very narrow and you have to hold on to a rope to go around and around up the original spiral steps. There are a few rooms to stop in along the way to catch your breathe and learn more about the bells. We were so fortunate that when we finally made it to the top, the bells started ringing! It was amazing to see the mechanics of how each bell (there are 47) is rung by a rotating wheel.

Have you worked up an appetite for some beer yet? We certainly did! Our first official brewery stop in Bruges was Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres. This brewery is famous for the bright red door down the alleyway and their patio opens up to the beautiful canal. They have plenty of seating and offer flights so you can try lots of different offerings. This was not our favorite beer of the trip, but it was a great first stop with an awesome setting!

Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres from the canal

To round out our first night, we ate an early dinner in order to grab a good spot at our final beer destination for the day. We arrived at Bistro Zwart Huis before they even opened to try and secure a table for six people. In a city so small, we knew we had to beat the crowds in order to find a good dinner spot. When we approached the host the second they opened, they indicated we were the only group they would allow for the night without a reservation. Crazy, right? We had the restaurant to ourselves for almost the entire meal and a great spot by huge open windows to look out into the alleyways. After a filling dinner, we finally headed to the main event. Le Trappiste. There was a lot of hype in our group about this locale prior to even leaving Raleigh. Le Trappiste is a bar in a basement cellar with beers from across the country. They have a special glass for every beer served and their offerings are written out in chalk on the wall. We had a great time hanging out here and would recommend to any beer lover (or appreciator).

Day 2: Drizzles and Drinking. Lots of Drinking

After much running around in Amsterdam and traveling to Bruges, we decided to take a slow start to the morning and each couple went out to explore at their own pace. Luke and I ended up walking through some flea markets, failing to get a table at every breakfast spot on the map, eating more chocolate, and wandering through quiet alleyways. We all then met up at noon at the BEST place in Bruges. You thought Le Trappiste had hype? De Garre was one for the books. This tiny little bar tucked into an alleyway is a destination all on its own. We were able to snag a table with the locals and immediately ordered their special Triple Van de Garre. These beers are 11% and the limit is THREE, so drink responsibly ya’ll :) Each beer was served with a plate of cheese and sausage and we were drooling at how perfect of a day this was turning out to be.

After our fill, we headed to our next brewery in some drizzle. The rain honestly felt “right” here and added a nice vibe to the gothic style of the city. We crossed the St. Bonifacius Bridge and headed south along the canal stopping for marzipan treats along the way. Our destination was Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan. This family brewery brews the official “city beer” that is pumped across town via underground pipes. How cool is that? The place is huge with plenty of space for large groups and we settled into a corner table ready for more beer and food. The menu is quite extensive here, so this is a great place to grab a bite in the mid-afternoon.

With bellies full of beer and cheese, we skipped and ran and laughed all the way back to our hotel for a little pre-dinner nap. Once everyone was roused for round two, we headed out for dinner and one last view of the city at night. We stumbled into a little Italian restaurant for dinner, Sal & Pepe, and had pasta that rivaled some of the food I ate in Italy. It was cozy and filling and felt like a warm hug. After saying goodbye to our favorite stops in Bruge, we ended the night by the fireplace in our hotel and crossed our fingers that our next stop in France would be just as perfect. Boy were we in for a treat… Click here to continue with us on our journey through Europe!