Bruges: A Birthday Girl's Dream!
The next destination of our summer trip was iconic—one with many accolades to its name. Known as Europe’s best city to visit by train, it’s also one of the most walkable cities on the continent, and its city center is a UNESCO world heritage site. Bruges, Belgium had been sitting at the top of my bucket list for three years, and I finally got to celebrate my birthday there!
A quick and easy train ride from Brussels brought us to the Bruges central station, and we decided to walk to the city center from there. The first thing I noticed about the exquisite market square was its medieval charm, which included horse-drawn carriages. We, of course, took a short break and enjoyed waffles from Chez Albert. I couldn’t help but notice that some streets in Bruges were filled with the smell of chocolate—my sweet tooth was in paradise!
We next climbed the Belfry, the 13th-century tower in the market square that stands tall at 83 metres. Phew, that was quite a climb—a great reminder that a European vacation doubles as cardio. No elevator, you ask? Well, the tower got so narrow as we climbed that they actually limited the number of people going up at once. Welcome to Europe :) Bruges is known for its beautiful canals and is often called the “Venice of the North”, so we were very surprised when we didn’t spot any canals from Belfry.
Our search for canals ended as soon as we stepped away from the Belfry and walked down the little lanes full of cute cafes. Just when we were soaking in the medieval vibe, we stumbled upon a flea market along the canal. It was like stepping into a painting—handmade art, souvenirs, and the perfect weather. We just couldn’t resist a canal ride. What better way to explore a canal city, right? The tour was a bit more crowded than we’d hoped, but it gave us a great feel for the city and some handy tips on how to spend the rest of our day in Bruges.
Since my fiancé is a huge fan of the Tintin comics, created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi (Hergé), we had to grab some souvenirs at the Tintin store. That’s when we discovered a beer wall. Now here’s the thing about Belgium—they make excellent beer. Naturally, the beer wall came with its own bar, which, as we quickly discovered, was famous for beer tastings. We love unique local experiences, and jumped at the opportunity of trying out their tasting menu. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon, sitting by the canals and sipping on some amazing Belgian brews.
Left to Right: Beer wall and the beer tasting menu
Next, we burned off all those extra waffle and beer calories by walking the route that our boat had taken earlier in the day. Believe it or not, this led us to more beautiful canals! There was a certain laid-back charm to the streets of Bruges, and it is definitely the most romantic place I’ve ever visited. The old soul in me, who cherishes handwritten letters and preserves leaves between the pages of books was overwhelmed. I would have done anything to freeze time, if only for a heartbeat. Sharing this experience with my soon-to-be husband made it all the more special, and I felt truly blessed to be living my European dream.
Recently, my fiancé introduced me to “The Good Place”, a series about a heaven-like afterlife. Well, if I ever land in “the good place,” I hope it looks like Bruges. And that’s saying a lot, considering how many canal cities I’ve visited in Europe. But none of them gave me the same feeling as Bruges did. With its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, charming chocolate shops and picturesque bridges, Bruges feels like a poem waiting to be written, and I can’t wait for the poet in me to pen down the magic of this fairy-tale destination!