Bruges is one of the most visited medieval cities in the world. Beautiful, historic and famed for its chocolate. Here I have listed a few cool facts about Bruges.
Bruges is a relatively small territory which has more concentrated castles than any other country in the world. There are more than 50 of Flanders' 470 castles in the city and its surrounding.
Bruges is often referred to as Venice of the North. During the Middle Ages, due to its dense network of waterways, Bruges was considered to be one of the major commercial centres of Europe.
Bruges is famous for its liberal worldview. Voting in elections in referendums, however, is obligatory to every citizen.
Education is highly valued here - the city has several internationally approved colleges and universities. The law prohibits anyone from leaving school before the age of eighteen.
The city is not only known for its beer and chocolate, they are also famous for its lace and makes some of the most luxurious in the world. It's able to produce such large quantities of fabric for the lace due to the vast amounts of Flax flowers that are grown in the Fanders region.
Bruges is a gorgeous small city, rich in history, and is the land of waffles, chocolate, fries, and beer. The city is brilliant for a weekend getaway, in which you can see most of the highlights in a day, although there can take a bit longer if you do a little more such as bot rides on the canal or climb the belfry.
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The heart of the city is where the Markt Square is, which features many historic buildings, shops, and restaurants. Right around the corner is Burg Square where you'll find the grand city hall built in 1376.
The most breathtaking view of the city is over at the Belfry of Bruges, which you climb up to the top of the tower. The Belfry offers a 360 degree panoramic view of Bruges which is absolutely breathtaking! I sadly did not have the chance to go up there, but a few mates of mine did, which they shared their experience and I was absolutely stunned by their pictures.
There are also a lot of unique and beautiful houses and architecture along the canal. There is even an old hospital building, which people would arrive to the emergency room by boat! That is so freaking cool! :)
When you are in Bruges, you obviously HAVE to eat waffles! Important to know is that there are two different types of waffles in Belgium, the Brussels waffles and the Liege Waffles, the latter being the best.
I had different waffles from different spots and they all tasted so good. There are certainly hot spots which serve the best waffles, but they are all amazing!
I also had some of their infamous fries and I highly recommend to drink some of their beer. On top of all of that, I obviously also bought some chocolate for the road, which was quite expensive, but definitely worth it. If you love chocolate, then this city will make your jaws drop :)
NIce!