We drove to Dover, sailed to Dunkirk, and were in Bruges / Brugge less than an hour after docking. We stayed near the centre in a quaint hotel (Martin's Relais Hotel) which was perfect for the weekend - we had our own front door which led to the room above a small garage (possibly a former stable).
On leaving the hotel's courtyard and turning left, we were a few steps from a couple of small cafés which faced Jan Van Eyck place, complete with statue and a bench that was featured in a scene in the film 'In Bruges'. The bench faces a canal which is now home to a large blue whale, made from recycled plastic rubbish (see the photographs at the end of this post).
From here, we could walk along canal paths, taking photographs of some interesting architecture and waving to tourist boats. Alternatively, 5 minutes stroll (350 metres) in the opposite direction will take you to the famous tourist spots: the medeival belfry tower, the gothic style courthouse, the beer museum... A little further on is the Town Hall with carriage rides outside, the Duc de Borgogne hotel-restaurant and a couple of places to buy your ticket and board your boat for a canal tour.
There are chocolate shops everywhere and a plethora of restaurants to choose from.
If you travel by train, it takes about 3.5 hours from London (via Brussels!) which is faster than by car and ferry. Brugge station is at the south-west of central Bruges, near the beautiful Minnewater park and gardens, a lovely place to walk and relax. It's not far from the brewery tours which, sadly, we had no time to fit in.
These are our highlights for a short stay but there is more to see and do so we shouldn't leave it so long before our next visit. If you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments. We have loads of photographs - here is a small selection:
One warning: there are many, many people on bicycles so, when walking, you need to be vigilant!
