BRUGES

We spent a majority of our time here despite Bruges' sleepy-town reputation. It's a great spot to take a quiet vacation but still have plenty to do and see. All in all we visited two museums, climbed the Belfry, toured a brewery, took interesting walks, visited the Christmas market, had three top-notch dinners, and of course tried as many different beers as possible. And we weren't pushing ourselves at all.

The atmosphere of Bruges is completely romantic: charming Flemish architecture, willows weeping over canals, winding medieval streets. This is not the place to go clubbing. That said, there are some wonderful beer bars there. 

All of the below had large beer lists:

T' Brugs Beertje -- great beer list, great atmosphere. We sat at the bar next to some locals and had a colorful experience watching them down beer after beer (and they weren't drinking pilsners).

Cafe Rose Red -- we splurged on a lovely afternoon here featuring 3 rare-ish bottles and excellent charcuterie, plus there was a British gentleman who sounded just like Steve Coogan so naturally we eavesdropped.

Comptoir Des Arts -- we planned on having a nightcap here before heading back to our room but they were playing such great jazz that we had to stay for a couple more.

Cambrinus -- we neglected to get reservations but were finally able to get a seat at the bar and stuffed ourselves with rabbit, steak, potatoes, and beer.

Things to do:

Sound Factory -- a contemporary loft-style museum-like space dedicated to sound engineers and artists with fun interactive exhibits.

Belfry -- the Belfry offers the most magnificent view in Bruges and a fun climb with stop-offs for history exhibits.

de Halve Maan Brewery -- the only guided brewery tour we took in Belgium but without a doubt the best brewery tour we've ever taken. The views from the roof are wonderful, the guide charming, and the post-tour tasting welcome after climbing down a couple very steep stairs.

Xmas Markets -- set up in the Burg and the Markt, lots of winterwear, some crafts, and food. Gluhwein is highly recommended! We also took home some great pork rillettes. We didn't try the potatoes Savoyarde, but I'm sorry we didn't. They smelled like an amazing concoction of garlic, bacon, and other savory things for a comforting winter meal/snack.

Walking around -- many of the sidewalks and streets are 100% stone, the houses stone, and the sidewalks stone. You are surrounded by uniform material interrupted only by a passing cyclist, a building window, and the sky. It's a surreal and unique feeling, especially where everything is so narrow, you feel as though you can reach out and touch houses across the street from each other.

Finally, we just want to add that everyone we met or interacted with were kınd and helpful, offering us information before we even had to ask. It was wonderful.

Here's a link to the Bruges photo album if you missed when the pictures went up originally:
BRUGES PHOTOS