november-2012

u BCN BSL BRS HAJ MRS OSL PRG BMA TLV TRN
bruges
belgium
10,438,353
Euro (EUR)
+32 7°C
Adrian Mourby
A new museum on medieval Bruges takes a
decidedly 21st-century approach
MARKT
Surrounded by historic buildings,
Bruges’ vast medieval marketplace
is deservedly famous.
SLEEP Martin’s Brugge (5 Oude Burg,
(0)5 044 5111, martins-hotels.com,
rooms from €80) is a well-appointed,
modern three-star – ideal if you’re
looking for a convenient crashpad. For
a more romantic feel, try the Hotel de
Orangerie (10 Kartuizerinnenstraat,
(0) 5 034 1649, hotelorangerie.be,
rooms from €165), set in a 15th-century
former convent by the Den Dijver canal.
EAT Of the green-canopied brasseries
along the north side of the marketplace,
the family-run Restaurant St-Joris (29
Markt, (0)5 033 3062) is a reliable bet,
with particularly good steaks.
CULTURE Occupying an ornate, neo-
Gothic edifice on the corner of Markt,
Historium (1 Markt) opens on 25
November. It promises a multi-sensory
exploration of Bruges’ medieval history,
with scents, sounds and a reconstruction
of Van Eyck’s studio. If surrealism is
more your thing, head for the Museum-
Gallery Xpo Salvador Dalí (7 Markt).
Set below the city’s medieval bell tower,
the Belfort, it showcases Dalí’s graphic
art, drawings and sculptures.
INFO
Brussels Airport is
100km southeast
of Bruges.
Train
Take the train from
Brussels Airport to
Brussels Midi/Zuid,
where you can
change for a train
in the direction of
Bruges, De Panne,
Knokke or Ostend.
The fi rst stop is
Ghent, followed by
Bruges. There are
around two trains
per hour to Bruges,
with a journey time
of 85-95 minutes. A
single ticket costs
around €16.40.
Taxi
A taxi from the
airport to Bruges
costs around €175.
Tourist info
The main tourist
offi ce is at 34 ’t
Zand, (0)5 044
4646, brugge.be
SHOP Co-founded by Michelin-starred
chef Bart Desmidt and chocolatier Jan
Verleye, BbyB (39 Sint-Amandsstraat)
offers a playful take on gourmet
chocolate. Flavours are packaged in
colour-coded boxes, and include white
chocolate with passion fruit and basil.
BURG
The other main square in Bruges
is Burg – both smaller and prettier
than Markt.
SLEEP The Grand Hotel Casselbergh
(6 Hoogstraat, (0)5 044 6500,
grandhotelcasselbergh.com, rooms
from €120) is a fine old establishment
with elegant decor, very comfortable
beds and lovely views over the canals
from the modern wing to the rear.
EAT Diligence (5 Hoogstraat, (0)5 033
1660) is very much a locals’ hangout,
and the set lunch is terrific value for
money. Immediately recognisable by
the two olive trees outside its door, the
Olive Tree (3 Wollestraat, (0)5 033
0081) is a small Greek restaurant run
by the Limnios family. The rich, homemade
moussaka is a revelation.
CULTURE There is a small admission
charge for the magnificent Gothic hall
upstairs, but you can look around the
Surreal art at the
Museum-Gallery Xpo
Salvador Dalí
lobby of the Stadhuis (12 Burg) for free.
It’s hung with 18th-century paintings –
which suggest that Bruges looks a lot
more medieval today than it used to.
SHOP Opened in 1920, Rombaux
(13 Mallebergplaats) sells instruments,
an enormous array of CDs (primarily
classical, jazz and world music) and
busts of the great composers.
LATER Staminee De Garre (1 De
Garre) is a Bruges rarity: a drinking hole
that (at weekends) stays open after
midnight. Take care: the house brew,
“Tripel van De Garre”, is a heady 11.5%.
SIMON STEVINPLEIN
Simon Stevinplein lies to the west
of Markt, a short stroll along
Steenstraat. The square is named
in honour of the famous Bruges
mathematician, whose statue
stands at its centre.
EAT Aquarel (2 Simon Stevinplein,
(0)5 034 0744) serves French
and Belgian specialities, including
delicious crêpes, and has tables on
the cobbled square.
SHOP The Old Chocolate House
(1 Mariastraat) sells pralines,
chocolates, marzipan and honey – and
serves the best hot chocolate in Bruges.