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Houtkaai 17, 8000 Bruges
Fictional address for this concept project.

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Brick gables and a belfry lit up at night above a still canal

The Journal · The city · 6 min

48 Hours in Bruges

How to see the city everybody comes for, and the one that turns up after they leave.

Bruges has two populations. Between about ten and five it belongs to the people on the walking tours. Before and after that, it goes back to the swans and the people who have to get up for work. The trick of a good weekend here is to arrange your own hours around theirs.

Saturday

  1. 07:45

    Walk before coffee

    Go now, while the delivery vans are still on the Markt and the belfry has the square to itself. The 366 steps can wait, and frankly so can the view. What you want is the Rozenhoedkaai with nobody on it.

  2. 09:30

    Breakfast, properly

    Come back and sit down. You have earned the second pastry.

  3. 11:00

    One museum

    The Groeningemuseum is small enough to finish, which is the whole point. Find Jan van Eyck's Madonna with Canon van der Paele and look at the carpet. Then look at the Canon's chin. Then you can go.

  4. 14:00

    Hide

    This is when the city is at its fullest. Go down to the Begijnhof and sit under the poplars with the quiet people, or come back to the house and do not feel bad about it.

  5. 19:00

    Dinner, somewhere with no menu outside

    A good general rule anywhere, and an especially good one here. Ask us. We will phone ahead.

A narrow stone lane at night, its brick walls amber under the wall lamps
After nine, every lane in the old town looks like this one.

Sunday

  1. 08:30

    The long way to the windmills

    Walk the old rampart along the Kruisvest. It is the best free thing in the city, and on a Sunday morning you will mostly be sharing it with dogs.

  2. 11:00

    Coffee in Sint-Anna

    The neighbourhood where people actually live. Have a look at who is buying bread.

  3. 13:00

    A bicycle to Damme

    Seven kilometres along a dead-straight canal between poplars. It takes half an hour, it could not be flatter, and there is lunch at the other end.

Between ten and five it belongs to the walking tours. Arrange your hours around theirs.

A canal in autumn with russet leaves on the bank and pale gabled houses beyond
The Minnewater side, in October.

Then get the late train, and sit on the left. If you leave when everybody else does, you will have only seen the city they saw.

NOIR House and the people writing here are fictional. Bruges is not, and it really is worth the train.