Bruges: Audio Guided Walking Tour (1h45 - 22 audio comments)

You will quickly notice that Bruges is a city crossed by charming canals. It's simple, there are them everywhere! The Groenerei, which can be translated as the “green canal”, is one of these natural settings that fully contribute to the charm of the city.

Welcome to the photography site par excellence in Bruges! An ancient salt port, known by all 14th century merchants, the Quai du Rosaire is a magical place to capture the best profile of the Flemish city.

Before becoming one of the city's cultural sites, this huge building, nestled in an inner courtyard, was the palace of the Gruuthuse lords, the most famous of whom remains Louis of Bruges. Belonging to a noble family, enriched thanks to the monopoly on Gruut, the ancestor of hops, this prince gave this place all the grandeur and elegance of the 15th century.

This place, far from being excessively large, is nevertheless a must in the city, whose main attraction is none other than the charming little stone bridge spanning the canal. This discreet, pointed arch, made of stone and brick, perfectly summarizes the mysterious and at the same time romantic atmosphere of Bruges, despite its young existence at the beginning of the 20th century.

As if blended into the urban landscape, we find here and there these small sets of whitewashed houses so typical of Bruges. Nicknamed the Maisons-Dieu, these residential blocks date back to the 14th century, when wealthy bourgeois and some confraternities unwittingly contributed to the appearance of the first social housing in the city.

Appearing almost magically on our way, this small building in pure Flemish style, near Minnewater Park, is simply an old lock house. Built in the 16th century, it was mainly used to supply water to the city center, as evidenced by the three flow openings, placed in the lower part of the structure.

It is on more rural notes that our next stop definitely takes us away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. Minnewater Park, one of the largest green spaces in Bruges, is a hymn to nature both for the green environment it promises and for its mythical Lake of Love, whose name already makes us dream.

It's just in this kind of place where you get the vague impression that time has stopped for good. Don't you think so?

While many people instinctively associate Belgium with beer, it's impossible to prove them wrong with this next stop like no other. Both a restaurant and a museum, the Halve Maan brewery has been an integral part of the history of Bruges since 1856.

Among the historic landscape of Bruges, one could not do without the former Saint-Jean Hospital positioned on the right. Built of red brick in the middle of the 12th century, this set of buildings, dedicated to care, was the most important hospital complex in all of Europe in the Middle Ages.

Dominating the city, and piercing the sky with its 122-meter bell tower, the Church of Our Lady of Bruges is an essential stop on the destination. Initially a simple chapel in the 9th century, then a Romanesque church, it adopted its definitive Gothic look from the 13th century.

Built between the 10th and 15th centuries, Saint-Sauveur Cathedral is the oldest religious building in the city. Although it does not have the grandeur and exuberance of other cathedrals of the time, it nevertheless remains the main Catholic place of worship hosting the bishopric of Bruges since the 19th century.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, the Belfry of Bruges did not wait for this year of recognition to make a name for itself. A symbol of power during the Middle Ages, this high-rise construction had its first origins in the middle of the 13th century.

Anyone who comes to visit Bruges cannot afford to miss this place. Spread over an area of one hectare, the Markt, also known as the Main Square, is the lively heart of the city. No matter where we look, the various buildings of character present dictate to us all the importance and the atmosphere of the place.

From West to East, and from South to North, the Markt spoils us with important monuments. Typical Flemish gabled houses, early Gothic belfry, not to mention this incredible building, with a richly decorated facade, which is the Bruges Provincial Palace.

And yes, like everywhere in Belgium, we don't joke with fries! This 1399 monument, one of the oldest in the city, was known for being the “Genoese Lodge”. Initially the central office of merchants in Genoa, it is now a completely different function that makes the site lively.

In order not to focus on the wrong attraction of the square, all you have to do is look for the only building with a flight of steps at the entrance. Do you see it?

From the height of its 3.75 meters, the statue of Jan Van Eyck proudly dominates the square, or what could once be similar to the “Manhattan” of Burgundy Bruges.

Anyone who comes to Bruges and does not cross Bourg Square has clearly failed to live up to his principles as a seasoned visitor. You are lucky, with us, you are saved at this level!

Relatively modest in size, compared to the other wonders of the square, the Basilica of the Holy Blood does indeed arouse our curiosity. Far from the classical image that one has of a religious building, it is without traces of a bell tower, and with a completely dark facade, that this combination of two superimposed chapels has been standing on this square since the 12th century.

A preferred site for the management and government of the city for 600 years, Bruges City Hall is considered to be the oldest in Flanders. Built between 1376 and 1421, in place of the old prison, this seat of power was to impress and greatly contribute to the influence of the city.

It is from this residence, full of elegance, that the Châtellenie “Franc de Bruges” was formerly administered, to designate the Bruges countryside and its surroundings. First established on Place du Bourg, it was only in the 15th century that its administrative functions moved to this new location, formerly occupied by a palace from 1520.