Bruges Weekend: Canals, Flemish Art and Belgian Beer

Destination: Brugge, BelgiumCreated by: Moo_The_TrotterLast updated: 3rd October 20263 Oct 2026

Bruges rewards a weekend on foot: canal-side streets, Flemish paintings and a brewery lunch, all within the old centre. Stay overnight for quieter evenings after the day-trippers leave the main squares.

Saturday — Squares and Canals

Belfry of Bruges

Begin Saturday in the Markt, with the guildhall façades around you and the Belfry above the square. Book a morning entry for the tower: its 366 steps lead past the old treasury and carillon to the city view. Back at street level, have coffee before walking east along Breidelstraat to the Burg. The two squares are only a few minutes apart.

Burg Square

The Burg brings several periods of Bruges together in one small square: the Gothic town hall, the old court buildings and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Visit the town hall’s Gothic Hall for its painted walls and vaulted ceiling, then walk through Blinde-Ezelstraat towards the fish market. Lunch around the side streets keeps you close to the canals for the afternoon.

Rosary Quay

Viewpoint, Core Attraction

Walk from the fish market to Rozenhoedkaai, where the canals meet beneath stepped brick façades. Take a boat trip from one of the central landing stages for a view from the water, then continue along the Dijver. Return after dinner for quieter canal-side streets once the day-trippers have left.

Sunday — Flemish Art, Beer and Minnewater

Groeninge Museum

Museum, Art Museum

Spend Sunday morning with the Flemish paintings, including works by Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. About 90 minutes gives you a good look through this compact collection. Walk past the Church of Our Lady towards Walplein afterwards. The museum closes for renovation on 11 January 2027; for trips from that date, visit nearby Saint John’s Hospital for its Memling collection.

De Halve Maan Brewery

Brewery

Reserve a classic brewery tour before lunch. The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes and ends with a Brugse Zot beer. Its 220 steps take you through the old building and up to the roof. Have lunch in the brewery restaurant on Walplein, then walk south towards the Begijnhof and Minnewater.

Minnewater

Finish beside the lake and in the park, reached through the streets south of the Begijnhof. Walk over the bridges and along the water, with benches for a last break. Brugge station is roughly ten minutes away on foot through the park, making this a convenient final stop before a train home.