My previous trips to Belgium have only taken me to Brussels, so when an opportunity arose for an impromptu trip to Brugge I just couldn’t resist. It was a Friday morning when I was asked if I fancied tagging along on a road trip to Europe which would involve an evening stop in Brugge. Brugge has always been somewhere which I had wanted to visit, so I agreed without hesitation, and that evening I headed off for my Wonderful Evening in Brugge.

A Wonderful Evening in Brugge

We arrived in Brugge late on a cold November afternoon, where nightfall had already started closing in. I would have loved to see Brugge during the day, but I guess this just gives me an excuse to re-visit!

My Hotel for my Wonderful Evening in Brugge

We stayed at the Hotel Weinebrugge which was located about 3 miles from the centre of town. It was a little too far to walk, but luckily the hotel offered a shuttle service at certain times throughout the day. Knowing I wouldn’t have long I booked the shuttle whilst I was at check-in, giving me around three and a half hours for dinner and to explore the city.

The Hotel Weinebrugge is an elegant 4* hotel located on the outskirts of Brugge, set in beautiful countryside surroundings. The Hotel Weinebrugge is a family owned and operated hotel, under the Best Western Premier group of hotels. The ground floor of the hotel incorporates an elegant reception area, bar, restaurant and a range of meeting and conference rooms. All of the guest rooms and suites were located on the two additional floors. I stayed in a standard guest room which was located on the 1st floor. My room was very classically decorated and very comfortable. The room rate for the night was around £90 which included breakfast. Breakfast consisted of an extensive buffet of hot and cold options, which included some of the most delicious ham I have ever had in my life.

Brugge

Brugge is the capital city of the West Flanders region of Belgium, located in the northwest of the country. Brugge is also the largest city in this region. The city of Brugge which can be seen today dates back to the medieval times, although there is history of a Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement at this location, but these bare no relation to the city which can be seen today. The architecture in the city is similar to that of Brussels and many other Belgian cities, and the cuisine is very typically continental with quite a strong French influence.

The hotel shuttle cost €5pp and transported us right to the city centre. My fist impressions of Brugge was that it was a cross between Brussels and Amsterdam: the architecture was similar to that of Brussels, but with the addition of many canals which reminded me of Amsterdam. I spent about an hour exploring the city centre and getting as many photos as possible before finding somewhere for dinner.

Dinner in Brugge

I looked around Brugge for a while to find a great place to eat and while taking some photos along the cities canals I stumbled across a restaurant called De Gastro. De Gastro was a typically Belgian restaurant; the interior was quite modern, with a large central bar area, surrounded on three sides by tables. I started with escargot in garlic butter, followed by filet mignot with pepper sauce, salad and chips. I enjoyed my dinner with a carafe of the house red, and finished with a large cognac. My dinner including drinks came to around €60pp which I thought was quite reasonable. 

After dinner I just had enough time for a brief walk around the city, as well as a quick warming drink while I waited for the hotel shuttle to collect us.

Although my visit was extremely brief, I had a wonderful evening in Brugge. My visit gave me a small taster of what this city has to offer, and I will definitely be re-visiting in the future to explore more, and to also see the city during the daytime. I have a feeling that Brugge may be a future Christmas market destination for me!