Bruges: a medieval masterpiece

If happily ever after was going to be lived out somewhere, it would be in Bruges. With its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and romantic canals complete with swans the UNESCO World Heritage City has fairytale written all over it.

It seems only fitting that our bed for the next two nights was in a former Dukes Palace. The only five-star hotel in Bruges, Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ PalaceBruges in the city’s historic centre is the prior residence of the Dukes of Burgundy since the 15th century. I was half expecting to find a pea in my bed and call myself a princess, or duchess to be more accurate.

The easiest way to reach Bruges is by train, via Brussels. We came from Paris on the Thalys, a luxury train service provided jointly by the Belgian, French, Dutch and German railways. The bright red train zips along at 300km/h and leaving Paris at 10am had us checking into our majestic hotel by 1pm.

Map in hand yet minus a guidebook we set out to explore using the various church steeples as reference points. The historic centre of the city sits within a circle of canals and earth banks, the remains of centuries-old fortifications. Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 and has most of its medieval architecture intact, including The Church of Our Lady from the 13^th century. It is the tallest structure in the city and houses a white marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child created by Michelangelo around 1504.

At the heart of Bruges lies two squares: Markt, the medieval marketplace; and Burg, home to City Hall and the ancient seat of government. In amongst the two landmarks lies a storybook of history preserved in a number of museums. We happily meandered down the cobbled laneways and over canals with our eyes barely moving from the camera lens. Although cars attempt to squeeze down the narrow lanes, it’s pedestrians, bicycles and horse-drawn carriages that dominate the thoroughfares, so we were mindful of bike bells and trotting hooves.

The city looked resplendent still dressed in its Christmas best with festive lights dangling overhead and coiled up lampposts. Small a-frame houses with colourful window frames and turrets lined the waterways, shaded by naked willow trees with lanky branches. Chalked signs for mulled wine and ‘the best waffles in town’ lured willing pedestrians into the warmth of their beer gardens, teahouses and cafes, while signs for ‘steaming moules (mussels)’ appeared around every corner. Located 15 kilometers from the sea, Bruges is famed for its hearty seafood dishes and delectable mussels, making them a staple on most menus, served with frites to mop up your creamy or tomato based-sauce.

Not wanting to jump on the cultural bandwagon on an empty stomach we called in for lunch at Lunchboutique De Belegde Boterham, a no-fuss tearoom tucked away in a pedestrianised alley close to the Markt. Its minimalist interior was softened by the use of sheepskin rugs draped over the furniture. Congratulating ourselves for our unique “local” discovery we order two glasses of mulled wine before settling into our surrounds.

We would have been content to wander aimlessly around all day, however with only 36 hours to spend in Bruges it was important we got our priorities right. First stop Choco-Story, the four-story chocolate museum. Inside detailed the transformation of cocoa into chocolate and dipped visitors into its history, from the Maya and the Spanish conquistadores to the chocolate connoisseurs of today. There were even life-sized statues made from pure chocolate, sensibly enclosed within glass cabinets.

I’d heard rumours the museum had a chocolate making and sampling demonstration so I bee lined for the men in white hats. He gave us an express course in making hazelnut pralines, which we greedily grabbed and consumed. Before leaving I filled out a survey to determine what chocolate I’m most combatable with. The man for me is Costa Rica 64%; black chocolate with the flavour of biter cocoa, roasted coffee and bouquet of smoke.

Being on a sugar high seemed the perfect time to tackle the more serious Groeningemuseum, which houses a comprehensive survey of six centuries of Flemish and Belgian painting, from Jan van Eyck to Marcel Broodthaers.

The exterior of the small museum was deceiving with its vine-covered redbrick, as inside awaited a very polished and impressive exhibition. Spread over ten rooms the exhibition successfully takes you on a visual feast from the 14^th to the 20^th century. From room to room you see a progressive shift from Flemish primitives to the Renaissance onto baroque, neoclassicism and expressionism.  

My favourite piece was Last Supper (1929) by expressionist Gustave Van de Woestyne. The dark painting dominated the entire room with its imposing size and distorted facial expressions.

Reaching our tourist limit for the day we snuck back to our palace for a well-deserved glass of wine in front of the fire to discuss our next adventure: Amsterdam.

Bruges, you truly are a medieval masterpiece. We left well informed and very well feed but still hungry for more.