Brugge In Winter

By Fiona Lister

Described as the “Venice of the North” Bruges, Brugge or Bruge is a magical city - the perfect place for a romantic weekend or quiet New Year getaway. Cobbled streets, medieval buildings illuminated by fairy lights, horses trotting past and a multitude of chocolate shops make this the perfect escape. Whatever time of the year, it’s hard not to fall in love with this ancient city.

New Year Revelry

31st December 2010
New Year Carillon
The picturesque Market Square will welcome locals and visitors to their New Year Carillon Concert. Join together to listen to the carillon bells of Bruges Belfy as they chime the heralding of another New Year. The Carillon Concert starts at around 2:00 p.m. and goes on well into the night when the locals turn out to celebrate.

Bruges Market Square
The Bruges Market Square with the ice rink and Christmas Market is the most enchanting site at nightfall. Shoppers descend on the illuminated Market Square to sample the food, glühwein and treats on offer in the bustling marketplace. Beneath the bright sparkle of twinkling fairy lights and the sound of eighties music (the Flemish seem to love Wham!), visitors ride in the bumper cars, and buy treats from the strings of fascinating market stalls selling anything from clothing (amazing for boots and jumpers), jewellery (lots of sparkling crystals) and local area crafts, such as delicate silks and incredible jewel coloured embroidered rugs, placemats and wall hangings. Everywhere you look, there are craft stalls spilling over with fine lace, made by the local women, and chocolates. It’s not hard to come away with bags of gifts before heading to one of the local taverns for dinner.

Ice skaters whizz, or stumble in my case, around the ice rink singing to eighties classics as families and onlookers stand by sipping mulled wine and Flemish beers in the cold night air.

Bruges Christmas Market is open until 2nd January 2011. Shops are open during Christmas and New Year and there are several other smaller Christmas markets in Bruges, all of which open each day.

Christmas/New Year Times, prices and information

Ice Skating Prices:
- Entrance without skates: €4.00 (-€2 discount for the Ice Sculpture Festival)
- Entrance with skates: €6.00

Times

- Main Market Square 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Ice-rink: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Simon Stevin Square: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday – Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 pm.

Bruges Chocolates
Bruges is paradise for chocolate lovers. The cobbled streets are filled with chocolate shops selling delicious homemade treats including: pralines, truffles, delicious boozy Kirschen chocolates, and Snowballs (the favourite over there during the winter months). I recommend the Dumon Chocolate shop (Oostendestraat 99 - Torhout - Belgium
Phone.: 0032 50 22 16 22 0032 50 22 16 22 - Fax.: 0032 50 222 333) and The Old Chocolate House on Mariastraat (the left side) (1 Mariastraat) Map with directions, which also sells mouth-watering gingerbreads, cookies, biscuits, candies and marzipan. Wherever you walk, chocolate shops are aplenty and chocoholics won’t go hungry!

Other chocolate shops:

The Chocolate Line: http://www.thechocolateline.be/

Sweertvaegher: http://www.sweertvaegher.be/

Pralinette: http://www.pralinette.be/EN/Home

Roose’s Chocolate World: http://www.chocolate-world.be/

Bruges Lace
Lacemaking provides the employment for around one thousand lace workers in Bruges. They are ladies aged between fifty and ninety years old. There are no lace factories in Bruges or in Brussels. Each item is lovingly crafted by these skilled women and the shops are laden with items such as delicately crafted handkerchiefs; lace motifs and edging on pillowcases; table mats and lace tapestries, which can take days to work on. What’s more, they are very reasonably priced. If you are looking for a souvenir to take home, then these make fantastic gifts. Types of lace include: Duchesse Lace; Rosepoint Lace (Point de Rose); Princess Lace, Bobbin Lace and Renaissance Lace (also known as “Brussels” Lace or “Ribbon Lace”). For further information, see The History Of Lace: http://www.trabel.com/belgium-lace-history.htm

Favourite Lace Shops:
Katelijne Lace Shop: Katelijnestraat 33, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Lace Gallery bvba: Steenstraat 67, 8000 Brugge, Belgium +32 50 34 07 25 (fax)
Lace Hotel: http://www.lacehotel.com/
Lace Paradise: Wijngaardstraat 18, 8000 Brugge, Belgium ‎
Belford Lace-Neuhaus: Hallestraat 4, 8000 Brugge, Belgium

Horse and Carriage Rides
You can’t visit Bruges without going on a horse and cart tour through the cobbled streets. Starting in Market Square (the main meeting point), at €30 per carriage, the horseman will take you on a 35 minute tour of the city, with a quick break near the Lake of Love (also known as Minnewater) where the horses feed . Tours start each day from 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tours are conducted in Dutch, German, English and French. Don’t miss this amazing experience! Most carriages have canopies during wet weather.

Canal Boat Tours
The half-hour boat trip on the canal is the ideal way to see Bruges. Your tour guide will show you all the main landmarks and explanations are given in French, German, Dutch, English and some companies offer Japanese and Spanish.

Opening Hours
From March through October, daily from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m., November and February (only in weekends and depending on the weather), December and January (depending on weather conditions).
Location
There are five step-up points:
Katelijnestraat 4;
Nieuwstraat 11;
Wollestraat 32;
Huidevettersplein 13;
Rozenhoedkaai z/n

Best Tour
Half an hour tours from the back of the Belfry Tower, City Hall and near the Church of Our Lady. (Map : E9, F9, E10).

Times
Tours are run every day, from 10 am through 6 pm (March - November). December tours are on offer, but are entirely dependent upon the weather. You will need to wrap up warm though!

Prices
Individual : € 6,90
Children (4-11 year old) accompanied by an adult : € 3,20
Children (-4 year old) : free
Groups + 20 persons : € 5,80
Children & school groups (aged 4-11) : € 3,20
Brugge City Card (1.3-15.11) : free

City Tour Tourist Bus
The City Tour Tourist Bus is the ideal way for viewing Bruges during wet weather. Tours are offered in seven languages. Visit Bruges on board one of the comfortable minicoaches run by Sightseeing Line, with comments provided in the language of your choice (individual headphones). Departures from Market square (see schedule underneath).

January-February
First Bus:10:00 a.m. Last Bus:16:00

March
First Bus:10:00 a.m. Last Bus: 17:00

April – May - June
First Bus:10:00 a.m. Last Bus: 19:00

July – August - September
First Bus:10:00 a.m. Last Bus: 20:00

October
First Bus:10:00 a.m. Last Bus: 18:00

November - December
First Bus:10:00 a.m. Last Bus: 17:00

Prices
Adults : € 14,50
Children (6-11 year old) : € 8,50
Brugge City Card (16/11-28/2): free

Info: Sightseeing Line, Kanunnik Decoeneplein 6, 8310 Brugge
T. (10.00-12.00u), F + 32 50 35 80 24
info@citytour.be
www.citytour.be

Exploring Bruges by Bike
Cycling is a fantastic way to explore Bruges. Everywhere you turn people are pedalling away and because of the traffic flow, you won’t have any problems getting around. Hiring a bike is also a good way to experience the outer parts of Bruges. You can cycle in both directions in the 50 one-way streets in the centre. On the bigger streets outside the old town there are cycle lanes. Cycling in the direction of Damme, along the canal, is an amazing way to experience the city. Renting bikes in Bruges is easy, and there are guided bike tours. See the websites:
www.quasimundo.com
www.pinkbear.freeservers.com)

Prices range from between €5.00 - €6.00 for half a day and between €9.00 - €10:00 for a full day. Bikes can be hired from the following points:
- Station: Station square, 8000 Brugge
- Koffieboontje: Hallestraat 4, 8000 Brugge
- Eric Popelier: Mariastraat 26, 8000 Brugge
- De Ketting: Gentpoortstraat 23, 8000 Brugge
- Bauhaus Bike Rental: Langestraat 135, 8000 Brugge
- Snuffel: Ezelstraat 47-49, 8000 Brugge

Bikes For Rent
Koffieboontje
1 hour: € 4.00 (tandem: € 10.00)
4 hours: € 8.00 (tandem: € 17.00)
Full day : € 12.00

Free city map incl., tandems and mountain bikes also available buggies, wheelchairs, scooters.

Hallestraat 4, T. (map : E8)
info@hotel-koffieboontje.be
www.adventure-bike-renting.be

De Ketting
Full day : € 6.00
Children’s bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes and holland bikes
Gentpoortstraat 23, T. (map : G11)

Bauhaus Bike Rental
1 hour: € 3.00
3 hours: € 6.00
Full day : € 10.00 (Brugge City Card: € 6,00; students: € 9,00).
City bikes & mountain bikes

Langestraat 145, T. (map : I7)
www.bauhaus.be

Eric Popelier
1 hour: € 4.00 (tandem: € 10.00)
4 hours: € 8.00 (tandem: € 17.00)
Full day : € 12.00 (Brugge City Card: € 9.00), (tandem: € 25.00)
Price reduction for students

FREE City map, scooters and tandems also available

Mariastraat 26, T. (map : E10)
www.fietsenpopelier.be

Snuffel Backpacker Hostel
Full day : € 8.00
FREE Cycling map

Ezelstraat 47-49, T. (map : D6)
www.snuffel.be

Concertgebouw B-Bike
Per hour : € 4.00
Half a day : € 8.00
One day : € 12.00 (Brugge City Card: € 9.00)
't Zand 34 (Concertgebouw), T.

Guided tours per mountain bike (2h30- from April till October. Reservation required.
Prices : € 25.00

Open
1/4-15/10: daily : 10-12 a.m. & 1-7 p.m.
16/10-31/3: weekends : 10-12 a.m. & 1-7 p.m.

Bruges Bike Rental, Al-jbour Bilal
1 h : Bike € 4 , tandem € 8
2 h : Bike € 6, tandem € 12
4 h : Bike € 8, tandem € 15
1 day : Bike € 12 (Students: € 8), Tandem € 20 (Students: € 15)
Niklaas Desparsstraat 17, 8000 Brugge, www.brugesbikerental.be

Guided Walking Tours
Guided walks are a great way to experience the main sites of Bruges in more depth. There are an endless number of walking tours on offer which take you on different routes, depending upon your interests. Bruges is rich in medieval architecture and the guides are good at explaining their origins. You will encounter a variety of city sites, such as the Market Square (Belfry and historical building facades), the "Burg" (city castle) Square (City Hall, Basilica of The Holy Blood) the "Reien" (picturesque canals and waterways), the Fish market and the "Europa-College". You will wander along most foremost museums (such as the "Groeninge", "Gruuthuse" and "Brangwyn" museums), the Church of Our Lady (with a statue of the Madonna with child by Michelangelo), the old Saint John’s Hospital with the "Memling" Museum, almshouses, the Beguinage and the waters of the "Minnewater".

Winter Walks: daily except Friday and Saturday, starting 5:00 p.m. during the winter months.
Summer walking tours: In June and September on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30 p.m., in July and August daily at 2.30 p.m.

Prices
Winter Walks: 9 euros per person
Summer walking tours; 6 euros per person

Location
Meeting point always at In en Uit Brugge (Concert Hall) on 't Zand.

Book your own private guide
Book your own private guide. You will have to book beforehand at Toerisme Brugge. They offer a free booklet for all your trips and excursions for groups. Price per guide: a 2-hour guided tour with maximum 25 people: 50,00 euro (an additional 25,00 euro per extra hour).

Info and Reservations
Toerisme Brugge :tel. 050/44.46.46, fax : 050/44.46.45, e-mail
Koninklijke Gidsenbond : tel. 050/33.22.33, fax : 050/33.50.00, e-mail, website
West-Vlaamse Gidsenkring : tel. 050/34.65.45, fax : 050/34.53.95, e-mail, website

Hotels

I have chosen Hotel De Castillion and its sister hotel, Hotel Het Gheestelic Hof since they provide value for money and are in a quiet location, but close enough and within walking distance of all the main historic sites. Eurostar and Expedia.com provide fantastic deals for a stay at Hotel De Castillion. Well worth taking a look: www.eurostar.com and www.expedia.co.uk .

Hotel De Castillion
****
Heilige Geestraat 1, B-8000 Brugge
Tel: 0032(0)50 34.30.01 0032(0)50 34.30.01
info@castillion.be
www.castillion.be

Secreted away from the hustle and bustle of Market Square, but within walking distance, the family-run Four Star Hotel De Castillion is a favourite hotel because of its history and quiet location. The 17th Century bishop’s palace was occupied by Jean-Baptiste-Louis de Castillion, 15th Bishop of Bruges, and has been transformed into a delightful 4 star hotel, with cobbled courtyard and stunning art deco interiors. Situated right on the doorstep of the imposing, gothic St Salvator Cathedral, Hotel De Castillion is close to the canals, museums, convent, Market Square, the belfry and the Congress Centre ‘Oud St-Jan’. Very close to the central train station.

Calm and opulence combine to make this intriguing retreat a gem amongst the Flemmish city’s hotels. The 20 luxurious rooms are decorous to say the least, with prices starting from as little as €100 for a Budget room with shower up to €175 for a Classical Room and €275 for a Romantic Room. The Classical, well heated Room is excellent value for money and includes bathrobes, a mini bar with champagne and a safety deposit box. Beautiful and luxurious Napoleonic style décor includes an ornate dressing table, framed paintings of Flemish scenes such as a Day at the Races, gold edged mirrors, tasteful beadspreads decorated in florals and pastels, and a luxurious rug. Rooms are very spacious and come with bath and shower, plus two sinks.

You are likely to wake up in the morning to the sound of the Cathedral bells ringing out. Make sure you get a bed and breakfast package. Breakfast each morning consists of yoghurts, cereals, pastries with jam, a pain au chocolat, egg and bacon, tea, coffee and orange juice.

I recommend the Art Deco Lounge for cocktails, following which I suggest having dinner in their restaurant Le Manoir Quatre Saisons.

Hotel Het Gheestelic Hof (sister hotel to Hotel De Castillion)
***
Heilige Geeststraat 1, B-8000 Brugge
Tel:
gheestelic.hof@scarlet.be
http://www.gheestelic-hof.be/

The family run Three Star Hotel Het Gheestelic Hof is the sister hotel to Hotel De Castillion. Situated just opposite its sister hotel, this gothic hotel possesses a quiet ambience, away from the busy Market Square, but near enough to walk there. Situated in a prime location, right near to the museums, chocolate shops and main attractions, the hotel is right opposite St Salvator Cathedral. The rooms are not quite as opulent as Hotel De Castillion, but they are still fantastic value for money and you can choose from Junior, Standard and Superior rooms from €65 for a small Junior Room to €150 for a Double Superior with bath. CLICK HERE for their current rates and promotions. A buffet breakfast is served in their dining room each morning.

Pick of the Best Bruges Restaurants

Le Manoir Quatre Saisons at Hotel De Castillion
Heilige Geestraat 1, B-8000 Brugge
Tel:
info@castillion.be
www.castillion.be

Situated in the 17th Century Hotel De Castillion, right near Saint Salvator’s Cathedral and just around the corner from the bridge and the Church of Our Lady, Chef Olivier Christiaens offers haute cuisine dining in art deco surroundings. The four star hotel provides opulence at affordable prices and is ideal for couples, and quiet celebrations. I recommend having a champagne cocktail in the luxurious Art Deco Lounge before your meal. Watch the horses trot past on the cobbles just outside, followed by a five course gastronomic dinner. Afterwards, take a short walk to the marketplace to watch the ice-skating and sample the local Belgian beers, chocolate (I recommend Snowballs chocolates), fine lace shops and vino.

MozartHuys Brasserie Restaurant (ideal for lunch)
(Burg area)
If you find yourself visiting the Burg area, The MozartHuys Brasserie is the ideal place to stop for lunch. I ended up in here one cold December afternoon after having visited the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the gothic Town Hall in Burg Square. Ideal place for a quick snack or for a long lazy lunch – they do an excellent Flemish stew with fries (fries are served in most restaurants in Bruges) and the mussels in white wine are delicious (another Flemish speciality).

Arthie’s, St Martin’s Orangerie (Martin’s Hotels Group)
Bistro Restaurant, Wollestraat 10, 8000 Bruges
Tel:
info@arthies.com
www.arthies.com

Cafedraal
Downtown Bruges, near Zilverpand
Zilverstraat, 38-8000 Brugge
Tel:
info@cafedraal.be

This beautifully renovated 15th century house with its fairytale garden terrace is a fantastic place for romantic couples or for celebrations. Specialities include: Half Lobster ‘En Belle Vue’ / Half grilled lobster with mild garlic €25.00 and Sautéed St Jacobs Scallop €22.50. Value for money with a fantastic atmosphere.

Market Square grills and brasseries
There are various restaurants dotted around the main Market Square. They are ideal for tourists and site-seers, serving bowls of fries, delicious fish stews laced with cheese and fish dishes, including the main speciality of mussels. Belgian beer is always on offer – there are milder beers for those of us who are not hardened beer drinkers! Find a window seat and watch the horses ferrying tours of people through the cobbled streets.

Bookings / Getting There

Eurostar
Check out the best deals to Bruges via Eurostar: www.eurostar.co.uk

Lastminute.com
www.lastminute.com

Expedia
www.expedia.co.uk

Railbookers
http://www.railbookers.com/city-breaks/events/bruges/new-years-eve-carillon-in-bruges-17744352