Baltic Treasures Cruise - Arcadia

Bruges - 18th July 2012

I didn't know what to expect from Bruges if I'm being perfectly honest but what greeted us was a beautiful medieval town adorned with cobbled streets and beautiful canals that at one time were the life line of the city and that now flow through the heart of the historic town offering scenic boat trips.

Our Lady of the Potteries

Once we had parked our coach we took a walk through a delightful park in which a former monastery nestles away amongst the leafy trees. One of the most striking buildings en route was Our Lady of the Potteries, it was built as a hospital and is now a rest home for the elderly.  We headed towards our meeting point on the Walplein, a busy and lively square lined with cafes, shops and chocolatiers. From there we were left to explore Bruges by ourselves.

The first stop we made was the Markt, the main square in Bruges, where on the eastern side lies the Belfry, the iconic tower stands 272 feet and if you are fit enough you can climb the 366 steps to the top which affords spectacular views over the city. We didn’t tackle the steps but we did sit in the courtyard and enjoyed the beautiful peeling of the bells which lasted for about half an hour.

The Belfort Tower

Bruges is a very characterful town and the heritage is around every corner and one of the best ways to soak up the atmosphere is to enjoy one the horse drawn carriage rides, it took about 25 minutes for us to travel round the town, we were pulled by the beautiful Varney and were treated to a guided tour by the driver. The noise of the horse’s hooves and the carriage wheels clattering over the cobbled streets easily transport you back to medieval times and the signs of centuries of horse drawn carts can still be seen on some of the narrow streets were the wheel marks can still be seen on the cobbles.

Provincial Government Building

Following our trip on Varney we sat in one of the many cafes that line the Markt, here, we indulged in a traditional Belgian snack of waffles. Steeped with whipped cream and doused in warm chocolate sauce this was a tasty way of getting to know Bruges. Lining the square, along with the Belfry, is the Provincial Government Building.  It is a beautiful building built in the neo-Gothic style but despite its appearance it was in fact built in the 19^th Century when Belgium became a constitutional monarchy and was split into nine provinces.

Varney

A trip to Belgium is not complete without a visit to one of the many chocolatiers. They line the streets, one shop after another, and the smells waft into the street and entice you inside. Once inside, it is a chocoholic’s paradise with row upon row of truffles, pralines and solid blocks lining the shelves and filling the huge glass jars on counter tops.

We leisurely made our way back towards to Walplien to meet our escort. En route we came across a shop selling famous Belgian lace. Inside beautiful lace objects covered the shop from floor to ceiling. Many pieces were of such intricate work that it is hard not to marvel at the workmanship that goes in to creating such beautiful objects. We passed many churches along the way, including the 13^th/14^th century Church of Our Lady.

Bruges is definitely a city I would advise anyone to visit, it is beautiful, charismatic and  pleasant and is on my list of return to places.