Land of mussels, fries, chocolate and beer. What more could you want?

Bruges

Visited: Christmas 2005
Bruges became an important medieval trading town after the Dunkerque floods in the 1100s gave the town access to the sea via canals. It was a centre of finance, textiles and art. However, in the 1700s the canals to the sea dried up and the city lost its prosperity. Today the city is a picturesque medieval town surrounded by waterways, famous for its lacemaking, mussels and beer.

Arrive

It's easy to get from London to Bruges on the Eurostar. The London - Brussels Eurostar ticket includes a free train journey from Brussels to any other Belgian station. Trains from Brussels to Bruges leave about every 20mins so it is easy to catch a connecting train. Bruges train station is south of the centre of town - nowhere is much more than a �10 taxi ride away.

Explore

Old Town - The cobbled old town is set beside a network of canals. Despite the hoards of tourists, it does not feel plastic. Unlike some European old towns, you get the feeling that real people live there.

Our Lady�s Church- A large medieval church containing a sculpture of Madonna dn child by Michelangelo and the ornate tombstones of Mary of Burgundy and her father Charles the Bold.

Christmas markets - The Christmas markets in Bruges were quite small and nowhere near as quaint as the town itself. Around Christmas time there is also a small ice rink in the main square. Although it blares cheesy American music, it is fun to go skating as the sun sets over the medieval tower.

Bon Vivant - The Bon Vivant is an excellent grill restaurant near the centre of Bruges. If you order the �43 steak for two you will end up with half a cow. Tender meat perfectly cooked.

Rest

There were four of us for Christmas so we booked one of Anne-Marie and Erik�s apartments. It was perfect � right in the centre of Bruges, cosy and well equipped. Erik was very helpful and gave us a map and pointed out sights of interest. Erik runs a pub and live music venue downstairs, which is also worth checking out.
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