one day in bruges.

Last week, I shared some photos from our rainy stay in Amsterdam. The morning we left, the clouds started to fade while we were on the train to Bruges. When we arrived in this little city, the sun was finally shining--and we were able to ditch our heavy winter coats in favor of our lighter jackets. After some consultation with friends and family who have visited Bruges, we decided one day would allow us to get a good taste for the city. It also served as a great via point between Amsterdam and Paris. As a warning, this post is a bit photo heavy, but consider it your little getaway for the day!

{one little note: there are a number of conflicting ways to spell Bruges {i.e. Bruges, Brugges, Bruge}, but for the sake of this post, I'm sticking with Bruges.}

We arrived in Bruges just before noon and set out immediately in search of some lunch. I quickly fell in love with the cobblestone streets and vibrantly colored homes. Bruges is an ancient city by European standards. Many of its medieval buildings remain, which allows you to slip back in time. I had been to Bruges for a singular afternoon in 1999, but I remember little from that trip other than the weeping willows over the river.

Once we neared the center of town, we stumbled upon a quiet café near the center of town called Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai. {cv} and I shared an enormous order of moules frites {aka mussels and fries} to fuel up for the day. After lunch, we continued our stroll into the true center of town, finding a full-on Christmas market along with an ice rink. Though we didn't lace up our skates, we did pay a couple of euro to try the glühwein {aka mulled wine}. While on the market square, we wanted to see the Belfry, but the line to enter was two hours long. With time in short supply, we kept on exploring the city.

In true Belgian fashion, {cv} and I decided to seek out some beer. With some encouragement from Trip Advisor, we ended up at Cambrinus. We were lucky to score a few seats at the bar and witnessed the beer-pouring spectacle firsthand. Every beer was served in a "matching" glass. With countless beers available, this was quite a feat.

After Cambrinus, {cv} and I found The Bottle Shop. Though they didn't serve beer, they did have an incredible selection of bottled beer paired with their matching glasses. We knew the Belgians took pride in their beer, but this shop illustrated it in a magnificent way.

I promise beer wasn't the only thing on our brains while in Bruges. Of course, we had to be on the hunt for chocolate too. {cv} and I did a little research and ultimately ended up at The Chocolate Line. As one might expect, the smell of the shop was out of this world. I didn't want to anger the shopowners, so I sadly don't have any photos to illustrate the beauty of their chocolate. One thing is for sure: if you go to Bruges, you need to save a few minutes for a visit to The Chocolate Line.

Though we didn't have a dinner reservation, {cv} and I were able to squeeze into a corner booth at t' Brugs Beertje. Full to the brim with both locals and tourists, we couldn't get enough of the sights, sounds, and smells of this place. I would definitely recommend it for an authentic Bruges dining experience. One word of warning: they only accept cash. {cv} had to leave me for ransom {as noted in this Instagram} while he went to an ATM to pull out the appropriate funds. It was definitely a learning moment.

After dinner, {cv} and I made one final lap through the quaint streets of Bruges. My nighttime photos of this charming city don't do it justice. Before we turned in for the night, we had some late-night fries at Friterie 1900, though I must say they paled in comparison to my NYC fave Pommes Frites. With the help of Hotwire, we scored a room at the Hotel NH Brugge. Though it wasn't a super posh hotel, the rooms were well-kept and it was easily walkable to the train station and the city center. We wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

In any season, I would certainly recommend a visit to Bruges. It is a nice change of pace from the larger cities in Europe, but it isn't too small to entertain you for a full day {or more}. Our wintertime visit provided even more charm {if that's possible} with its twinkly lights and holiday markets. In retrospect, we could have taken a ride on the river or booked a brewery tour, but {cv} and I enjoyed our visit immensely the way we did it. As we've found, smaller cities are best enjoyed while on a leisurely stroll--without ten million places to stop.

Have you ever been to Bruges? What else would you recommend for a one-day visit? xoxo {av}