Between the station and the heart of the city
The route between the railway station and the tourist heart of the Markt and the Burg is dotted with several monuments and unmissable Bruges districts.
The closest to the station is the emblematic Princely Vineyard Beguinage, listed as a World Heritage Site.
The set of white houses harmoniously surrounding the small church of Saint Elisabeth, the view of the lake of love (Minnewater), the famous swans of Bruges and the calm that reigns here make it a peaceful and bucolic space quite apart.
The beguinage housed from the 13th to the 19th century a spiritual community of women who took care of charitable works. Currently, the houses accommodate a community of Benedictines.
If you want to know more about the beguines, visit the small museum which is in one of the white houses.
Because of its proximity to the station, the beguinage can logically be visited at the very beginning or at the very end of the visit before taking the train again. I recommend the second option instead.
The precious silence and the charm that emanates from the simplicity of the houses take on their full meaning after your visit to Bruges, its lavish and sumptuous Gothic houses and its hordes of tourists.
See also activity note: Sightseeing tour of Bruges from Paris
Continuing towards the city center, one of the first monuments that will catch your eye is the impressive Notre Dame church with its huge tower.
This church, which dates from the 13th century, houses the funerary mausoleum of Marie de Bourgogne, adored queen of the people of Bruges who died tragically at the age of 25 from a fall from a horse.
Inside, don't miss Michelangelo's Virgin and Child.
Just opposite Notre Dame is the Saint Jean hospital, a group of brick buildings arranged in a row then around interior courtyards and along the canal.
There is a feeling of calm and peace that will allow you to face the city center and the bustle of the adjacent Katelijnestraat.
The most beautiful panoramas
– Coming from the Burg, in the direction of the fish market, from the bridge in the extension of the Blinde-ezel straat, you have one of the most famous views of the canals and the wooden houses.
You also see the two oldest bridges in the city.
– From the Wollestraat, take the short shopping arcade which leads to a terrace from which you can see the bridges spanning the canals, the willows and the houses.
Same thing from the Rozenhoedkaai.
