Brugge, Belgium

After showing Garner around Maastricht, we took a train to Brugge or Bruges, Beligum. I had been to Belgium before, but never this particular town... and even though I had heard amazing things, was a little nervous after watching In Bruges. 

We stayed at the incredible Duke's Palace that is an actual old palace turned into a hotel. There's a beautiful restaurant where we ate dinner one night out on the patio. They also have a ballroom (how gorgeous would that wedding be?), a large room for breakfast and some gardens where you can have a drink or sit and relax. 

While walking around the city, we ate waffles on a stick, loads of chocolate and pints of beer. Do as the Belgians do, right? Some of the most popular activities in Brugge even involve food - there is the De Halve Maan Brewery that has been around for centuries and offers really great homemade beer and tours. There's also Choco-Story where you learn about Belgian chocolate and of course get some yummy tastings along the way.  

We also went on a little canal tour around the town. It wasn't as great as our Amsterdam tour, but we met some fellow Texans and saw beautiful views. After, we walked to the main square, went shopping for their famous lace and enjoyed the quiet cobblestone streets.

Brugge was a slower-paced, romantic city that is perfect for relaxing in between the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, Paris or London. It'd be a great spot for couples or those that want to enjoy Western Europe without getting overwhelmed by large crowds or jam-packed itineraries.  

After Brugge, we took the Thalys train back to Amsterdam to fly back to the States. It was a wonderful few weeks in Europe - so wonderful that I've already created another list of European cities for us to visit. If you have a favorite city, let me know! I'd love to check it out and add it to our never-ending bucket list! 

Thanks for following along on our travels.

Xoxo,
Paige