Belgium
Things to do in Bruges
38 places14 stories1 routes
Sightlore has 38 places to explore in Bruges, and 14 of them come with a 60-second story in 5 languages. Point your camera at a landmark to learn its name and story, and earn points and badges at the places you actually visit.
Bruges's must-sees
The city's most important places. In the app you see how many you've visited and earn a badge when you've seen them all.
- 1
Sint-Janshospitaal
The Hospital of St. John was a medieval hospital in Bruges, founded in the mid-12th century. Located next to the Church of Our Lady, the premises contain some of Europe's oldest surviving hospital buildings.
- 2
Gruuthusemuseum
The Gruuthusemuseum is a museum of applied arts in Bruges, Belgium, located in the medieval Gruuthuse, the house of Louis de Gruuthuse. The collection ranges from the 15th to the 19th century.
- 3
Groeningemuseum
The Groeningemuseum is a municipal museum in Bruges, Belgium, built on the site of the medieval Eekhout Abbey. It houses a collection of Flemish and Belgian painting covering six centuries, from Jan van Eyck to Marcel Broodthaers.
- 4
Church of Our Lady
The Church of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium, dating mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.
Read its story → - 5
Ten Wijngaerde
The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde is the only preserved beguinage in Bruges, Belgium. There are no more beguines living there, but since 1927, it has functioned as a convent for Benedictines, founded by canon Hoornaert.
- 6
Markt
The Markt (Dutch for "Market") is the central square of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. It is located in the city centre and covers an area of about 1 ha (2.5 acres).
- 7
Belfry of Bruges
The Belfry of Bruges is a medieval bell tower in the centre of Bruges, Belgium.
- 8
Lake of Love
Elongated small lake in the centre of Bruges, surrounded by the old ramparts and the Minnewater Park laid out in 1977–79.
- 9
Bruges City Hall
The City Hall of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium, is a landmark building and the seat of that city. Built in a late-Gothic monumental style between 1376 and 1421, it is one of the oldest city halls in the former Burgundian Netherlands.
- 10
Arentshuis
Museum building on the Dijver in Bruges that, together with the Groeninge Museum, housed the city’s fine arts; known for works by Frank Brangwyn.
Discovery routes in Bruges
Visit the stops in any order and tap "Check in" at each one; finish the route to earn points and its own badge.
Bruges: the Markt, the Burg and the canals
From the Markt and the Belfry to the Burg, the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the City Hall, then the Rozenhoedkaai, the Groeninge Museum, the Arentshuis and the Gruuthuse, the Church of Our Lady, St. Salvator's Cathedral, St. John's Hospital, the Beguinage and the Minnewater.
Places to visit
Historic sites
Markt
The Markt (Dutch for "Market") is the central square of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. It is located in the city centre and covers an area of about 1 ha (2.5 acres).
Belfry of Bruges
The Belfry of Bruges is a medieval bell tower in the centre of Bruges, Belgium.
Burg
The Burg (Middle Dutch for "Fortress") is a square and former fortress in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. It is one of the main squares of the city.
Bruges City Hall
The City Hall of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium, is a landmark building and the seat of that city. Built in a late-Gothic monumental style between 1376 and 1421, it is one of the oldest city halls in the former Burgundian Netherlands.
Rozenhoedkaai
Canal-side quay street in the centre of Bruges.
Sint-Janshospitaal
The Hospital of St. John was a medieval hospital in Bruges, founded in the mid-12th century. Located next to the Church of Our Lady, the premises contain some of Europe's oldest surviving hospital buildings.
Katelijnepoort
Former city gate of Bruges at the end of the Katelijnestraat; the name is still used for the place where it stood.
Hof Bladelin
City palace on the Naaldenstraat in Bruges, built in 1435 for Pieter Bladelin; from 1466 it housed a branch of the Medici bank of Florence.
Centrale Begraafplaats
Large cemetery in Assebroek, Bruges, popularly known as the Brugs Kerkhof.
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw (Concert building) is a cultural centre in Bruges, Belgium. Located at 't Zand, it was completed in 2002 when Bruges was European Capital of Culture, designed by Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem.
Smedenpoort
One of the four surviving city gates of Bruges; first built in 1297–1299 and rebuilt in 1367–1368.
Ezelpoort
One of the four surviving city gates of Bruges.
Gentpoort
One of the four surviving city gates of Bruges.
Kruispoort
One of the surviving city gates of Bruges and an example of medieval military architecture.
Male Castle
Maele Castle is a former castle in Male, once a separate village, now part of Sint-Kruis, a suburb of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium.
Poortersloge
Historic burghers' lodge on Jan van Eyck Square in Bruges, in the quarter that was the centre of international trade in the late Middle Ages.
Sint-Janshuismolen
Windmill on the Kruisvest rampart in Bruges, built in 1770 and still working as a corn mill; the third mill on this spot.
Museums
Groeningemuseum
The Groeningemuseum is a municipal museum in Bruges, Belgium, built on the site of the medieval Eekhout Abbey. It houses a collection of Flemish and Belgian painting covering six centuries, from Jan van Eyck to Marcel Broodthaers.
Arentshuis
Museum building on the Dijver in Bruges that, together with the Groeninge Museum, housed the city’s fine arts; known for works by Frank Brangwyn.
Gruuthusemuseum
The Gruuthusemuseum is a museum of applied arts in Bruges, Belgium, located in the medieval Gruuthuse, the house of Louis de Gruuthuse. The collection ranges from the 15th to the 19th century.
Choco-Story Bruges
Choco-Story, the Chocolate Museum in Bruges, Belgium, is located in the sixteenth-century "Huis de Crone" building on Sint-Jansplein (at the intersection of Wijnzakstraat and Sint-Jansstraat) in central Bruges.
Frietmuseum
The Frietmuseum (Fries museum) is a museum in Bruges, Belgium, which is devoted to the history of potatoes and the production of Belgian fries. It describes itself as "the first and only museum dedicated to potato fries".
Places of worship
Museum van het Heilig Bloed
The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges, Belgium.
Church of Our Lady
The Church of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium, dating mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.
Sint-Salvatorskathedraal
St. Salvator's Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Saviour and St. Donat, is the Roman Catholic cathedral of Bruges, Belgium.
Ten Wijngaerde
The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde is the only preserved beguinage in Bruges, Belgium. There are no more beguines living there, but since 1927, it has functioned as a convent for Benedictines, founded by canon Hoornaert.
Sint-Gilliskerk Brugge
Roman Catholic church dedicated to St. Giles in the Sint-Gillis quarter of central Bruges.
Saint Andrew's Basilica
Church of the Benedictine St. Andrew's Abbey in Sint-Andries, Bruges, built in 1911 on the model of Santo Stefano in Bologna.
Saint-Andrew Abbey
St. Andrew's Abbey, Bruges was a Benedictine abbey in Sint-Andries, Bruges, Belgium, which was destroyed in the French Revolution. Its modern successor St.
St. James Church
St. James's Church is a Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium. Originally built around 1240, the church was considerably expanded in 1459 to match the rising affluence of Bruges, and was patronized by the Duke of Burgundy.
Sint-Annakerk
Catholic church in the Sint-Anna quarter of Bruges, rebuilt in the early 17th century with a typical Baroque interior.
Sint-Walburgakerk
St. Walburga's Church is a 17th-century Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium, built by the Jesuits in a Baroque style. It is now a parish church and contains many valuable art objects.
Jerusalem church
Chapel in Bruges built in the first half of the 15th century by descendants of Opicius Adornes, who came from Genoa to Flanders in the 13th century.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Bezoekingskerk
Early Gothic Catholic parish church of Lissewege, a village belonging to Bruges.
Our Lady of the Pottery
Medieval hospital and care institution on the Potterierei in Bruges, founded in the 13th century.
Nature
Lake of Love
Elongated small lake in the centre of Bruges, surrounded by the old ramparts and the Minnewater Park laid out in 1977–79.
Tillegembos
A 144-hectare mixed forest in Sint-Michiels, Bruges; the oldest provincial domain of West Flanders.
Other
Boudewijn Seapark
Boudewijn Seapark is a marine mammal park and theme park located in Sint-Michiels, Bruges, Belgium.
Explore Bruges with your camera
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