One of my favorite cities in Europe is Bruges (Brugge) in Belgium. It’s not hard to fall in love with its medieval architecture, fairytale canals, winding cobblestone streets, and of course the chocolate! Bruges is known as one of the best spots in Belgium to get gourmet chocolate and needless to say, I stop in every opportunity I get. Driving back to the Netherlands yesterday afternoon from Paris, we sidetracked to Bruges for a quick chocolate and beer pick up. It’s one of the first times I have been to the city in nice weather so the Markt Square was quite full with shoppers and diners.
The Belfry at the left is one of the most important and noted landmarks in Bruges. Its construction dates back to 1240, but multiple fires forced sections to be rebuilt over the past few centuries. It housed the city’s archives (destroyed in the first fire) and ironically served as an observation lookout for spotting fires and other potential dangers.
