Bruges Cruise - Gliding Through Medieval Belgium's Watery Canals

Bruges (pronounced Broozh), a medieval city in the northern, Flemish part of Belgium, is a lovely city, known as an influential and wealthy port for trade in the 1100s through the late 1400s. Today, trade is no longer it's main form of business - instead, it relies on a heavy stream of tourists who come to admire the intact architecture and charming canals.

One of the best ways to visit Bruges is by those very canals, and the city has a variety of boats ready to help you ply the high seas (and by "high seas" I mean narrow, easy-going canals) at a moment's notice. And when Ben and I visited there in October of 2014, we did just that. Follow along below of our water tour of this lovely "Venice of the North."

First things first, finding a boat to take you out into the canals. We boarded our boat at Huidenvettersplein 13, a convenient location in the middle of the city. However, your disembarkation location is totally different than where you board, but it allows you to see a different part of the city this way.

We did not have advance reservations, and it's hard to even find the name of boat companies. Instead, it seems like a casual affair - show up, hand them some money, hop on the boat, off you go. I've included a little more information about the various boats that ply these canals at the bottom of the page, but for now, it was time to set sail.

Just like Venice (and Amsterdam too), it's a real treat to see the city from the different vantage points of its canals. It's also a little bit hard to get great pictures on these canals as you duel for shots with the people in front of you, as well as being on a constantly moving vessel. You will, then, please accept my apologies for pictures that are not so great.

One of the things Belgium is known for architecturally is their roof lines, or their stepped gables (seen below). This architectural style started in Ghent in the 12th century, and then radiated out from there across Northern Europe.

Our boat tour started off somewhat sunny, but in typical Belgium fashion, got cloudy and gray.

Below, the beautiful houses along Spiegelrei.

We followed the canal along Spiegelrei and Spinolarei until we came across the Jan Van Eyck statue in front of the Poortersloge, or Burgher's Lodge, what had been at one time the center of world trade. Though the square is much more humble these days, it is still a beautiful place to see via boat or on land (we happened to walk past it on our way to boarding the boat). Today, the Poortersloge is home to contemporary art exhibits.

Below, enjoy some of the quaint scenes found along the various canals of Bruges.

We next came upon the area around Huidenvettersplein, or Tanners Square, the place where, well, tanners would have been plying their trade back in the medieval times. It's also where our boat tour would terminate, so we'll return to it later.

The giant spire seen above and below belongs to Church of Our Lady of Bruges, or Onze Lieve Vrouw Brugge, which is home to Michelangelo's Madonna and Child sculpture.

Passing under the Mariabrug, or Mary's Bridge.

Below, we cruised under the Nepomucenusbrug, or Nepomucenus Bridge, with a statue of the patron saint of bridges, Nepomucenus himself.

Which lead us back to Huidenvettersplein, or Tanners Square, and the end of our boat tour. It's a cute area with lots of cafes and other adorable shops. But the best part is the view from the Square as well.

I mean, if you could sum up Bruges with one picture, this nearly does the trick, n'est-ce pas?

We had to take some time to admire those boarding the boats, about to embark on their own canal journey.

Towards the Our Lady of Bruges Church, there was a small little market taking place, which we figured we ought to check out.

And along the way, we caught glimpses of what we ourselves had just been doing, admiring such a beautiful and timeless city from its fabled waterways.

Bruges, this small city at the edge of Belgium, may not be as powerful as it once was, but the fact that it still retains so much of its charms is something that will bring me back someday soon. And I can't wait.

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Bruges Cruise Information

Map of the tour itinerary below:

(Source: visitbruges.be)

Cruising Bruges' canals is a pretty casual affair - we didn't plan anything in advance, but just walked up to a port and hopped on a boat. According to this website, there doesn't seem to be a way to make advance reservations anyway, so if you're in the mood for a cruise, follow the directions on the website to your nearest embarkation location, and get a feel for this city on water by, well, water.

Our particular boat tour left from Huidenvettersplein 13, which was a great location for when it ended and you could catch some of the more scenic parts of the city immediately upon disembarkation. Trips run from mid-March to mid-November, though the Visit Bruges website says that some of the companies can decide to run earlier or later, up to their own discretion. Our trip took place mid October, so we were in luck, though those who are visiting during Christmas will probably not be so lucky (though you never know!). Ticket prices as of 2021 are €10 per adult, and less for children 11 and under. We will be heading back for a day trip to Bruges in December 2022, so I will update this if boats were running.

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Day of this trip: October 19, 2014