One day trip to Brugge - Excursie de o zi in Bruges

How to get from Brussels to Brugge -  Cum sa ajungi din Bruxelles in Bruges

It's very easy getting there by train. It takes about an hour and there are trains every 20-30 minutes from Gare du Midi (Zuid station). You must know that during weekends (from 19pm on Friday to Sunday night) all train tickets in Belgium are 50% off. So we got our 2 way weekend tickets Brugge-Brussels for 15€.

Este foarte usor sa ajungeti acolo cu trenul. Dureaza aproximativ o ora si sunt trenuri la fiecare 20-30 de minute din Gare du Midi (statia Zuid). Trebuie sa stiti ca in weekend (de vineri de la ora 19 pana duminica noaptea) toate biletele de tren in Belgia sunt reduse cu 50%. Noi ne-am luat biletele de weekend dus-intors Bruges-Bruxelles cu 15€. 

After you exit the train station you will just need to go with the flow. Everyone goes in the same direction. There will pe a park on the left and one on the right. Go through the one on the right, it's called Minnewater park and it's a great place to spend some time enjoying a walk by the lake. As you go to the city center you will find the Lake of Love, a beautiful lake with swans.

Dupa ce iesiti din gara, urmariti doar multimea. Toata lumea merge in aceeasi directie. Veti vedea un parc pe stanga si alt parc pe dreapta. Mergeti prin parcul de pe dreapta, se numeste parcul Minnewater si este un loc minunat in care sa petreceti puutin timp bucurandu-va de o plimbare pe langa lac. Inaintand spre centru veti gasi Lacul Iubirii, un lac superb cu lebede. 

You must know that Brugge is a small city and you will be able to go everywhere by feet. Once you are closer to the center, you will see touristic maps everywhere on the streets so it's difficult to miss the main objectives. Right from the begining, you will be fascinated by the small streets full of alluring shops, the coloured buildings and the boats full of tourists exploring the channels. 

E important sa stiti ca Bruges e un oras mic si ca veti putea ajunge peste tot pe jos. Odata ce va apropiati de centru, veti vedea peste tot pe strazi harti turistice, deci nu aveti cum sa ratati principalele obiective. Inca de la inceput, veti fi fermecati de stradutele mici pline de magazine ademenitoare, de cladirile colorate si de barcile pline de turisti care exploreaza canalele.

We arrived near the city center at about 12:20. All the objectives are closed around 13-14 o'clock as they have lunch break. So we left the city center for later. Firstly, we went to Rozenhoedkaai, the best spot for taking pictures. You can see why. 

Am ajuns in apropierea centrului pe la 12:20. Toate obiectivele sunt inchise intre orele 13-14 deoarece au pauza de pranz. Am decis sa lasam centrul pentru mai tarziu. Prima data am mers la Rozenhoedkaai, locul perfect pentru a face poze. Puteti vedea de ce. 

We were heading to the windmills. They are in the city's outskirts and you will have to walk for about 25 minutes to them. There are more windmills but you can only visit one of them if you pay 2€, Sint-Janshuis Mill, a grain mill that was built in 1770. You can still climb the stairs of the other ones, without going inside, but I have to warn you that the steps are really abrupt. There used to be 29 windmills in Brugge, one per 1000 inhabitants. The majority were grain mills, some were oil mills and others were water mills. Apart from the mills, the surroundings are quiet and calming, full of green grass. 

Ne indreptam spre morile de vant. Ele se gasesc la periferia orasuli, cam la 25 de minute de mers pe jos. Sunt mai multe mori dar se poate vizita una singura daca platiti 2€, Moara Sint-Janshuis, o moara de grau construita in 1770. Puteti totusi sa urcati scarile celorlalte mori fara a merge insa inauntru, dar trebuie sa va avertizez ca treptele sunt foarte abrupte. Obisnuiau sa fie 29 de mori de vant in Bruges, 1 la 1000 de locuitori. Majoritatea erau mori de grau, unele erau de ulei si altele de apa. Imprejurimile sunt linistitoare, pline de iarba verde. 

Sint-Janshuis Mill

Then we went in the Burg Square where is Hotel de Ville (the City Hall) and Basilica of the Holly Blood. The city hall was built in gothic style in 1376. At the ground floor is an exhibition that illustrates the evolution of the Burg Square. Near it is the basilica where you will find a vial with a drop of Jesus Christ's blood, brought here in 1149 from Jerusalem. It is shown to the christians every day between 11:30-12:00 and 14:00-16:00. 

Apoi am mers in Piata Burg, unde se gasesc Hotel de Ville (Primaria) si Bazilica Sfantului Sange. Primaria a fost construita in stil gotic in anul 1376. La parter este o expozitie care ilustreaza evolutia pietei Burg. Langa se gaseste bazilica unde puteti vedea un flacon ce contine o picatura din sangele lui Iisus Hristos, adusa aici in 1149 de la Ierusalim. Este aratat crestinilor in fiecare zi intre orele 11:30-12:00 si 14:00-16:00 

Brugge City Hall

Basilica of the Holy Blood

Next we went in the Market Square where is the great Belfort or Belfry tower. It is 83m tall and you will have to climb 366 steps to the top for a lovely view of the city. On the way you will discover an impressive clockwork mechanism and a carillon with 47 bells. 

Dupa ne-am dus in Piata Market unde se gaseste turnul Belfort sau Belfry. Este inalt de 83 de m si trebuie sa urcati 366 de trepte pana in varf pentru o priveliste incantatoare a orasului. Pe drum veti descoperi un mecanism de ceas impresionant si un carilion cu 47 de clopote.

No journey to Brugge is complete without a boat trip on the channels. It's a lovely experience plus you get to see most of the objectives from the water. Also it's very relaxing. 

Nicio excursie in Bruges nu e completa fara o plimbare cu barca pe canale. Este o experienta minunata si in plus puteti vedea toate obiectivele de pe apa. Este si foarte relaxant. 

Our final stop was at The Beerwall, a beer bar that we heard a lot about and is absolutely a must-go. You enter it on a gray carpet while being fascinated by the hundreds of types of beers on the wall. Then you go in and don't know what to order because there are too many options. Finally, you choose something and enjoy it on the nice terrace by the channel. You wish to stay there forever because the beer is too good and everything is simply perfect. I chose the coconut beer that is served in what else than...a coconut!

Ultima noastra oprire a fost la The Beerwall, un bar cu bere despre care am auzit o multime de lucruri si este un loc unde trebuie neaparat sa mergeti. Intrati pe un covor gri, fiind fascinati de sutele de feluri de bere de pe perete. Ajungeti inauntru si nu stiti ce sa comandati deoarece sunt prea multe variante. Intr-un final, alegeti o bere si o savurati pe terasa de pe canal. Va doriti sa ramaneti acolo pentru totdeauna pentru ca berea e prea buna si pentru ca totul e pur si simplu perfect. Eu am ales berea de cocos care este servita in nimic altceva decat... o nuca de cocos!

I will end with something I should have started with: Brugge is also called the Venice of the North. Maybe this is too much to say because Venice is all about channels, but the trip to Brugge is definitely mesmerizing and you should add it to the list if you ever go to Belgium!

Voi incheia cu ceva cu ce ar fi trebuit sa incep: Bruges este supranumit Venetia Nordului. Poate ca acest termen este un pic prea mult deoarece Venetia este in totalitate despre canale, dar excursia in Bruges este cu siguranta fermecatoare si trebuie sa o puneti pe lista daa ajungeti in Belgia.