The main train station in Bruges is simply called Brugge (or Station Brugge in Dutch, Gare de Bruges in French). It is located on the south side of the city center, serving as the primary hub for both local and international trains, with easy walking access to the historic centre.
If you arrive at Bruges train station (by train or an international coach service) or get off the coach at the Bargeplein, the Market Square, in the heart of the city, is a 20-minute walk.
Bruges is a city with two town squares. The largest one is the Market, the commercial heart of medieval Bruges. The second square is called the "Burg," the heart of the administrative Bruges. Market Square was used as a marketplace since 958, and a weekly market was held here from 985. The Belfry.
Bruges is called the "Dead City" primarily because of Georges Rodenbach's influential 1892 novel Bruges-la-Morte (Bruges-the-Dead), which portrayed the decaying, melancholic city as a perfect setting for a widower's obsessive grief, making it a symbol of death and lost glory for Symbolist artists and a morbid tourist attraction for romantics seeking atmosphere, even as the city's importance declined historically due to its silting Zwin channel.
Legend has it that Count Thierry of Alsace, after an adventurous Second Crusade, brought the Holy Blood to Bruges in 1150. He received the relic as a gift from Jerusalem, as a treasure for the city and a sign of his heroism.
Bruges, the ancient mediaeval town near Flanders fields in Belgium, is a city best cycled or walked around. The authorities have made it easy by providing plenty of signage, bicycle lanes, and even free public bicycle pumps (see below).
From 1 July 2025, use of the centre shuttle will still be free for Bruges residents, but charged for visitors. New fare system from 1 July 2025: Children <6 years: Free. Seniors 65+: Free on presentation of identity card.
❣️Bruges is the most beautiful city in Belgium. When you come to Bruges, you will be attracted by its long history. There are many ancient buildings and charming streets here.
It's a popular day trip destination, but it's worth making a weekend of it to take full advantage of Bruges' historic charms (as well as the Belgian beer and chocolate). Bruges' compact size means you can fit a lot into a weekend, and it's quieter and more atmospheric in the mornings and evenings.
There's one good reason to use Kelenföld: If you're travelling from Zurich/Munich/Salzburg/Vienna to the Lake Balaton area (or vice versa) it's better to make an easy same-station change at Kelenföld than to continue into Budapest Keleti, change stations by taxi or metro to Budapest Deli for a train to Balaton (which ...
The term Midi derives from mi ('middle') and di ('day') in Old French, comparable to the term Mezzogiorno to indicate Southern Italy or Miazăzi which is a synonym for South in Romanian. The name Brussel-Zuid, as the Dutch "translation" of Bruxelles-Midi, was only introduced after the equality law of 1898.
If you want to enjoy warmer weather with lots of sunshine, head there in the summer. The best time to go to Bruges is between June and August, which has an average temperature of 18°C with highs of 21°C.
...in Bruges. Two Irish hit men (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) are sent into hiding by their British boss (Ralph Fiennes) in Bruges, Belgium after a botched job only to learn that the most damning job awaits one of them just around the corner.
Michelangelo's masterpiece Madonna and Child is at home in Bruges. The sculpture has been admired in the Church of Our Lady for hundreds of years. A unique artistic highlight in the historic heart of the city.
This Jewish form of punishment (prescribed in Deuteronomy 25:1-3), said that under no circumstance was anyone to be flogged more than forty times. So just in case they made a mistake in counting, the terminology used was "forty lashes minus one." Beaten with rods three times. (
According to the authors, in the case of Jesus, it could have been: paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar and schizoaffective disorders. They hypothesized that Jesus may have sought death through "suicide-by-proxy" (indirect suicide).
Belgium's "30% tax ruling" refers to a special tax regime for expatriates and inpatriates, allowing employers to reimburse certain recurring relocation costs tax-free, generally up to 30% of gross remuneration, capped at €90,000 annually, plus other specific costs like school fees, replacing older schemes for many. This regime aims to attract international talent, exempting these allowances from tax and social security, with conditions like minimum salary thresholds (€75k for non-researchers) and a 5-year duration (extendable).
You can find truffles, pralines, chocolate bars and even chocolate tours and workshops if you want an authentic experience. Oh, by the way, Bruges is also the place to try some real hot chocolate… just note that you may never go back to packaged hot chocolate powder ever again!
Belgians are made up of two main linguistic and ethnic groups; the Dutch-speakers (called the Flemish) and the French-speakers (mostly Walloons), as well as a third tiny but constitutionally recognized group from two small German-speaking areas.
