The Magic of Bruges: A Guide to its Legends and Hidden Treasures
Walking Tour
Walking Tour
90 mins
1.8mi
About the Tour
About the Tour
Bruges’s city plan hasn’t changed since the middle ages. On this walking tour, you’ll get to peek behind the curtain of history to see what life was like back then, on a journey through time. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in medieval Bruges where, through stories and quirky facts, you’ll get an understanding of what this city once was, and still is, all about.
You’ll visit all the main sites and lesser known ones too. You’ll venture into little alleys, squares, inner courtyards and secret inner gardens that most visitors don’t see. By the end of the tour, you’ll know:
• Why pigs were banned from the streets in the middle ages and Bruges still keeps swans in its canals
• The barbershop symbol’s connection to a medieval hospital
• Exactly where within the city you were considered safe from the law
• Why Bruges’s citizens are called “the fools”
• How a heroic blind donkey got a street named after him
• The reason sightings of witches and angels could have been real
• Why urine was traded in one tiny square, and where sayings like “piss-poor” originate from
I’m a traveler and I started Legends Tours with a friend after years of taking tours and realising that I only remember the quirky, interesting facts along the way. Legends Tours brings history to life through entertaining stories, so after this tour you’ll be sure to have plenty of fun facts to share with others.
This tour suits first time travelers, Bruges locals, folks interested in history, and even quickly bored kids. Allow at least 90 minutes for the tour but feel free to take your time, linger in some of the bars and restaurants en route, and take as many photos as you desire.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Nicolas Vanlanduyt
Born and bred in Bruges, I was caught at a young age by old stories. In primary school I had a teacher who would tell us an old legend every Friday afternoon before the weekend started. I was so fascinated I kept on telling those stories to everyone in Bruges and it became my passion. For 16 years, until it evolved into my own tour organization. After living and brainstorming in a van in Australia for 7 months me and my friend decided to found Legends Tours in 2015. Since then I’m not just telling the stories to the locals anymore but to all the visitors who come to Bruges. Next to that I studied brewery but these days I work as a teacher for kids with special needs.
How VoiceMap Works
How VoiceMap Works
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Map
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Market Square
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Belfry Tower
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Cloth Halls
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Gruuthuse Palace
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Old Saint John's Hospital
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Beguinage
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Lake of Love
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Half Moon Brewery
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Godshuis Rooms Convent
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Chruch of Our Lady
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Bridge of Love
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Arentshof
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Groeninge
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Dijver
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Rozenhoedkaai
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Tanner's Square
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Fishmarket
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Burg Square
Directions to Starting Point
Directions to Starting Point
Come to the Grote Markt, the market square in Bruges. Any bus, that goes through the center, stops at the Markt. In the middle of the square, there is a statue with 2 men. That is the starting point of the tour.
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Along the route, there are many restaurants and bars. For lunch, I'd recommend Poules Moules restaurant which is right next to the track and is known for its mussels. For a longer stop to enjoy dinner with traditional food, try Bagientje which is about 300 metres away from the stop at Minnewater.
Stopping for a beer is best done at one of the 2 breweries along the route. The Half Moon Brewery or the Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery. To explore more beer after the tour, cellar bar Le Trappiste can be recommended.
There are two museums that are worth stopping for. At the Gruuthuse museum (stop at Gruuthusepalace) you can visit a whole lot of medieval findings and information inside the palace. At the Groeninge museum, you can behold the paintings of the Flemish primitives.
Best time of day
The best time to do this tour is between 8am and 6pm. After 6.30pm the beguinage is closed. However, in the evening Bruges gets quiet and is light up by spotlights so you can for sure enjoy the tour at later times as well.
Precautions
Bruges is a very safe city. You can walk alone in any neighbourhood in the center during day and night. As a pedestrian, you have to watch out for the horse carriages. They keep going just like most of the local bike riders. If you keep walking on the sidewalk you should be ok.
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Thank you Nicolas. I am visiting Bruges on my own and wanted to explore the city in peace rather than in a big busy tour.
This tour provided such wonderful little details and I love all the places off the beaten track that it took me to. Real moments of magic punctuated by Nicolas’ dry humour.
It was a great way to spend a morning.
Thank you for your nice words! Amazing to see that the magic got through :) Glad you discovered Bruges and liked it!
We only had one afternoon in Bruges and used this to get an insight to the city. It was a revelation. The little nuggets of detail were fascinating and it truly brought the city to life. The guide has done a fantastic job!
Thank you for your nice words! "Bringing the city to life", that is one of the best compliments! :) Happy you had a nice experience :)
Waauw Nicolas ! Superrrr wat jij op een uurtje tijd allemaal laat zien en vertelt !! Merci. Ik kan deze Tour aan iedereen aanbevelen !! Een must om net dat tikkeltje meer uit je citytrip te halen. Echt top !! Wij troffen onderweg een koppel dat stiekem eventjes meeluisterde en meteen overtuigd was en de app en jouw route ook gedownload hebben ☺️
Dat is echt fantastisch om te horen! Zalig dat je zelf reclame maakt en andere reizigers overtuigt! Zeer bedankt daarvoor en voor de appreciatie :) :)
Very interesting and entertaining. Feels authentic and casual!
Thank you for your nice words! That is exactly what i hoped to achieve with my audiotour :)
Very nice way to see the city without all the tourists standing in your way. Great stories!
Thank you for your nice review :) Happy to hear you enjoyed the stories and the city!
happy I found this! made the most if my day visit in Bruges thanks to this guide, 5 star 🌟
Thank you for your nice comment! I am happy you enjoyed the tour and your day in Bruges :)
Probably the best tour I've ever taken! For those that are wondering how to make this app come to life. This is the model voice map tour! Fantastic job!
Thank you!! As my goal is to make history come to life, this is a very beautiful compliment! :) :) :)
Absolutely amazing tour which took me to all the unmissable sites in bruges. Really informative and fun! I learnt so much about the history of Bruges as well as loads of great stories and legends associated with the town. Also an excellent tour for photography lovers, as this tour takes you to so many beautiful locations. Well worth the price if you’re looking for a really personal, easygoing tour where you can go at your own pace. 10/10
Thank you very much for your kind words :) Lovely to see you like Bruges!
Great tour with lots of interesting spots and facts!
I'm happy you appreciated the tour and got the real Bruges experience :)