3 days in Bruges

Brugse Vrije (Liberty of Bruges)

The former seat of the Liberty of Bruges, with a courtroom with a monumental fireplace from 1528.

45 min visitOpen 9:30 am–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €3

Save it for Saturday or Sunday. A Stadhuis ticket from a weekday lets you in at the weekend within seven days.

Open at weekends only, from 09:30 to 17:00, with the last entry 30 minutes before closing.

Source: Musea Brugge (Brugse Vrije), checked November 3, 2026

Rozenhoedkaai (Rosary Quay)

The canal corner with the best-known view in Bruges, where rosaries were once sold.

45 min visitAlways open

Visit in the morning or the evening, since the city says the view works at any hour and in any weather. Boat trips on the canals are an easy follow-up.

Source: Visit Bruges (Stad Brugge), checked November 3, 2026

Gruuthusemuseum

A city palace with 500 years of Bruges history in tapestries, glass, lace and manuscripts.

2 h 30 visitOpen 9:30 am–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €15

Do not leave it for Wednesday. Look for the oratory that links the palace to the Church of Our Lady.

Open from 09:30 to 17:00 and closed on Wednesdays. The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December. The museum is not wheelchair accessible because of steps.

Source: Musea Brugge (Gruuthusemuseum), checked November 3, 2026

Basilica of the Holy Blood

A small basilica on Burg that keeps a relic of the Holy Blood. The basilica is free, and a museum with the treasury is paid.

1 h visitOpen 10:00 am–5:15 pm

If you want to see the veneration of the relic, arrive in the afternoon between 14:00 and 16:00.

Open every day from 10:00 to 17:15. During religious services the basilica can only be entered by people who attend them. The relic is venerated every day from 14:00 to 16:00 and also on Fridays from 10:15 to 11:00.

Source: Heilig Bloedbasiliek (Holyblood), checked November 3, 2026

Burg Square

The second main square, where Bruges has been governed for centuries, with the Gothic Town Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

1 h visitAlways open

Use Burg as a hub: the Town Hall, the Basilica, the Brugse Vrije and the Rozenhoedkaai are all around it.

Source: Visit Bruges (Stad Brugge), checked November 3, 2026

Markt (Market Square)

The main square of Bruges, lined with stepped gables and dominated by the Belfry. Horse carriages wait here.

1 h visitAlways open

Use it as the starting point of a walk: the Belfry, Burg and the Rozenhoedkaai are all around it.

Source: Visit Bruges (Stad Brugge), checked November 3, 2026

Groeningemuseum

The city's art museum, with six centuries of paintings from the Flemish primitives to Magritte.

2 h 30 visitOpen 9:30 am–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €15

Go in the morning and start with the Flemish primitives. This is the last chance to see the collection in its present building before the refurbishment.

From 3 November to 31 March it is open from 09:30 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays. From 1 April to 2 November it is open from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays. The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and it closes on 11 January for a four-year refurbishment. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 16:00.

Source: Musea Brugge (Groeningemuseum), checked November 3, 2026

Begijnhof (Beguinage)

The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde, founded in 1245, with white house fronts and a quiet convent garden.

1 h visitHours not confirmed. Check the official site.

Walk in silence, as the city asks. Early in the day it is at its quietest.

Visit Bruges states that the opening hours of the day can change and does not give fixed hours. Check the page on the day of your visit.

Source: Visit Bruges (Stad Brugge), checked November 3, 2026

Museum Sint-Janshospitaal

A 12th-century hospital with the Memling masterpieces, a 17th-century pharmacy and contemporary art.

2 h 30 visitOpen 9:30 am–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €15

Pair it with the Church of Our Lady on Mariastraat, since the two are close together.

Open from 09:30 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays. The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and it closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December. On Easter Monday and Whit Monday it is open.

Source: Musea Brugge (Museum Sint-Janshospitaal), checked November 3, 2026

Stadhuis (City Hall)

One of the oldest city halls in the Low Countries, with a Gothic hall and an exhibition on Bruges and the sea.

1 h visitOpen 9:30 am–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €8

If you buy the ticket on a weekday you can return at the weekend within seven days to see the Brugse Vrije with the same ticket.

Open daily from 09:30 to 17:00, with the last entry 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on 25 December, 1 January and Ascension Day, and closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December. Part of it is closed on the last Monday of each month (except July) for the city council, and for weddings, which can happen on Tuesday mornings, Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.

Source: Musea Brugge (Stadhuis), checked November 3, 2026

Belfry (Belfort)

The 83-metre tower on Markt, with 366 steps up to a view over the old town and the countryside around it.

2 h 30 visitOpen 10:00 am–6:00 pm · last entry 5:00 pmAdult ticket €15

Go early or on a weekday when the steps are quieter, and plan the climb for clear weather. The carillon is played on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 12:00, and hearing protection is free at the desk.

The Belfry is a busy location and Musea Brugge recommends booking your ticket online in advance.

From 3 November to 31 March the Belfry is open Monday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday 09:00 to 20:00 and Sunday 09:00 to 18:00. From 1 April to 2 November it is open daily 09:00 to 20:00. The last entry is one hour before closing. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January and opens 09:00 to 16:00 on 24 and 31 December.

Source: Musea Brugge (Belfort), checked November 3, 2026

Saint Salvator's Cathedral

The cathedral of Bruges, part of the skyline with the Belfry and the Church of Our Lady. Entry is free.

1 h visitOpen 2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Time the visit for the morning or the later afternoon, and note the lunch break from 13:00 to 14:00.

Open Monday to Friday 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:30, Saturday 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 15:30, and Sunday 14:00 to 17:00. The treasury keeps its own hours, which are posted on the cathedral site.

Source: Sint-Salvatorskathedraal Brugge, checked November 3, 2026

Church of Our Lady

The brick church whose tower is a landmark of the skyline, with Michelangelo's marble Madonna and Child in the museum part.

1 h 30 visitOpen 1:30 pm–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €10

Check the calendar on the Musea Brugge page the day before, since weddings and funerals close the church.

Open Monday to Saturday from 09:30 to 17:00 and on Sunday from 13:30 to 17:00, with the last entry 30 minutes before closing. It closes for weddings and funerals, and it is closed on 25 December, 1 January and Ascension Day. On other Catholic holidays it opens from 13:30. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 16:00.

Source: Musea Brugge (O.L.V.-kerk Museum), checked November 3, 2026

Minnewater (Lake of Love)

A lake and park at the south end of the centre, with the Lovers' Bridge and a quiet path.

1 h visitAlways open

Walk the park paths and then go on along the city ramparts, where there are benches.

Source: Visit Bruges (Stad Brugge), checked November 3, 2026