bruges Archives - Europe Up Close

Europe in Winter: Where to Go

Published/Revised August 29, 2017 By Cam Hassard This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

The Old World is a gift that keeps giving year round, from the mercurial peaks of the warmer months, to the subzero temps of December and beyond. It’s the latter, however, that tends to capture the imagination, a time when the old town architecture and cobbled streets simmer in the chill, and warming visions of hearty fare by firelight draw the budding European tourist in. Though you’ll need a ... Read Full Article

10 Places in Bruges You Can Visit in One Day

Published/Revised September 28, 2016 By Bram Reusen This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

If you are looking for a medieval town that oozes historic charm and seems to have jumped straight out of a fairy tale, Bruges, Belgium, is the place to go. A visit to Bruges Lined with cobbled streets and enchanting canals, dotted with imposing churches and other towers, and home to picturesque market squares and fascinating museums, the historic city center of Bruges is of such cultural ... Read Full Article

Hop on for a Benelux Culinary Tour

Published/Revised May 22, 2016 By Terri Fogarty This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Rail travel is often associated with the hateful commuter necessity that we experience daily or the iconic luxury experiences that we only read about; but is there anything in between? Those were my thoughts as I boarded the Eurostar for a nine day trip that would weave me across Benelux – Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg – for a Benelux culinary journey. My Benelux Culinary Tour The ... Read Full Article

UNESCO Sites: Top Things to See in Belgium

Published/Revised June 20, 2018 By Guest Contributor This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Belgium is home to eleven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but if you take into consideration all individual sites, there are no less than 60. That can be explained as follows: Two of Belgium’s official UNESCO World Heritage Sites are actually made up of several separate sites—there are 17 Flemish béguinages, which are regarded as just one world heritage site, while 33 belfries dot the country, which ... Read Full Article

Belgium’s Top Ten Beer Festivals

Published/Revised May 12, 2016 By Roy Stevenson This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

France has wine shows. Germany has its Oktoberfest. Belgium has beer festivals. Mention that you've frequented Belgian beer fests to a fellow enthusiast and you may get some envy or respect--for good reason. These events typically appeal to the aficionado rather than the casual beer drinker. Every year, thousands of Belgian and foreign beer hounds travel to towns big and small across the ... Read Full Article

Best Pubs in Western and Central Europe (well…some of them!)

Published/Revised August 31, 2018 By Cam Hassard This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Usually, the thought of a tasty, ice cold brew at the end of a long trek is what keeps even the most intrepid traveler fueled and focused when life on the road gets a little hard going. Thankfully, pretty much everywhere you go in Europe you’re up to your waist in world-class brew, and better yet, a veritable variety of amazing venues in which to relax, unwind and meet great people while you ... Read Full Article

European Beer: Tipple Across Europe on St. Paddy’s Day

Published/Revised June 11, 2014 By Andrea MacDonald This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

In time for another of Europe’s favourite days for a tipple of beer - St. Patrick’s Day - here is a guide to five countries where you’ll get a history lesson with every pint (don’t worry, you won’t be quizzed). When you think European beverages, you probably conjure up French wine, Italian Limoncello, Russian vodka, or maybe Greek ouzo if you’re adventurous. European beer, although always a ... Read Full Article

Hot Chocolate Heaven at De Proeverie in Bruges, Belgium

Published/Revised November 3, 2014 By Rachel Newcombe This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

It’s hard to avoid chocolate when you’re visiting Belgium and especially so in Bruges, where there are chocolate shops galore. As if it weren’t enough to be tempted by hundreds of chocolate shops, hot chocolate drinks are also widely available on menus around the city. One tea room that we highly recommend is De Proeverie, where we sampled their speciality hot chocolate. De Proeverie is ... Read Full Article

Bruges: Belgium’s Fairytale City

Published/Revised May 14, 2016 By Staff This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Bruges is a fairytale paradise in the tiny European country of Belgium. Stepping off the train at the station, you are immediately transported back in time to medieval Europe, a period when the primary mode of transport was by horse and carriage. The city is popular with visitors worldwide for its canals as well as locally produced lace, chocolate, and beer. Bruges is called the ‘Venice of the ... Read Full Article