Scotland

Bruges is a small Belgium city that has been made famous by a certain recent gangster movie. While the movie is all about the criminal side of things, Bruges is actually a cultural hotspot for Belgium. Specifically, we are talking museums.

Every city, even a drab one, has an immediate obvious theme. Bruges screams history in the form of museums. Frankly, they are plentiful. The city is quaint enough to be worth visiting anyway with an old historic town and canals, but history buffs will really love it.

Love museums? A small sampling of the best in Bruges includes the Groeninge, Memling, Archeological, Gruuthuse and Folklore Museums as well as the Renaissance Hall. There are many more niche oriented museums as well. You just have to walk five feet to find new ones.

First up on our trip around Bruges is the Folklore Museum. Very popular with visitors, it is a cobbler’s heaven with 17th century almshouses. You can view ancient confectioner’s shops, classrooms and cobbler studios among other sites.

Love art with a local twist? The Groeninge Museum is the place to visit. It is a fine arts gallery packed with works from well known local artists. They include people such as Jan Van Eyck, Memling, and Gerard David.

The Van Brugghe-van der Aa family gives us our next must see museum – the Gruuthuse. It is a Gruut house formerly owned by the family. Gruut refers to a spice that was used to create beer that was incredibly popular.

The Memling Museum is, essentially, a tribute to the life of artist Hans Memling. Hans Memling was one of the most influential Flemish painters, though he was actually born in Germany. The museum is bathed in light and paint – something that is not to be missed.

Unlike most of the other museums that Bruges has to offer, Renaissance Hall can really transport a visitor back to the palace of the Brugse Vrije. You will find that a 16th century Renaissance chimney, lots of gleaming wood, and plenty of fine alabaster do a nice job transporting you back in time.

Contrasting old and new is what the Archeological Museum is all about. You can view Bruges through time and then walk out the door to see the modern version of the city. It will give you an odd sense of perspective of time running through the hour glass.

Bruges has much to offer in addition to the museums. It is one of those cities you enjoy by just being there. The people are friendly and the city has much to offer in casual comfort and atmosphere. A walk around the canals is certainly an enjoyable time.