Bruges in Belgium: Instagram vs. reality

DW (English)

Romantic canals, medieval buildings and opulent squares: this is the social media image of Bruges. But does the city live up to the photos?

Transcript

00:00The city of Bruges dates back to the 9th century, but it experienced its heyday in the late

00:05Middle Ages.

00:07This was due to the Flemish nobility and the city's access to the sea.

00:11As a result, Bruges became one of the largest and most important trading centres in Europe,

00:15especially for textiles, but eventually nobles and merchants left and sea access dried up.

00:22The city became impoverished and the Industrial Revolution largely bypassed it.

00:26What remained, however, were the medieval structures and the canals.

00:30Because of these, Bruges is known as the Venice of the North.

00:34It attracts millions of tourists every year, who put the city of around 120,000 inhabitants

00:40in the spotlight on social media.

00:41We'll show you the best places and see if they live up to the hype.

00:47Reality check number one, Rosenhut Kai, the Rosary Quay, perhaps the most famous photo

00:52spot.

00:54Our tip?

00:55Explore it by boat.

00:56A boat trip through the canals of Bruges is a great way to start the day.

01:04The trip costs around 15 euros for adults and starts at 10am and takes place throughout

01:10the day.

01:11However, check the schedule in winter, as times may change.

01:15The boat makes several stops during the route.

01:18The most important sights are explained on the approximately 30-minute trip.

01:22Brilliant.

01:23Absolutely brilliant.

01:24Yeah.

01:25Well worth the money.

01:26Very informative, because a lot of these buildings here we wouldn't have known about, so it was

01:29really good.

01:30But for the typical online photo, you'll have to go ashore.

01:34It's not quite as empty and exclusive as it looks on social media.

01:39There's a lot of hustle and bustle on the quay, and everyone wants to get the best photo.

01:47Our conclusion?

01:48The view is still worth it, and the boat tour is really fun.

01:54Especially when the weather is nice.

02:01Reality check number two.

02:02The market square in Bruges.

02:05The colourful houses on the square are real eye-catchers.

02:12And they once had an important function.

02:16These are 18th century guild houses.

02:21And the one right behind the statue, Le Pannier d'Or, the golden basket, that was the guild

02:28house of the roofers.

02:31So they took tiles and baskets on top of the houses to cover the roofs.

02:35And the two reddish-brown ones to the right, these were the guild houses of the fishmongers.

02:44Today these houses, in the middle of the lively market square, hold restaurants.

02:49And the square is very popular with tourists.

02:55The architecture, I mean, this is just gorgeous.

02:57Coming from the States, you don't see architecture like this at all.

03:00In terms of popularity, it passed our reality check.

03:03But to get photos like the ones you see posted online, you'll need to be a bit lucky with

03:07the light and manage to block out the other visitors.

03:11What would a trip to Bruges be without waffles?

03:14Do the typical Belgian waffles taste as good as they look on social media platforms?

03:19Here in Otto's Waffle Atelier, they bake very special ones.

03:24Our waffles are made in the form of lace, which is very known in Bruges.

03:29We have the waffle rind that's custom-made, especially for that.

03:32It's also made with gluten-free oat flour, so all our waffles here are gluten-free.

03:37And they're also dairy-free.

03:39They also try to work with lots of organic and local products.

03:43So how does it taste?

03:45Delicious.

03:47And a perfect spot for pictures.

03:49The waffle store is right next to a beautiful canal.

03:53Our conclusion?

03:54Even though Bruges has much more to offer than just waffles, we think they are simply

03:58part of a trip to the city, and they taste great too.

04:08Bruges impresses visitors from all over the world.

04:11It delivers what it promises on social networks, even if you need a bit of luck with the weather.

04:16And if it gets too busy for you, there are also quieter areas of the city.

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