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Bruges in Belgium: Instagram vs. reality
DW (English)
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2/7/2025
Romantic canals, medieval buildings and opulent squares: this is the social media image of Bruges. But does the city live up to the photos?
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News
Transcript
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00:00
The city of Bruges dates back to the 9th century, but it experienced its heyday in the late
00:05
Middle Ages.
00:07
This was due to the Flemish nobility and the city's access to the sea.
00:11
As a result, Bruges became one of the largest and most important trading centres in Europe,
00:15
especially for textiles, but eventually nobles and merchants left and sea access dried up.
00:22
The city became impoverished and the Industrial Revolution largely bypassed it.
00:26
What remained, however, were the medieval structures and the canals.
00:30
Because of these, Bruges is known as the Venice of the North.
00:34
It attracts millions of tourists every year, who put the city of around 120,000 inhabitants
00:40
in the spotlight on social media.
00:41
We'll show you the best places and see if they live up to the hype.
00:47
Reality check number one, Rosenhut Kai, the Rosary Quay, perhaps the most famous photo
00:52
spot.
00:54
Our tip?
00:55
Explore it by boat.
00:56
A boat trip through the canals of Bruges is a great way to start the day.
01:04
The trip costs around 15 euros for adults and starts at 10am and takes place throughout
01:10
the day.
01:11
However, check the schedule in winter, as times may change.
01:15
The boat makes several stops during the route.
01:18
The most important sights are explained on the approximately 30-minute trip.
01:22
Brilliant.
01:23
Absolutely brilliant.
01:24
Yeah.
01:25
Well worth the money.
01:26
Very informative, because a lot of these buildings here we wouldn't have known about, so it was
01:29
really good.
01:30
But for the typical online photo, you'll have to go ashore.
01:34
It's not quite as empty and exclusive as it looks on social media.
01:39
There's a lot of hustle and bustle on the quay, and everyone wants to get the best photo.
01:47
Our conclusion?
01:48
The view is still worth it, and the boat tour is really fun.
01:54
Especially when the weather is nice.
02:01
Reality check number two.
02:02
The market square in Bruges.
02:05
The colourful houses on the square are real eye-catchers.
02:12
And they once had an important function.
02:16
These are 18th century guild houses.
02:21
And the one right behind the statue, Le Pannier d'Or, the golden basket, that was the guild
02:28
house of the roofers.
02:31
So they took tiles and baskets on top of the houses to cover the roofs.
02:35
And the two reddish-brown ones to the right, these were the guild houses of the fishmongers.
02:44
Today these houses, in the middle of the lively market square, hold restaurants.
02:49
And the square is very popular with tourists.
02:55
The architecture, I mean, this is just gorgeous.
02:57
Coming from the States, you don't see architecture like this at all.
03:00
In terms of popularity, it passed our reality check.
03:03
But to get photos like the ones you see posted online, you'll need to be a bit lucky with
03:07
the light and manage to block out the other visitors.
03:11
What would a trip to Bruges be without waffles?
03:14
Do the typical Belgian waffles taste as good as they look on social media platforms?
03:19
Here in Otto's Waffle Atelier, they bake very special ones.
03:24
Our waffles are made in the form of lace, which is very known in Bruges.
03:29
We have the waffle rind that's custom-made, especially for that.
03:32
It's also made with gluten-free oat flour, so all our waffles here are gluten-free.
03:37
And they're also dairy-free.
03:39
They also try to work with lots of organic and local products.
03:43
So how does it taste?
03:45
Delicious.
03:47
And a perfect spot for pictures.
03:49
The waffle store is right next to a beautiful canal.
03:53
Our conclusion?
03:54
Even though Bruges has much more to offer than just waffles, we think they are simply
03:58
part of a trip to the city, and they taste great too.
04:08
Bruges impresses visitors from all over the world.
04:11
It delivers what it promises on social networks, even if you need a bit of luck with the weather.
04:16
And if it gets too busy for you, there are also quieter areas of the city.
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4:38
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