Historical Walking Tour: Legends of Bruges

Explore Bruges with a passionate local guide and discover the stories behind one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities. Wander through charming streets, picturesque squares and hidden corners as you journey back to the days when Bruges was one of the world's most prosperous trading centres. Along the way, you'll hear fascinating tales of love, ambition, triumph, and betrayal, while uncovering the people and events that shaped the city's remarkable past. Your guide will also be happy to share local tips on where to eat, drink and explore during your stay. By the end of the tour you'll know more than a local! IMPORTANT NOTE: Our guides are volunteers who offer tours for tips. The fee only covers the cost of booking via this platform, please bring cash to reward the guide if you enjoyed the tour.

Itinerary

1. We start here with an introduction about the history of Bruges and the role the city played as a trading hub in medieval times. We also go deeper into the troublesome relationship between the city of Bruges and the French king. (15 min)
2. We visit the halls behind the bellfry and explain you the important role the tower has played during the Middle Ages. (10 min)
3. This newly renovated city palace belonged to a wealthy family in Bruges, who held a monopoly on a specific part of the beer trade. Our guide will tell you all about it. (10 min)
4. We make a stop at the magnificent hospital of St John, one of the oldest still exisitng hospitals in the world and one of the cornerstones of medieval society. (10 min)
5. We'll take you for a walk into the picturesque beguinage, the biggest of its kind in the world, where a community of ladies have lived together for over 800 years. (10 min)
6. We stop in front of the brewery to tell you the story of how the people of Bruges got the nickname 'Fools of Bruges' and to show you a piece of the beer pipeline that flows beneath our city. (10 min)
7. By the Lake of Love we tell you the story of why we have swans on the canals of Bruges and how the city got into a conflict with Emperor Maximilian of Austria. (15 min)
8. We'll tell you the story of this iconic church, which is the 2nd tallest brick tower in the world and houses a statue by Michelangelo as well as the tombs of the last Dukes of Burgundy. (10 min)
9. We venture into the garden of the Groeninge Museum, where some of the works of the biggest Flemish masters are on display. (5 min)
10. We take you to the old Tanner's square, where the smelly business took place of greasing skins and turning them into leather. (10 min)
11. After passing by the old Fishmarket, we end the tour on the Burg square, the political heart and birthplace of the city of Bruges. (15 min)

Meeting & end point