This city hall was over 600 years old and in open for public visits…read more Most of the first floor was freely accessible. A small gift shop and ticket counter was to the left after entering. After paying admission or scanning the Brugge Museum Card, all backpacks or large bags had to be stored in the free lockers behind the ticket desk before heading to the second floor. The main attraction was the Gothic room which was very ornate with epic paintings of Brugge history that wrapped around all four walls. Worth following along with the explanation placards (available at the entrance). A side room contained a VR map that traced the evolution of Brugge over time. Headphones needed to be set to your preferred language by the staff. After seeing the gothic room then head next door to the Renaissance Room (if it's open) or to the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

City Hall from 1376 in the Burg Square next to the Markt. There were benches & some greenery in…read morethis square. This is where locals get permits & licenses today. The beautiful square was filled with restaurants & shops.

Bruges is just an amazingly impressive old town. Even though big in size at first glance, it's very…read moreeasy to walk and to get around. Most of it is pretty flat, so also suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Just be aware that some cobbled streets might make it a bit more difficult It's hard to describe what to see and what to do. Your options are endless and one day will not be enough. Just to see to historic center takes more than a day. And that's without visiting museums or taking a little river/canal cruise. Maybe plan the big must-do's. And after that ... or during ... it's just fun to stroll around and get lost in the streets and lanes of Bruges. Some of the sights you really should check out: - Belfort Tower - Markt / Marktplatz - Brugse Vrije - Stadhuis Brugge - Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - De Burg Square - Huidenvettersplein - Nepomucenusbrug - Meebrug - Sint-Salvatorskathedraal - Bonifazius Bridge - Zuidzandstraat - Dijver - Rozenhoedkaai - Steenstraat - Sint-Amandsstraat And that's just to cover the biggest and most famous sights and streets. Belgian Waffles and chocolate. Give them a try. Surely a must-do. We sampled some. But sadly weren't convinced much. Nothing beats Swiss chocolate. An amazing old town. We really enjoyed it. One of the most pretty historic old towns we know. And we've seen many. Bruges. Really a place you must see at least once in your life. We love it and will be back one day.

Since it carries the name Bourse it suggests that this used to the the former stock exchange,…read morethough considering that were are now in France I would have thought that the Stock Exchange would have been located in Paris. However, what this place actually is is a market place, and when we wandered through here on Sunday discovered that all of the regional booksellers had descended upon the town to begin selling their wares. Basically you could find quite a number of second-hand French books as well as numerous posters and other things (such as records). There are also a number of shops around the outside that are basically regular shops, but if you are looking for a bargain then definitely step inside and have a bit of a look around.

A brilliant building to check out in the middle of Lille. Inside there is also a book market and…read moresome art works sold which is quite a wonderful use of space in the Old Stock Exchange!

I didn't know about Canadian National Vimy Memorial until this visit. My bad. Canada lost many…read morelives in Vimy, on this site, in World War One. The memorial is beautiful. The various statues symbolize our emotions. The guided tour is the best part of the visit. It includes a short section of a tunnel dug during the war. Our guide explained how the war in Vimy was like, and the conditions the soldiers had to endure above and below ground: Cold and muddy; digging the tunnel by hand then hand carrying the rocks in bags for whatever long distance to get out of the tunnel and bury the bags in mud; mines blowing up just past the trench; hearing the noises of war. As she talked, I felt creeps running down my back. I wouldn't have last a week here, let alone the 3 months the soldiers endured during their rotation. Many Canadians died or suffered here to defend an ideal, to defend freedom. I feel grateful for the freedom and comfort we have nowadays. I have immerse respect for Canadian veterans and soldiers. Please pay a visit when you are near. It is only 1.5 hour drive from Brussels.