A well laid out and inviting museum that allows you to get up close to some of the best artowrks by…read morethe Flemish masters. Van Eyck and Bosch are represented, as well as a smattering of post-modern artists from the 20th century. I enjoyed how each room represented a particular artistic movement chronologically. A nice way to spend 90 minutes or so.

Flemish art overload. Allow 1-3/4 hours. Each room had multi-lingual explanatory cards (a great…read moreidea). + padded benches €30 for 2

This museum has things going back to the 1400s. Very well preserved and interesting history about…read morea famous wealthy person. It's a must see for history buffs.

This museum is a gorgeous interlude showing the history of Bruges over time as well as medieval…read morehistory in general. Definitely worth checking out for anyone who enjoys history and/or art. One pleasant surprise is the balcony on an upper floor that provides a very nice view of Bruges! You also can peek into the neighboring church in the way that the wealthy family who once lived here used to do--from their private oratory.

I used my Brugge Museum Pass (purchased online and most cost effective when visiting 3 or more…read moremuseums/activities in 72 hours) and had the QR code scanned for admittance. If you have any backpacks or bags then you must store them in the free lockers due to the tight confines on the staircase. The climb was up 366 steps that first started with stone but later turned into narrower wooden steps making a tight staircase with two way traffic. If timed correctly then you may see and hear the carillon in action for a few minutes. That was the highlight of my visit but there are scheduled carillon "concerts" to enjoy when in Brugge. The views were nice as could be on that cloudy morning. Wire screens on all opening impacted some photos but one can capture most of the city. On the way down I took my time and finally stopped to view the exhibits on the bells, drum (programming for ringing the bells), carillon, the tower history, etc. Before exiting the staff will rescan your ticket. There was a small gift shop after the turnstiles.

I told myself that I am going to the top of Belfort even if it kills me…read more This is the center of Bruges. U just have to do this if u r here. From the outside looks like a medieval castle but it is a bell tower built in the 13th century, actually Bruges is a medieval city. It has 366 steps but felt like 1,000. Going up my heart felt like it was going to explode, on the way down does not affect ur cardio but hard on the knees. There is a thick rope on the right side to hold on too. Right of way goes to people going down. There are three levels u can take a break. One rest has the mechanical carillon which controls the music box, I was fortunate to be there when it was activated. This was physically brutal but I felt like I accomplished something big. I am physically strong however I realize I need to work on my cardio. Additionally, there was a Christmas Market in front of Belfort as well as others within walking distance. So much delicious food at the Christmas Markets. Belgian waffles are delicious, but they don't put syrup on them, they uses strawberries and bananas, powdered sugar or nutella. Hot wine is a thing, probably because it is about 40 degrees. The streets and businesses have lights and Christmas decorations, so festive. There was a celebrity chef Kurt Mortier there making delicious bratwurst, the line was long, he was very friendly, sausages are a big deal here. My favorite food discovery was chicken in mushroom cream sauce, where has this dish been all my life? This is the Christmas magic I felt as a child. There is a Santa Claus.

A simple little stop to learn more about fries and the history of fries. It was a rainy day so the…read moreindoor comfort was welcome. Be prepared for a ton of reading. While reading isn't bad, I was just expecting a different interaction. Once you get to the upper floors there are more visual exhibits so while the entrance was heavy on reading, know it changes later in the exhibit. There are a ton of artifacts from history related to taters that are fun to see. They have really don't a great job setting this museum up to give you the full picture of fries and their life. Fries are my favorite food group so it was nice to get to know them better.

Illness (biliary colic). The staff generously offered pomme frites to my brother. He reported they…read morewere chewy and did not taste right. Such a durable texture and off-flavor suggests re-frying old fries (tough) in old oil (off taste). 4 hours later he suffered 7.5 out of 10 biliary colic. We were all worried for his health. He pulled through. Moral of the Frietmuseum: Don't eat their fries.

Nice lithographic collection representing a wide array of Dali's artistic career. There are also a…read morelarge number of lithographs for sale if you were so inclined..... The audio tour was a decent accounting of the various periods in Dali's history & provided a good recounting of the inspiration of the piece as well as a bit about his personal life. What we really liked was the fact the audio tour was on a smaller iPad-like apparatus & provided visual as well as audio factoids which enhanced the overall experience. Nice touch & if you should come to this expo, paying extra for the audio tour would be well worth it Dali's short film was also showcased & while a little disturbing, it really highlighted the essence of Dali because after all, isn't most of his work on the disturbing side & that's what makes it all so fascinating? A-OK visit & worth a stop if you have had enough chocolates & waffles & have some time to spend in Bruges

An excellent selection of Dali's work. I especially appreciated the number of sketches they had…read moreavailable to view. There is even a small shop to purchase copies. Not sure if you can call them original or prints or copies, but that is a fact the museum audio tour can begin to describe for you. That being said, the biggest disappointment when it came to this museum was how out of sync the audio numbers (linking to the audio tour) to the works where they were posted. The audio tour would go into some pretty significant details, however, you'd have trouble matching what they were talking about and why. It ended up being more a source of frustration than education or entertainment. As such, I would not call this one a must-do. However, if you are hopping around Europe and just tried of checking out churches after churches, this one could offer a change of pace, even if for just 30-45 minutes.

The basilica was tucked away in a corner of this plaza hemmed in on one side by City Hall and the…read moreother side by the Basilica of St. Basil. I was able to enter the Basilica before mass and had the opportunity to explore both chapels. Upstairs was the ornate and richly painted chapel with a beautiful wooden ceiling. Downstairs the chapel was quite stark and a bit dark. Quite a contrast between the two different styles. The relic containing the cloth with the blood of Christ was located on a platform overseen by a sitting priest. One queued at the bottom while the person ahead spent time looking at the container. I suggest starting here before exploring the rest of the basilica in case of lines.

Tucked away in the corner of the square laid the church that has a sample cloth of Jesus' blood…read more The church had many wooden pieces and relics. Wonderful place to sit and reflect.

When I visited the beautiful medieval city of Bruges, I joined a tour that included a visit to the…read moreChoco-Story Museum. We were taken to the chocolate classroom, where the chocolatier explained the chocolate-making process, the history of cacao, and demonstrated the actual process of making chocolate. We actually tried the chocolate right after the chocolatier made it, and it was incredibly delicious. After the class, we walked through the entire museum, which featured many chocolate artworks, free chocolate tastings, and a gift shop. I purchased a chocolate box as a gift and discovered many interesting chocolate products in the gift shop. I really enjoyed the museum experience, especially seeing the various chocolate artworks.

I cannot believe more people do not give more stars to this place…read more Whoever made this museum ... no detail in the story of the history of chocolate is left unexplored. There are three or four floors chock full of exhibits on every possible aspect of the history of chocolate from the ancient Maya to ads to the Spanish conquistadors to the French royal family ... ancient artifacts and all the tools each successive era used to produce and consume chocolate ... honestly it's a great way to get some global history learning in on vacation. And, unlimited chocolate samples at the end plus an interesting free demonstration. Many disappointed tourists showed up and were turned away so be sure to get your tickets online the day before. €14 per adult.

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.

This building is the biggest and most prominent on the Bruges main square. Go inside on a rainy day…read moreto do the VR experience or history experience, or simply go up to the top level's beer bar for a quick drink and view of the square from above (no cost to just walk up). The VR experience was included in the ticket we chose and actually pretty cool to see that there was once a canal going under the building for board and commerce in Bruges. The history experience throughout the building was a little strange -- like an animatronic story where you walk in room after room. I liked how interactive and Disney-like it was, but the story in general is just a little random (?). You follow a pretty girl in a red cloak through the markets and there's a bird and a painter and people looking for her or something? I would've loved to learn more about actual Bruges which is why I wouldn't consider it a must-do for visitors. We brought our toddler with us through it, but I wouldn't recommend for kids under 15 ish... it's dark and there's a room with women of the night portrayed so it just kind of leaves you wondering who this general exhibit is for as most of it would be great for kids but then there's that dropped into it for no reason. The beer bar and view is cool though! PS: The shop inside could be improved as it has a lot of junky merch and the main manager lady is not friendly... she got upset at one of her employees and we felt bad for them because she hadn't been nice to us either.

Overpriced, low-budget experience with little historical relevance to Bruges. The VR Virtual…read moreReality film feels two decades old. The story of Jacob is uninteresting and focuses on a lost bird as you meander through 8 rooms with plastic decorations. I would love to see the IQ test results from anyone who rated this 5 stars. Seems to be targeted at people who don't get outside much. They upsell you on the tower climb which only accommodates 6 people at a time, leading to long wait times. Staff is hapless, and the supervisor is a condescending prick. They got our 62 euros though, so I guess they win.