The Belgian city of Bruges is known for its picturesque beauty, cobble-stoned streets and stunning architecture showing its rich history. It’s not known for its sunny warm weather unfortunately and it’s best to bring an umbrella no matter what time of the year you visit! Belgian weather is temperamental and prone to mood swings which fortunately means even the worst rain doesn’t last too long. If you find yourself caught in a shower with some time to spend indoors, here are some of our best suggestions for things to do until it passes. Book your stay in Green Park Hotel Bruges and enjoy the best of our beautiful city, rain, hail, or shine.
Enjoy Traditional Belgian Food
There is no better place to be in a rainstorm than inside a cosy Belgian café, surrounded by friends and great food. Choose a traditional café and enjoy some local delicacies while you’re here, experiencing our beautiful home like a local. Flemish cuisine is known for its fries and waffles, as well as beef stew, Belgian endive, and of course, beer & chocolate which we export all over the world. Poules Moules is a casual restaurant in the centre of town specialising in Belgian cuisines and mussels, a staple of Belgian diets. If you’re in search of something sweet Chez Albert has the most fantastic waffles topped with sweets of your choosing.
Learn about Dalí
Did you know that Bruges has one of the foremost collections of the life and work of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí? The display exhibits more than 300 works by Salvador Dalí from a private collection with paintings, sculptures, engravings, surrealist objects, and furniture on show. The permanent exhibition is in the Cloths Halls (another great rainy day activity) and shows a selection of Dali’s graphics and statues, creating a weird and wonderful journey through the artist’s mind. A highlight is the Alice in Wonderland collection. Although they might seem worlds apart, the artist illustrated an edition of the book in 1969. Look closely to find hidden characters and scenes that aren’t immediately obvious.
Climb the Belfry of Bruges
Not immediately obvious as a rainy-day activity, we promise the views from the top of the Belfry of Bruges are like nothing you have seen before, even in the rain. Fewer people venture up the 83-meter (272ft) tower in the rain which means less time waiting at the bottom, ideal! In the past, the Belfry was used to house archives and as a lookout to spot fires and incoming danger. Today, it’s a museum and one of the most popular attractions in Bruges. It’s one of the oldest examples of medieval urban architecture and is protected as a UNESCO Heritage Site. Best of all, it’s all indoors – but with no glass in many windows you’ll still need to wrap up.
Belgian Chocolate
Chocolate is of course the world’s best invention and although we can’t claim its origins, we can confidently say the Belgians perfected this sweet treat. Visitors will love spending a couple of rainy hours discovering the chocolate-themed attractions in Bruges, like the Chocolate Museum. Choco-Story details the history of the world’s most treasured sweet treat from the hot chocolate drink brewed by the Mayans to today. If you’re not all chocolate-d out after that trip, visit some of the dozen chocolate shops in the city, stocking up on some delicious flavours to take home. You’ll be surprised by the chocolate combinations you’ll find.
Discover a Michelangelo
Towering above or peeking out from between the magnificent Bruges architecture is the Church of Our Lady. Whether you’re catholic or not, all are welcome to explore this beautiful church and its interior which is truly impressive. Dating back to the 13th Century, this 115-metre-high building in Scheldt Gothic style is one of the most impressive buildings in the city and its tower is an iconic part of the Bruges skyline. Inside the church, there is a museum which boasts a large art collection. Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child is the most famous piece you can see and is a true masterpiece that pictures could not replicate.
Bruges is such a beautiful city, and you may only visit once, so don’t miss out by being stuck indoors. Brave the weather and enjoy the adventure rain, hail or shine. Book Green Park Hotel’s best available rates exclusively on our website.
