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Published: February 5th 2011
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If Heaven is anything like Bruges, I’ll start repenting my heathen ways immediately! It’s a beer utopia— a wonderland of strong, flavorful, light and dark beers. Many are even brewed by monks, so each sip is a religious experience. Okay, I’m overstating it a bit, but the beer is great, the variety is like nothing I’ve ever seen, and the city itself is a medieval time capsule.
Stepping off the bus from the train station is like stepping back in time. We arrived at dusk, which lent an eerie quality to this medieval town. We quickly found our hotel, a former monastery, and checked in. As we climbed the dimly lit stairs and walked down the hallway bathed in the fading light of day, it occurred to me that if I were ever to stay in a haunted residence, this place would likely be it; every floorboard and hinge creaked, and as each falling footstep echoed, I became a bit more unsettled. Luckily, the only thing that haunted us was a lack of air conditioning.
We dropped off our bags and went to get a bite to eat. The place we chose lent credence
to the creepy, ghost-like feel of the city. The Gran Kaffee de Passage (www.passagebruges.com) serves up Belgian cuisine and beers in an ornately decorated setting. The dark wood walls of the main room, lit almost exclusively by candle, are decorated with stuffed animal heads and tapestries. There are quaint tables for small groups, while the backroom has a long dining table beneath an enormous wrought-iron chandelier. Flemish stew is the house specialty, and we both indulged in this rich and meaty dish. A dark Leffe beer is the perfect compliment to the stew since it’s also one of the ingredients. The obligatory baked potato and salad that accompanied the meal were unnecessary; the main attractions are the stew, the beer, and the ambiance.
I awoke the next morning to find the city’s peculiar, ghostly character replaced by inviting cobblestone streets, beautiful canals, and stone edifices that silently watched over all. I couldn’t wait to get out, roam, and discover what the city hid in it’s out of the way alleys and side streets. It’s nearly impossible to get lost in Bruges, but in small towns like this, I love to put my map in my back pocket, wander
aimlessly, and try.
My first stop was the Church of Our Lady, notable for containing the only Michelangelo statue outside of Italy. The small sculpture is a less remarkable piece, but being a Michelangelo, it’s worth seeing. The cool, damp air inside the church can be a welcome reprieve from the heat of the summer sun, but the musty, basement-like smell is the trade-off. Choir music sets a serene and meditative tone, inviting you to sit for a while, reflect, and contemplate the beauty of the setting. Don’t miss the wood-carved, Rococo pulpit and paintings by Carravagio and Van Dyke.
I also visited the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which houses a vial said to contain the blood of Jesus Christ. During certain hours, the vial is on display in a side chapel and can be venerated by worshipers. I have no idea how Christ’s blood could have been preserved for two thousand years, or how it made its way to Bruges of all places, but I guess that’s part of having faith— my cynicism makes having faith difficult. I haven’t been to church in a long time, but I was quite moved as I watched
people partake in this unique ritual of veneration.
Before I left for Bruges, I researched places to drink local beer; places with a lot of variety and some that brew their own. We’ll start with the self-proclaimed “king of beers,” Cambrinus (www.cambrinus.eu). I walked in and immediately felt right at home. If I lived in Bruges, this would be my “local.” Without a doubt! In addition to the eight beers on tap, they offer another 400 in bottles. Two of the eight on tap are brewed in-house, a blond and a dark. The dark version has nice subtle flavor and is not at all heavy. Although I generally prefer darker beers, the blond is just as good, with a faint sweetness, which is not overpowering or fruity. A word of caution that goes for anyplace in Belgium: the beers are strong, be careful! I caught a little buzz after only two.
Staminee de Garre is a difficult little place to find. It’s near the main square, but don’t confuse it with de Carré, which is right on the main square. Staminee de Garre is located down a small alley off of Breidelstraat. Great beer (they also
brew their own) in a little, old bar— wood-beam ceilings, brick walls, and narrow, steep stairs that the waitresses negotiate with great skill. This place felt like old-world Bruges; stop in for a beer and see for yourself.
De Halve Maan Brewery (www.halvemaan.be) is the only brewery still located inside the town of Bruges. Their beers, Bruges Zot blond and dark, are sold all over town, but it’s definitely worth a visit to the brewery to taste them at their source. They describe their beers as:
Blond— “Fruity palate and spicy aroma of hops… dry, slightly bitter… hints of citrus.”
Dark— “Ruby red-brown color… rich aroma composed of bitter notes… special malt and Tcheque Saaz hops from Zatec.”
They also serve lunch, but we didn’t eat there.
Around the corner from De Halve Maan is the Béguinage— an enclosed community consisting of a park-like square surrounded by a collection of quaint buildings. Once used by the Beguines, an informal sisterhood of the Roman Catholic Church, Benedictine Sisters now live here. You may enter these beautiful grounds and walk around during designated times in the morning and afternoon. It is an incredibly serene and calming place, and definitely
worth checking out.
I am ashamed to say that I did not eat any chocolate while I was in Belgium, although I did try. I arrived at Dumon Chocolatier (www.chocolatierdumon.be) just after they closed on my last night in town, so I was unable to sample this Belgium favorite. I was disappointed, though chocolate was lower on my “to do” list than beer or mussels.
We ate the quintessential Belgian meal of beer and mussels at Matinee, where one order of mussels (€19) was enough for two of us to share. These were some of the freshest, best mussels I’ve ever had.
We also had waffles, another popular Belgian specialty— moist on the inside, crispy and golden on the outside. Topped with powdered sugar and fruit, they tasted just like fried dough.
There were two places I wanted to try for beer, but both were closed:
• ‘t Bruges Beertje (www.brugsbeertje.be), a pub, was closed for vacation.
• Café Vlissinghe (www.cafevlissinghe.be), established in 1515, is, or perhaps was, the oldest pub in Bruges. On the day we visited, the pub was closed. We couldn’t determine if it was closed permanently or just for renovations. Hopefully, it was
the latter.
All in all, Bruges was more than I expected or could have asked for, and definitely a place I’d like to return to. The small town feel, friendly people, good food, great beer and picturesque beauty made it an absolutely wonderful place to visit. Seeing Bruges has sparked my interest in the many other small Belgium towns. Although Belgium seems like an often-overlooked destination compared to the rest of Europe, Bruges certainly had its share of tourism. However, it seemed to lack the craziness of large European cities despite having the beauty, history, and culture one would expect of a top tourist spot— I love it for that very reason.
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