Christmas in Bruges, BELGIUM
Airing Date: Jan 5th, 2004
Just an hour and a half from Brussels or a three hour train ride from London, Bruges is the best-preserved medieval city in Europe and home to 45,000 people. Set around a network of canals, it's also known as the 'Venice of the North'. At Christmas time the streets are adorned with decorations, choristers sing carols in the public squares, and every night is illuminated by the Christmas lights display.
To experience more of the Christmas charm of Bruges head to the Market Square in the city centre, where you'll find everything from an ice-skating rink to the annual Christmas market. The market sells decorations, Christmas trees, gifts, waffles, roasted chestnuts and just about every other traditional Christmas treat you can think of.
In December Bruges plays host to the Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival, where two thousand tonnes of snow and ice are turned into works of art. There's even a bar made entirely of ice, serving the traditional Belgian fruit-flavoured gin called genevers - in glasses made of ice!
Beyond the Christmas spirit, Bruges also offers amazing displays of architecture and Flemish and international art. The Groeninge Museum is a must for art-lovers, but even the city's churches house works by the likes of Michelangelo and Caravaggio.
Christmas shoppers will find plenty of options besides the central market. Dozens of hand-made lace shops are a reminder of Bruges' prominence as a cloth-making centre in the 15th and 16th centuries. In fact, bobbin lace is believed to have been invented in Bruges.
Even more popular are the city's hand-made chocolate shops. Join a tour of one of the best chocolate stores in town, Sukerbuyc, where you'll find out the secrets behind its world-famous treats, and have the opportunity to taste and buy its Christmas-themed chocolates.
To escape the wintry chill, head to a traditional Belgian pub. This country makes hundreds of different types of beer and the average pub stocks at least 20 different varieties. Perhaps the most famous pub in the country is T'Brujs Beertje, serving 300 different Belgian beers, each with its own individual glass. With 11% alcohol, their Trappist Beer is not for the faint-hearted!
For accommodation, the most unique place to stay is De Barge. It was once a river vessel that cruised the canals from Bruges to Ghent. More recently it has been renovated in a stunning three star boat-hotel with 23 cabins and an award-winning restaurant.
The facts
Call Jetset to fly with Singapore Airlines to Brussels.
Jetset
Tel: 13 63 83
Double rooms on De Barge start from $213 per night.
De Barge
Tel: 0011 32 50 38 51 50 (international)
World Cars can arrange car hire in Belgium from $49 a day.
World Cars
Tel: 1300 65 66 01
Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival
Tel: 0011 32 50 20 04 65 (international)
