A Slice of Bruges - Museums

If you are planning to skip across the pond to Europe, you mustn't miss the small town of Bruges, Belgium. While most people head to Belgium in search of fries and waffles, Bruges has a lot more to offer than standard fare. This town is all about museums of every shape and kind.

Though nobody has ever stopped to ponder why Bruges' streets are lined with museum after museum, it just so happens to be the truth. If you are one of those tourists that doesn't care for a bit of history, this town is picturesque enough to entertain even if you do not step inside a museum.

Love museums? A small sampling of the best in Bruges includes the Groeninge, Memling, Archeological, Gruuthuse and Folklore Museums as well as the Renaissance Hall. There are many more niche oriented museums as well. You just have to walk five feet to find new ones.

First up on our trip around Bruges is the Folklore Museum. Very popular with visitors, it is a cobbler's heaven with 17th century almshouses. You can view ancient confectioner's shops, classrooms and cobbler studios among other sites.

Mention museums and many people immediately think of art. The Groeninge in Bruges offers a unique twist. It is a large gallery of excellent art, but primarily from local artists. Check out Memling, Eyck, David and van der Goes to mention only a few artists.

Like a little kick in your adult beverage? How about spicy beer? If so, the place to go is the Gruuthuse Museum. It was a family owned spice beer brewery that was legendary in the medieval period. It will give you an entirely new perspective on the idea of BYOB.

If you are considered a great artist, you will often get your own museum. Such is the fortune of Hans Memling. An influential Flemish painter, he has the Memling Museum all to himself for the most part and it is worth a trip if you admire his work.

Reading about history is nice and all, but most of us prefer a more realistic experience. If 16th century Belgium interests you, the Renaissance Hall is the place to be. You'll be transported into the daily life of this fascinating period from the mundane to the spectacular.

To say Europe has a long history is a minor understatement. The same goes for Bruges and the Archeological Museum is the place to experience it. It is interesting to walk around a city with the modern conveniences and then attend a museum showing the area without them.

Lest you think museums are the only thing to do in Bruges, they are not. From food to walking about the city to taking barge tours, it is a destination you simply have to breathe in and enjoy.

About the Author

Thomas Burtonelli writes about trekking to and fro for NomadJournals.com - makers of rugged journals that make great unique corporate gifts.

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