[2025 Bruges Attraction] Travel Guide for Minnewater Park (Updated Jul)

Hey squad! Just got back from Belgium’s dynamic duo—Ghent and Bruges—where I devoured enough chocolate to fuel a small army, got *hopelessly* tangled in bike lanes, and fell hard for towers that belong in a Disney movie. Let’s rehash the chaos! **First Impressions:** Bruges was like stepping into a snow globe—minus the snow. Cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages clattering past, and the *sweet, buttery* scent of waffles slathered in Nutella. Ghent? Think Bruges’ cooler, artsy cousin: Gothic spires, funky street art, and canals lined with cafes blasting indie beats. 🎶 **Hidden Gem Alert 🔍:** In Bruges, ditch the crowds and sneak into **Minnewater Park** at sunrise. Swans glide on the lake, mist hangs over the water, and it’s so quiet you’ll hear your own *”wow”*. In Ghent, hunt down **Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant**—a cozy pub with *300+ beers* and a bartender who’ll school you on Trappist brews. 🍻 **The Great Waffle Incident 🧇:** At **Li O Lait** in Bruges, I ordered a waffle with “just a little” chocolate. The result? A tsunami of melted Belgian chocolate that dripped onto my jeans. Cue me scrubbing stains in a medieval bathroom while a toddler pointed and laughed. *Worth it.* **Bike Lane Blunders 🚲:** Rented a bike in Ghent, feeling *Euro-chic*… until I accidentally joined a Critical Mass-style cyclist mob. Panicked, I followed them for 10 minutes before realizing we were just… circling the same church. A local smirked, “Tourist detour, eh?” *Mortified.* **48 Hours in Flemish Fantasyland ⏰** *Day 1 – Bruges:* - **8 AM:** Coffee + people-watching at **De Proeverie** (their hot chocolate is *liquid velvet*). ☕ - **10 AM:** Climb the **Belfry Tower**—366 steps for views that’ll make your quads forgive you. - **1 PM:** Lunch at **Tom’s Diner**—order the carbonnade flamande (beef stew) with a side of fries *drowned* in mayo. - **4 PM:** Canal cruise 🚤—cheesy? Yes. Magical? Also yes. - **8 PM:** Nightcap at **‘t Brugs Beertje**—try the *Brugse Zot* beer. *Day 2 – Ghent:* - **9 AM:** Explore **Gravensteen Castle**—channel your inner knight (or damsel in distress). ⚔️ - **12 PM:** Flemish meatballs at **Frituur Jozef**—greasy, glorious, and *€5*. - **3 PM:** Street art hunt in **Werregarenstraat** (aka Graffiti Alley). 🎨 - **6 PM:** Sunset at **Graslei**—sit by the canal with a local *jenever* (gin) and pretend you’re in a Van Gogh painting. **Pro Tips:** ➜ **Walk everywhere**—both cities are tiny and *too* pretty to rush. ➜ **Say “dank je”** (thanks)—Flemish folks *love* when you try. ➜ **Beware cobblestones + heels**—they’re mortal enemies. Ghent and Bruges, you’re the medieval dream team. My jeans are chocolate-stained, my calves hate me, but my camera roll? *Chef’s kiss.* *Slide into my DMs for more mishaps… or just follow the scent of waffles. 🍫✨*

#EuropeanTravel When you think of Belgium, you think of chocolate, beer, and comics, right? But! Bruges, also known as the ‘Venice of the North’, is a real hidden medieval gem. This city, where a fairytale scene unfolds with every step you take, makes you exclaim “Wow…” every time you take a picture! ⭐ Top 8 Must-Visit Bruges Attractions 1. Market Square (Markt) Your Bruges trip starts here! Colorful Gothic buildings, outdoor cafes, and the towering Belfort— This is the real center where medieval merchants and citizens gathered. Tip: 366 steps up the Belfort! The view is crazy. A must-take photo! 2. Belfort (Belfort van Brugge) The sound of the bells ringing from the 83-meter brick bell tower is the heart of the city! Did you know that the giant manual carillon is played live? As you go up each level, you feel like you’re slipping back in time~ 3. Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) A cathedral with the ‘Holy Blood’ relic brought from Jerusalem. Romanesque + Gothic architecture, stained glass… The air feels different the moment you enter. 4. Minnewaterpark The ultimate romantic experience! A lake with floating swans, a pretty bridge, and a legendary love story— It’s great for taking pictures, and it’s the best place to just sit on a bench and stare blankly! 5. Canals of Bruges The real fairy tale starts here! Take a cruise and see medieval brick buildings from the water. Sunlight, waves, reflections… This is just a painting. 6. Chocolate Story Museum (Choco-Story Brugge) Attention chocolate enthusiasts! From the history of cacao to handmade chocolate demonstrations! Tasting is also available! Recharge after eating melt-in-your-mouth Belgian chocolate~ 7. Bruges City Hall (Stadhuis van Brugge) It's a 14th-century building, but the interior is absolutely gorgeous. Golden Gothic Hall + stained glass = the essence of Bruges politics + art! 8. Beguinage (Begijnhof) A quiet and peaceful atmosphere. White walls, black-framed houses surround the garden, and it's a meditation space where nuns still live. A precious place where you can look into the independent lives of medieval women. Brugge travel tips! • Is one day enough? In fact, it's a city so beautiful that one day isn't enough. I recommend a leisurely half day to one night! • Transportation? Bruges is a small city, so you can tour it on foot! Be sure to take a cruise! What are the best photo spots? Markt Square Belfry, on the canal bridge, in front of Lake Minnewer—all of them are great photo spots~

Belgium🇧🇪 is not just Brussels, you must not miss the beautiful medieval town-Bruges✔️✔️✔️ Recommended stars:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The town is about 98 km away from Brussels, and it takes about 1 and a half hours to get there by bus‼ ️It is recommended to book all the tickets🎫 on the flixbus app before departure to avoid the last minute🦞seafood prices suddenly becoming expensive and frightening your heart. At that time, we booked 13 euros per person for a round trip, which we thought was a good price👌🏻👌🏻👍🏻 It is basically a very chill place, there are no special activities, and you don’t need to rush the itinerary. It’s just a beautiful place.📷It will take 3-4 hours to take pictures (my eldest brother accompanied me to take pictures, and my legs were weak from walking). I found that all European countries have a characteristic, that is, there is a square in every place. When I arrived here early in the morning, no shops were open yet, so I could walk to the Century Square (Markt) to take pictures. The square was surrounded by the clock tower, the town hall, the library, the Church of the Holy Blood 🩸💒, and the post office. There were also many carriages parked waiting for passengers to get on (biking is not encouraged, I feel sorry for the animals). It’s also nice to stand and count the bells when I have nothing to do 😁 Walking along the way, there are beautiful medieval buildings, you can take a lot of photos 🤩🤩 If you are tired, you can also take a boat 🚢 to enjoy the scenery. The most exciting thing was that I saw so many swans for the first time in my life 🦢. (It should be the first time I saw a swan in my life. I went out of the city from the countryside 🧑🏻‍🌾😅) I walked all the way to the Minnewater Park next to the nunnery. There was a large lawn full of swans. I could get close to them when I walked to the bridge. However, I heard from other tour guides that swans would attack people, so it was safer to stay away 😱😱😱 We spent about 5 hours on this day to visit this town‼ ️It didn’t cost anything 💰. I had a McD for breakfast 🥣 when I got there, and bought waffles for lunch 🥣 and ate all the way. Outdoor attractions are free, and the most is #awesomepic I bought some souvenirs in the store. It’s really cheap to travel in Europe 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Romance doesn’t have to cost a lot of money 🥰🥰. I highly recommend that couples must add this place to their itinerary‼ ️‼ ️‼ ️🥂🍺 #belgium #bruges #travel_lover #awesomepic