9 Hidden Gems in Bruges Most People Walk Right Past
9 landmarks with verified facts and stories
Adornes Estate & Jerusalem Chapel
3 Peperstraat, Gezellekwartier, Bruges, 8000, Belgium
In the 13th century, a Genoese merchant named Opicius Adornes followed the Count of Flanders to Bruges and started a new branch of his Italian family in this Flemish city.
Begijnhof
28 Begijnhof, Begijnhofbuurt, Bruges, 8000, Belgium
In the 13th century, an extraordinary social experiment emerged in the cities of Flanders.
Damme
Dammesteenweg, Damme, 8340, Belgium
Seven kilometres northeast of Bruges, connected by a ruler-straight poplar-lined canal, lies Damme — a village so small and picturesque that it feels like Bruges' quieter, more self-possessed sibling.
Godshuizen (Almshouses)
Nieuwe Gentweg, 8000 Brugge
Scattered across Bruges like quiet secrets are over forty godshuizen — literally "God's houses" — small whitewashed courtyard dwellings built from the 14th century onwards as acts of charity.
Huidenvettersplein
Huidenvettersplein, 8000 Brugge
The name translates as "Tanners' Square," and it tells you exactly what happened here for centuries.
Koelewei Park
Kruisvest, Gezellekwartier, Bruges, 8000, Belgium
If you want to see Bruges the way residents see it, walk to the Koelewei Park on the northeastern ramparts.
Kruisvest Windmills
Kruisvest, Gezellekwartier, Bruges, 8000, Belgium
Windmills have graced Bruges' ramparts since the construction of the outer city wall at the end of the 13th century, and at the peak of their usefulness there were dozens spinning along the elevated earthworks.
Lace Centre
Balstraat 16, 8000 Brugge
A single square inch of handmade bobbin lace can take up to ten hours to create, and the women who have practised this craft in Bruges since the 16th century have always known that patience is not a virtue — it is a job requirement.
Staminee De Garre
De Garre 1, 8000 Brugge
The entrance to this bar is an alley so narrow it barely qualifies as one — a crack between two buildings off a busy pedestrian street, with no sign visible from the road.
Explore hidden gems in Bruges
GPS-guided narration at every landmark. Tap a spot on the map, hear the story. Every fact verified.