5 Local Spots in Bruges Tourists Don't Know About
5 landmarks with verified facts and stories
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.
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 local life in Bruges
GPS-guided narration at every landmark. Tap a spot on the map, hear the story. Every fact verified.