Bruges Praline Chocolate Shop - Chocolate Box City

The Old Chocolate House Window
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This is a city for all seasons and although my last trip was his last month - I write this on new Years eve - there is not a month in the year when I have not been there at some time in the past years.

From my hotel you drop straight into the Burg - the administrative heart of the city with the beautiful town hall - in the corner the Chapel of the Holy Blood where the sacred relic is kept. Once each year it is paraded through the streets by knights and there are times when visitors are able to come closer to it.

Bruges is surrounded by canals, parks and bicycle ways - summer or winter you are going to have a great time eating pralines

Entry Gate to the City
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A short walk brings us to the Market Square which is the commercial centre of Bruges. Here is the impressive post office building and the Bell Tower. On Wednesdays is market day. Restaurants here are pricey as they have almost a captive market! - but if you walk up Steenstraat on the other side of the market square you are now on a main shopping street leading up to Simon Stevinplein - a small square on the left side after three minutes walk.

Simon Stevin is the flemish mathematician who introduced decimal fractions to the world  - and it is in this square you will find The Chocolate Line chocolate shop that is famous for its' unusual and artistic shop windows! Excellent to visit but a bit expensive.

The Burg
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You may see Saint Salvatore Cathedral behind this square and Steenstraat leads on up to the square next to the bus station where there is a large Saturday market each week with foods, wines, cheese, flowers etc

But first you must cross Simon Stevinplein and proceed up Mariastraat - On you left is The Old Chocolate House shop that I always visit - look at this web site http://www.oldchocolatehouse.com and also look at their map page http://www.oldchocolatehouse.com/Map.html and you will see that Mariastraat leads up to the Church of Our Lady where the scupture of Madonna with Child by Michelangelo is on display and available for all to photograph. This church took 200 years to build and features the 2nd tallest brick structure in the world!!

Market Square
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Bruges is surrounded by canals and parks and bicycle ways - summer or winter you are going to have a great time sightseeing and generally enjoying life