Bruges is more atmospheric this winter

Once the leaves have fallen, Bruges puts on its best winter dress. During the day you stroll past wonderfully decorated shop windows and when it grows dark, Christmas lights get you in the festive mood. From 23 November, the historic centre is transformed into one big Christmas market. One can certainly find some great gifts and stocking fillers in the stalls, and there is also ice-skating. Afterwards, you can reward yourself with a lovely hot chocolate or spicy mulled wine. How lovely!

During the most festive period of the year, Bruges has much to experience. Delightful Christmas markets, an ice skating rink: from the end of November up to the beginning of January, romantic Bruges will be the most ideal location to enjoy the ambiance and cosiness with family and friends.

Also read: The whole of Bruges is a public art gallery

Christmas market with an ice skating rink

Each year around Christmas, the city centre of Bruges is magically transformed into a Christmas market buzzing with ambiance. An area which is inviting to stay and stroll around, during the weekend as well as midweek. On the Market Square, the Simon Stevinplein and the Walplein, a huge Christmas tree and lovely stands with twinkling lights invite you to stop and take a break and invite the young and the not so young to go ice skating. Just take a stroll and be at the Christmas market, enjoy a tasteful bite and drink and surprise the one you love with an original Christmas gift.

Also read: PK at Bruges- A first for Bollywood

Christmas shopping in Bruges

Searching for the perfect Christmas gift? Without a doubt, your search will start in Bruges. You can look into city’s main shopping streets: the Steenstraat, the Geldmuntstraat, the Noordzandstraat and the Zuidzandstraat. It will also be worth your while to check a side street of the main shopping streets… Surprisingly original small shops await you! Gifts, a beautiful Christmas outfit and enjoying a glass of mulled wine in between: a shopping break in Bruges during the Christmas season is lovely.

Also read: Bruges hits all the right notes for Christmas!

Luxury? Of course!

If you need a gift for someone who loves luxury skin care products, look no further than Bubbles at Home: soaps, scrubs, body butters and so much more, including the popular option of attractive gift boxes. All the products are based on natural ingredients and aromatic oils that have a positive effect on the body and soul. Best of all, the entire assortment is free of parabens and not tested on animals.

Also read: Stunning stained glass windows in Belgian Churches

OUT in Bruges

Here are some cultural events you shouldn’t miss:

• Dancing Down Under brings the best of the Australian and New Zealand dance scene to the Concertgebouw. The exciting programme of December Dance features famous names and young makers. This year, festival is from 6^th to 16^th December. After Montréal and Québec (DD08), Central Europe (DD10), Northern Europe (DD12), Asia (DD14) and the United Kingdom (DD16), this twelfth edition of December Dance focuses on the contemporary dance landscape of Australia and New Zealand!
• Bruges Municipal Museums organise a Museum Night every third Thursday of the month at a different location each time. In November, it was the turn of the Groeninge Museum, and in December, it will be the Folklore Museum.
• Bach Academy Bruges 2019: Heaven on earth. Tue 15 Jan – Sun 20 Jan 2019. ‘Why do you stand here looking into the sky?’ the angel told the astonished apostles after the Ascension of Jesus. Man is naturally inclined to seek the divine, and the Bible gives us a clear pointer: Jesus is the link. In this Bach Academy in the Bruges Concert Hall everything revolves around the relationship between heaven and earth, between the believers and their Saviour, at Ascension and Pentecost: with cantatas, concerti and cinematographic creations; with stars to worship and talent to discover; and of course, with Collegium Vocale Gent and Philippe Herreweghe.
• Ice Sculpture Festival: Artists from all over the globe have created a wonderful world of ice in the first ever digital ice museum! 100 video projections light up a panorama of 60 ice sculptures – each at least four metres high – for visitors to the museum to marvel at. Come and see this magnificent, magical show, complete with 3D projections – it’s super-cool. It has opened from 24-11-2018 and will remain so till 06-01-2019.

A magical winter?

Indeed, and it can start with your choice of place of stay, such as Hotel Navarra Bruges! Its where I stayed during my visit to Bruges. You can have more pleasant Christmas and winter moments by staying at Hotel Navarra Bruges… During the winter season, lots can be explored and undertaken in Bruges. One can enjoy the ambiance and cosiness of Bruges during Christmas time even more.

Winter time means sauna time

Relaxing sauna at Navarra is even more of a pleasure now that the days are at their shortest and our skin and airways are under constant attack from the cold. As you sit back in the hot, dry air, all your stress and anxieties will melt away. Do you wish to go before the festive season? Then it’s the perfect time to hunt for gifts and look forward to Christmas and the New Year without stress.

Stylish dining

Chef Karl Devriendt is young and ambitious, Eethuis Karl his long-cherished dream. Together with his partner Cindy Magherman, you will be pampered with both wonderful food and great hospitality. Just a short walk from Hotel Navarra, the restaurant is housed in an old townhouse with a stylish, contemporary décor. The cooking is classic with a wide range of dishes: choose lunch, a set menu or à la carte. Highly recommended!

A glass of white wine?

When two top sommeliers open their own wine bar, expectations soar. Luk and Kees have not disappointed: you can look forward to an unusual selection in all sorts of price brackets. There are 30 wines on offer by the glass and over 300 by the bottle, with an emphasis on Italian labels. Add to that a trendy interior, delicious snacks, expert advice and good service and BLEND is truly the place to be in Bruges for wine lovers. 

Bruges is often termed as Venice of the North for its picturesque canals. It is also considered as Europe’s best preserved cities. The entire historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So, what are you waiting for! Check your travel plans today!!

Have you ever been to Bruges during winters? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments section below.

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