Rainy day · Bruges · Belgium
8 things to do in Bruges when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Cmcmcm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Groeningemuseum, Burg and City Hall and Basilica of the Holy Blood. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 7–9 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free. November is usually the wettest month, with about 13 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 7–9 hours
- Areas
- Dijver, Markt and Burg and Begijnhof and Walplein
Bruges on a rainy day
Museum · Dijver
1.Groeningemuseum
Spend most of your time in the first rooms with the 15th-century paintings, which are the heart of the collection.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- History
Architecture · Markt and Burg
2.Burg and City Hall
The ticket for the Gothic Hall also covers the Renaissance Hall of the Liberty of Bruges next door.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Religious site · Markt and Burg
3.Basilica of the Holy Blood
Visit the lower Romanesque chapel too; it is one of the oldest interiors in the city and often overlooked.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Begijnhof and Walplein
4.Old St. John's Hospital
Look closely at the St Ursula Shrine; its tiny painted panels tell the saint's journey to Rome and Cologne.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Markt and Burg
5.Choco-Story
Time your visit around the chocolate-making demonstration, which runs several times a day.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Food
- Rainy day
Museum · Markt and Burg
6.Frietmuseum
Visit just before lunch and eat the frites in the vaulted cellar afterwards.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Food
- Rainy day
Museum · Dijver
7.Gruuthusemuseum
Don't miss the oratory window into the Church of Our Lady; it shows how the lords attended Mass privately.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Religious site · 't Zand
8.St. Salvator's Cathedral
It lies on the walk between 't Zand and the Markt, so drop in as you pass.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Dijver | Groeningemuseum and Gruuthusemuseum | 1.5–2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| Markt and Burg | Burg and City Hall, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Choco-Story and Frietmuseum | 45 minutes + 30 minutes + 1 hour + 45 minutes |
| Begijnhof and Walplein | Old St. John's Hospital | 1–1.5 hours |
| 't Zand | St. Salvator's Cathedral | 30 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 2 low cost, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Groeningemuseum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Dijver and Markt and Burg): Groeningemuseum → Gruuthusemuseum → Burg and City Hall → Basilica of the Holy Blood, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Markt and Burg, Begijnhof and Walplein and 't Zand): Choco-Story → Frietmuseum → Old St. John's Hospital → St. Salvator's Cathedral, at least 3 hours.
The wettest months
- November: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Damp and dark early, but quiet until the Christmas market opens late in the month.
- December: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 13 rainy days, busy crowds. Festive and atmospheric with Christmas markets and lights; weekends are busy with coach trips.
- January: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 12 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold, damp and quiet after the Christmas market ends; low hotel rates and empty streets.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Markt and Burg — The two central squares, the Belfry and the Gothic City Hall
- Begijnhof and Walplein — The Beguinage, Minnewater swans and the De Halve Maan brewery near the station
- 't Zand — A large square with the Concertgebouw, mid-range hotels and the main shopping street
More of Bruges
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Bruges?
Groeningemuseum. The city's fine-art museum is best known for its Flemish Primitives: Jan van Eyck's Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele and his portrait of his wife Margaret, works by Hans Memling and Gerard David, and Hieronymus Bosch's Last Judgement triptych.
+Which of these are free in Bruges?
Basilica of the Holy Blood and St. Salvator's Cathedral.