Season guide · Bruges · Belgium
Bruges in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Wolfgang Staudt [1], CC BY 2.0
![Wolfgang Staudt [1]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bruges_Market_Square_and_Belfry.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Christmas markets and an ice rink in December, then cold, quiet weeks with the lowest prices of the year. Expect highs up to 7°C (45°F) and lows around 1°C (34°F), with about 35 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 1°C (34°F) to 7°C (45°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 35
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C (43°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 12 | 8.4 h | 1/5 |
| February | 7°C (45°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 10 | 9.9 h | 1/5 |
| December | 7°C (45°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 13 | 7.9 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 7°C (45°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 35 of the year's roughly 128 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Winter sales — shop discounts (usually from early January)
- December: Christmas markets on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein (usually until early January)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Dijver
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
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Religious site · 't Zand
St. Salvator's Cathedral
Bruges's oldest parish church became its cathedral in the 19th century.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Architecture · Markt and Burg
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
Basilica of the Holy Blood
On the corner of the Burg, a dim 12th-century Romanesque chapel lies beneath an ornate Gothic upper chapel that houses a relic believed to contain a cloth with the blood of Christ.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Dijver
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
Day trips in winter
- De Haan (About 45 minutes by train and coastal tram) — A small resort of Belle Époque villas set among dunes, with a wide sandy beach and no high-rise buildings, a quiet contrast to the larger coastal towns.
- Ypres and Flanders Fields (About 1.5 hours by train via Kortrijk, or a guided tour) — Rebuilt after the First World War, Ypres has the In Flanders Fields Museum in its Cloth Hall and the Menin Gate, where the Last Post is sounded every evening.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Bruges?
It is a trade-off: Christmas markets and an ice rink in December, then cold, quiet weeks with the lowest prices of the year. The best months overall are April–June and September.
+What is the weather like in Bruges in winter?
Highs of up to 7°C (45°F) and lows around 1°C (34°F), with about 35 rainy days over the season.