Stumbling around Bruges

While there are many fine (and boring) places to visit in Bruges, Belgium, the expert traveler will remember to explore the city’s wonderful beer culture. Among the many pubs available to thirsty travelers and those weary of the countless historic treasures found through the city, a can’t miss destination for any serious drinker – and one of the world’s very best craft beer bars – is ‘t Brugs Beertje (“the Bruges Little Bear”). Run expertly by a dedicated staff and set on a small street (Kemelstraat 5) not far from the city’s beautifully restored main square, the atmosphere at ‘t Brugs Beertje is representative of many cozy “brown bars” astute inebriates will discover traveling through Belgium. Having just two rooms, the bar is often crowded on busy, weekend nights with beer lovers and experts from around the world (just don’t try to argue the virtues of American premium lagers here — you’re likely to have one of the 200 to 250 bottles of actually good beer served at the bar thrown at you!). In addition to hundreds of bottles, ‘t Brugs Beertje always has a variety of draught selections, generally hard-to-find local favorites, for uncouth foreign travelers unschooled in the art of pouring bottle-conditioned Belgian ales. There are small snacks available for the hungry and several local food vendors are within a few minutes walk if plates of cheese and salami are not quite filling enough for serious session drinking.

As is common in Belgium, ‘t Brugs Beertje opens in the late afternoon and remains open late into the night (if you’re really lucky, you might even be locked-in with other straggling customers, and get to continue the taste adventure which is Belgian beer). But don’t go on a Wednesday — “the Bruges Little Bear” offers the traveler’s liver that one day of respite each week. If it is a Wednesday in Belgium or you’re not tipsy enough after visiting “Little Bear”, stumble your way to some of the many other beer-related destinations in Bruges. Spend time establishing a nutritional foundation by appreciating masterful beer and food pairings offered up at Den Dyver (Dijver 5, 8000 Bruges) or the brasserie at Hotel Erasmus (Wollestraat 35, 8000 Bruges). Satisfy your inner-inebriate by refusing to see Michelangelo’s “Madonna” (not the singer, but a marble statue at Bruges’ Our Lady’s Church) until after taking the tour of the historic brewing museum at Brouwerij De Halve Maan nearby (the “Half Moon Brewery”, Walplein 26, 8000 Bruges) and sampling a glass or three of the delicious local beer brewed on-site. Don’t wait in line with other pilgrims hoping for a chance to glimpse the Heilig Bloed at the Basilica of the Holy Blood a few minutes away – instead drop into any of the numerous other classic, “brown bar” pubs (like the quaint Staminee de Garre, De Garre 1, 8000 Bruges down the easy-to-overlook De Garre alley just off the main square). Whatever you decide, thirsty travelers are sure to discover something delicious when they explore the rich beer culture permeating the beautiful and ancient city of Bruges. One thing you’ll certainly discover as you travel through Belgium and Bruges: if you’re not stumbling your way from your last great beer into your next memorable drinking location, you’re just not trying hard enough!