A Magical Christmas in Brugge, Belgium
When it came time to plan our family Christmas trip last year, we had our sights set on a magical and unforgettable experience in Belgium. The problem was choosing which town to go to! So, being the spoiled and overzealous travelers we are, we chose to visit the three most popular during the holiday season – and we were NOT disappointed.
Perhaps we’ve watched too many Hallmark Christmas movies or sang one too many carols over the fireplace – but our dreams of a magical Christmas included all the trimmings. Twinkling lights, frost on the ground, and the smell of hot cocoa filling the air. Luckily, the towns of Brugge, Ghent and Brussles satisfied every single one of our expectations.
And since these three cities are within an hour or two of one another, it makes visiting them all totally feasible!
We ultimately decided to book our Air B&B stay in Brugge for several reasons. First, its proximity to town was within walking distance. Two, Brugge had a romantic holiday sort of feel without being too overwhelming – which is exactly what we wanted. And lastly, our hosts were so responsive and amazing, we simply couldn’t turn them down.
Accomodations: Air B&B Home Three Kings (hosts Sophie & Bram were amazing and so hospitable with loads of knowledge specifically about Christmas! We had loads of questions, for example where to find a real tree!)
Here are the highlights and recommendations of our trip as well as our extensive photo gallery for you to enjoy. Set your sights on a Christmas in Belgium – it will be the trip of a lifetime!
Brugge:
Favorite Thing To Do:
We chose to stay in Brugge for this trip because of its quaint and magical Christmas feel. It looked like the most picturesque fairytale setting for our family’s holiday travels and we wanted something that didn’t feel like a big city. Brugge did not disappoint!
Our favorite thing to do was walk from our Air B&B into the old city (only a short 15 minutes) and enjoy the sights of homes, shops and sidewalk cafes before approaching the enchanting Grote Market. Here we enjoyed Christmas music, mulled wine (for me and Tony of course!) and watching horse and carriage trotting by. It was the most magical experience!
In the off season, it is said that the best way to experience Brugge is to get lost in the winding streets along the canal or even to take a canal cruise for a different view of this city, known to the rest of Europe as the Venice of the North.
Best Meal in Brugge: The family meal we planned for Christmas Eve is easily one of my favorite memories of this entire trip. In an effort to go for something festive and fun, we booked a reservation at Pietje Pek for cheese fondue.
To start, the exterior of the restaurant was decorated so beautifully for Christmas, it brought a tear to my eye (pictured below)! The fondue meal was perfect for keeping the kids entertained and our bellies full. Fondue was served mild to suit the kids and served with bread and veggies. Too much fun!
A must try if you are in search of something unique for dining in Brugge.
Travel Tips: If you plan to stay overnight in Brugge, we recommend staying as close to Grote Market as possible to avoid walking across any major highways. Our Air B&B was slightly outside the old city and required us to cross with three little ones in tow – not always ideal. Then again we live in a major city now and it is not a big deal!
The best grocery market that seemed to have an abundance of supplies and options was Colruyt.
Weather in Belgium in wintertime is rather wet! We knew this in advance and came prepared with umbrellas and ponchos. Luckily, we did not experience too much of rain but in general, the ground and backyard of our house was always wet. Waterproof shoes recommended!
Ghent:
Favorite Thing To Do: We simply fell in love with the spectacular beauty of Ghent! As this Christmas Market was much bigger than Brugge, we spent most of our day walking around, sampling loads of local foods (!), admiring the carefully decorated stalls and snapping photos around every corner.
Even if you plan to visit when it’s not Christmastime, there is no shortage of things to do and places to see.
Best Snack in Ghent: I think it’s safe to say, we LOVE sampling as much of the local cuisine as possible. We tried it all ha! Pretzels smeared in butter, Waffles covered in powder sugar, frothy beer, mulled wine. Our pants fit a little tighter after our visit to Ghent.
But the one snack that stands out as our favorite is called the “nose of Ghent” (see photo below). These gummy chewy candies have a fruity flavor and are shaped just like…well…a nose! Many candy shops downtown will sell them but we happened to purchase ours from an adorable sidewalk cart that looked like it came out of Alice in Wonderland.
Travel Tips: Ghent was the perfect day trip from Brugge at just under an hour drive. The only problem was having ONE day there, as we could have easily spent a weekend. Make sure to check out Gravensteen (pictured below), also known as the Castle of the Counts, as well as St Michael’s Bridge, St Bavo’s Abbey, Ghent Belfry and take a canal cruise along the waterways.
Brussels:
Favorite Thing To Do: We spent most of our time in Grand Place admiring the facade of Town Hall and the Museum of the City of Brussels. As we munched on pecan truffle balls, we grabbed a spot on the sidewalk – the perfect place to observe life unfolding in this busy landmark square.
Best Snack in Brussels: Without a doubt, the iconic candy shop in Grand Place called Bruyerre was the best spot for trying traditional hot cocoa. If you can imagine the thickest, richest and creamiest drink around, it’s the one found right here in the heart of Brussels.
Do be careful though! The cocoa was served so piping hot, we needed to keep the kids busy for 10 minutes before taking our first sip.
Travel Tips: Slightly farther from Ghent, the drive to Brussels was around 90 minutes but easy for a one day spontaneous visit. We were simply swept away by the elegance and romance of Belgium’s capital city. While the streets were bustling with tourists there for Christmas (including us!), we still found time to snap loads of keepsake photos.
One thing to note about the Christmas Market here, it is not located in the Grand Place center. This famous square does have an enormous and beautiful lit tree (pictured below) as well as an impressive Nativity Scene. But the market is located several blocks away along the streets leading to La Bourse de Brussels.
Bruges Christmas Lights 
Twinkling lights 
Historium Bruges 
Excited Kiddos 
Little Venice of the North 
Gingerbread looking homes 
Gorgeous bakery 
Downtown Brugge 
Downtown Bruges 
The Famous Grote Market 
Historium Bruges 
Horse and Carriage Ride, Bruges 
Cozy Living Room of Our Air B&B 
We got a Christmas Tree! 
Decorating Committee! 
Santa’s Little Helper 
Out perfect little family tree 
Stopping for a much needed photo 
First taste of gourmet waffles 
First taste of gourmet waffles 
Waited all year for that bad boy 
Christmas decor galore! 
Grote Market in Bruges 
So many beautiful Christmas Market stalls 
Little mulled wine treat for me! 
Mandatory family photo at Bruges Christmas Market 
He loves Nutcrackers 
Something special from the Bruges Christmas Market 
Cheesy peppered potatoes for lunch! 
Lunchtime selfie 
Grote Market backdrop 
Sparkling Christmas Market ornaments 
Gorgeous Christmas stores 
So festive and elegant 
Being silly in Bruges 
Now THAT’S a chocolate shop! 
I want this front door garland! 
Windmills in Bruges 
Long awaited fire and smores 
An intense game of chess 
Welcome to Ghent, Belgium! 
Cathedral of St. Bavon, Ghent 
Family Shot with Ghent Belfry in the backdrop 
Adorable Christmas Market stalls 
Ahh hot buttered pretzels 
The smell of real trees was everywhere! 
Too cute to not buy something! 
Where there is candy, there are my kids 
Bell Tower Selfie 
The architecture in Ghent was incredible 
Perfect chilly Christmas Eve Day 
What a life this is! 
Ferris Wheel Backdrop on Ghent Christmas Market 
Going for a ride despite the cold 
Another city, another waffle 
While the kids ride with Daddy, I shopped 
Most adorable sweet cart ever 
Selling a delicious treat called the “nose” of Ghent 
Lovely and charming storefront 
Gravensteen Castle 
The beauty of Ghent 
Can’t get enough of the old and rustic style 
Bridge to St Nicholas Church, spectacular! 
View of St Nicholas Church 
My smiling beauty at Ghent Christmas Market 
So much food to try, so little money 
Tony loved these leather bound notebooks 
Merry Christmas Eve from Ghent! 
Look who we ran into on the way to dinner! 
Brugge at night is magical 
Brugge at night is magical 
Twinkling lights on Historium Brugge The iconic buildings of Brugge’s Grote Market 
Group shot on Christmas Eve! 
Christmas Eve fondue dinner 
Been looking forward to this all trip! 
Man, was it delicious 
Boys will be boys 
London dug right in! 
Cheese dripping from her chin! 
Bellies stuffed from fondue dinner and ready for Santa to come! 
Nothing more festive than this scene right here 
One of my favorite photos of the entire trip 
One last firepit on Christmas Eve 
Yummy! 
Santa ready! 
Spanish Matador & Flamenco Dancers in their stockings! 
Christmas morning snuggles 
New postcard albums 
Drove to the coast of Brugge to Knokke-Heist 
Absolutely freezing but worth it 
Family is everything! 
A Day in Brussels 
Who wouldn’t want to live here?! 
I took soo many photos of architecture on this trip, I cannot help myself! 
Every corner more beautiful than the next 
I spy the incredible Grand Place of Brussels 
Brussels Town Hall was magnificent 
The perfect Christmas setting 
The famous Maison du Cornet in Grand Placa took my breath away 
Two expats loving life! 
My travelin crew! 
These three are my heart 
The girls always ready for a pose 
He got down on one knee and so did the baby ha! 
The thickest, richest hot cocoa I’ve ever had! 
Another postcard shot 
Little Miss Chocolate Face 
Only in Europe will you find outdoor seating in December! 
Grand Placa at night, even more spectacular 
Another night shot 
Started to rain, but that didn’t stop us! 
One last Belgian waffle before the trip ends 
She loved playing in the backyard of our Air B&B
