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The Markt is Bruges main square. Like other cities in Belgium, it is lined with guild houses that have incredible architecture (Brussels’ Grand Place and Antwerp’s Grote Market are good examples). The difference is that in Bruges, the main square does not have the town hall in it – to find that, you will have to go down the street a block or two to the other square, called The Burg.
As its name implies, The Markt is where the market is held; and it has been held here since the 10th century. That’s a lot of veggies being sold over the centuries! We were not there on a market day, but the large square was impressive. There were lots of horse-drawn carriages waiting for tourists to go for rides and the shops and cafes were starting to open up.
At one end of The Markt is the Belfort, which is the bell tower that stands 272 feet tall. For a nice view of Bruges, you can pay to climb the 366 steps. The bells now play from a keyboard in the carillon. To climb the tower, the fee is €6 and it is open daily, except for Mondays.
Written Apr 20, 2012
Address: City Center
Website: http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/musea/bruggemuseum/belfort/index.htm
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The central square of Brugge is called many things we learned. Some call it Market Square, others Central Square, and others Grote Market.
Whatever it is called it is magnificent and a joy to walk around. The most prominent buildings on the square are the Belfry Tower and the Cloth Hall. However in all four directions of the square are unique buildings that provide a glance of the Brugge past.
In the center of the square stands the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck. The statue not only honors these two leaders of the 'Battle of the Golden Spurs' which took place in 1302 but was also an indication of the emancipation of Flanders.
The northern side of the square contains the elegant Provinical Court. The buildings were constructed in the late 19th century in neo-gothic in style which was supposed to be the style of the Catholics in Belgium at that time.
There are many vendors selling food in the square. The most interesting of course are the vendors who sell the "frites" with mayonoise in a paper cone cup. OMG so good!
Written Apr 4, 2012
Address: City Center
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The Markt is the most memorable of Brugge's squares and it's a sheer feast of architectural delights. The Belfort with it's octagonal tower rising above the square dominates but the oldest facade is at the Huis Bouchotte (15th century) which is where the British king Charles II lived during his exile whilst England was a republic in the mid 17th century.
The statue in the middle of the square is of 2 guildsmen who led a rebellion against french rule in 1302 which became known as the Bruges Matin.
There are a wide variety of cafes and restaurants around the square. Those that we looked at all seemed to be on the more expensive side for what they were - but you pay for the location. If it was a nice sunny day in summer I'd be tempted to stop for a coffee, some waffles and some people watching.
Written Jan 1, 2012
Address: City Centre
No visit to Brugges would be complete without a visit to the Grand Place or Grot Markt as it is the hub of the city.
It is a beautiful place with wonderful buildings. There is often a flower market there (although we missed it!) and is edged with many cafes/restaurants without outside terraces (even in the cold weather they are often open) where you can either enjoy a meal (the stews are amazing!) or grab a drink and watch the world go by - it certainly is a great place to while away an hour with a glass of kir or beer and watch the world go by.
Written Jun 13, 2011
Address: City Center
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Market Square is lined with restaurants and cafes that sit opposite City Hall and the Bell Tower. There is plenty of action here - look out for the buses and horse-drawn carriages! Grab frites from one of the two vendor stands outside the Bell Tower so you can snack while you wait on line (and fuel for the climb to the top of the belfry). Or have some food or a beverage at one of restaurants - it will be more expensive than elsewhere, but you are also paying for the views. Remember, you're on vacation!
Written Mar 5, 2011
Address: City Center
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I must say one of the great things Europe has over any other continent is there great city squares .... not in Asia, not is North or South America, not in Africa will you find so many beautiful building surrounding the center of there cities and Brugge is yet another example of a beautiful city square... We wer surprised to see the amount of people we encounterd on a week day. We were there on a Thursday afternoon, and the place was packed... we sat there for about an hour and just watch people, what a beautiful place !!!!!
Written Mar 6, 2010
Address: City Center
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Another square that is a must to visit. The Market place is pedestrian friendly, with no cars, only Horse & Carriage.
The main monument is the 83 metre high Belfry Tower & the Cloth Hall. The original Tower built in 1240, was destroyed by fire in 1280. The present octagonal lantern was added in the 1480's. Then a wooden Spire that adorned the tower was destroyed by fire in 1493 & 1741 and never replaced again. This Tower was used as a Watch Tower, and it had important documents kept there. There were different sounding Bells for different events, eg. danger, important announcements, the time, etc. There are 47 bells which still play lovely music during the day. You can climb the 366 steps for a nice view of Brugges - entry fee
The Cloth hall is where Flemish cloth that was manufactured in other cities, was brought here and sold.
The beautiful Provincial court is here also, with fire also playing a part in the history of this building.
THE BELFRY TOWER is open from Tues - Sun 9.30 - 5pm Admission fee 5 euros
Updated Mar 2, 2010
Address: City Center
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It is a very beautiful medieval square.The historic centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Lots of colourful and nice buildings aound the square. It is very nice to take a coffe or Belgium beer at a cafe after a long walk.
Written Jan 12, 2009
Address: City Center
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The Provinciaal Hof or Provential Court is a neo gothic style building on the Grote Markt. It was reconstructed after a fire destroyed the original structure in 1878. So its not quite as old as it appears. Regardless of its age it still adds a regal beauty to the Market Square.
Updated Jun 18, 2008
Address: City Center
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I can't pass a statue without taking a picture. Just ask Mark. Whenever we travel he is always about ten steps ahead of me because I have stopped to take another photo of another statue. He swears that I can be complaining about how tired I am and how I can't walk another step and then he looks around to find that I have wondered off to take one more picture. After taking the photo I love to return home and do some research about the statue or memorial and learn of its historical significance. The statue located in the middle of the town square in Brugge is one such monument. I found out that this statue is of Pieter de Coninck and Jan Breidel. They were two 14th century giuldsmen who led a rebellion against the French in 1302. This became known as Bruges Matin. They led the Flemish soldiers in an attack on the French on May 18, 1302.
Written Jun 17, 2008
Address: City Center
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City Square/Grote Markt tips and photos posted by real travelers and Brugge locals.
Write a ReviewI can't pass a statue without taking a picture. Just ask Mark. Whenever we travel he is always about ten steps ahead of me because I have stopped to take...
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