5 Must-Visit Museums in Bruges

Anyone interested in fun and fascinating museums should look no further than Bruges.

From contemporary art to chocolate, the city is jam-packed with some of the finest and most unusual museums in the world. Visit Hotels4U for a range of accommodation in Bruges that allow visitors to have a wander around some of the top museums in the city.

Here are some of the most interesting museums in Bruges that you simply must visit:

Groeninge Museum

With paintings that date from between the 15^th to 19^th centuries, the Groeninge Museum really is the place to be for art lovers. It covers works by Belgian and Flemish artists including Jan van Eyck and Marcel Broodthaers.

Works cover a variety of art eras such as the Renaissance, neo-classical and realist periods. One particular highlight is Jan van Eyck's “The Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele” from the early 15th century, which should definitely not be missed.

Gruuthuse Museum

It’s not all about art museums and galleries in Bruges though. Although it does contain various paintings, the Gruuthuse Museum is home to a range of silverware, textiles, ceramics and much more.

The museum was once an impressive mansion that belonged to a wealthy family in the city and can be found behind the Church of Our Lady. Click here for affordable hotels in the area, which make the perfect base for visiting the Gruuthuse Museum.

Choco-Story Museum

No visit to Belgium is complete without sampling some of the countries delicious chocolate. It may be a bit of a stereotype but chocolate is one of Belgium’s finest exports and the Choco-Story Museum in Bruges celebrates this.

Visitors will be able to follow the story and development of their favourite treat including its properties, processes and chocolate-making equipment, as well as facts about Belgian chocolate such as that it must contain at least 35% pure cocoa to be actually called chocolate!

Diamond Museum

As one of only five diamond museums in the world, this amazing museum celebrates the art of diamond polishing, which was invented in the city during the 15^th century. The museum boasts a number of rare objects including a replica of the crown of Margaret of York, which was handmade in Bruges.

The best thing about the museum though is the thousands of real diamonds that are dotted around (behind locked cabinets obviously), as well as the polishing demonstration that takes place every day at around midday.

Friet Museum

As well as chocolate, Bruges seems to celebrate all the food that we love most, as it also has its own Chip Museum! As the famous chip is said to have originated in Belgium, the Friet Museum is in fact the only museum in the world dedicated to our favorite fast food snack.

A portion of chips and mayo is included in the entrance fee too making this unusual museum a great place to cheer you up when the chips are down.

Have you been to any of these museums in Bruges? Let us know in the Comments below.

___________

This post was written and brought to you by Hotels4U.

Last Updated on August 16th, 2012