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 world's finest and most unusual museums.
Visit Hotels4U for a range of accommodation in Bruges that allows visitors to wander around some of the top museums in the city.
Here are some of the most exciting museums in Bruges that you must visit:
Groeninge Museum
With paintings from between the 15th and 19th centuries, the Groeninge Museum is a place 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 not be missed.
See also: The Best Things to Do in Ghent, Belgium
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 country's 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 favorite treat, including its properties, processes, and chocolate-making equipment, as well as facts about Belgian chocolate.
It must contain at least 35% pure cocoa to be called chocolate!
Diamond Museum
As one of the only five-diamond museums globally, this fantastic museum celebrates the art of diamond polishing, which was invented in the city during the 15th century.
The museum boasts many rare objects, including a replica of the crown of Margaret of York, which was handmade in Bruges.
The best thing about the diamond museum (diamondmuseum.be) is the thousands of genuine diamonds dotted around (behind locked cabinets, obviously) and 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 Chip Museum!
As the famous chip is said to have originated in Belgium, the Friet Museum is 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.
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Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
- World Nomads for travel insurance.
- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
- Rail Europe for train passes.
Adrian Pritchard
Monday 27th of June 2016
A portion of chips are NOT included in the Friet Museum entry! You get a 40c discount. Delicious chips though!
Jess @UsedYorkCity
Saturday 18th of August 2012
I would love to visit the chocolate museum and the french fry, err, I mean CHIP museum! Very unique!