I used my Brugge Museum Pass (purchased online and most cost effective when visiting 3 or more…read moremuseums/activities in 72 hours) and had the QR code scanned for admittance. If you have any backpacks or bags then you must store them in the free lockers due to the tight confines on the staircase. The climb was up 366 steps that first started with stone but later turned into narrower wooden steps making a tight staircase with two way traffic. If timed correctly then you may see and hear the carillon in action for a few minutes. That was the highlight of my visit but there are scheduled carillon "concerts" to enjoy when in Brugge. The views were nice as could be on that cloudy morning. Wire screens on all opening impacted some photos but one can capture most of the city. On the way down I took my time and finally stopped to view the exhibits on the bells, drum (programming for ringing the bells), carillon, the tower history, etc. Before exiting the staff will rescan your ticket. There was a small gift shop after the turnstiles.

Awesome stair climb to the top. I'm a 47 year old male in decent shape and was able to handle it…read more This is the tallest structure in Bruges.

When I visited the beautiful medieval city of Bruges, I joined a tour that included a visit to the…read moreChoco-Story Museum. We were taken to the chocolate classroom, where the chocolatier explained the chocolate-making process, the history of cacao, and demonstrated the actual process of making chocolate. We actually tried the chocolate right after the chocolatier made it, and it was incredibly delicious. After the class, we walked through the entire museum, which featured many chocolate artworks, free chocolate tastings, and a gift shop. I purchased a chocolate box as a gift and discovered many interesting chocolate products in the gift shop. I really enjoyed the museum experience, especially seeing the various chocolate artworks.

Tourist trap? Heck yes…read more I love chocolate though, so I have a bit of wiggle room to like this little museum. They have a location in Brussels as well, but I didn't go, so I don't know how they compare. They do have the same admissions fees though. Adults are 11 euros. I would have liked to try the workshops to make my own chocolate, but they were sold out on the day of. I definitely recommend booking that ahead of time! Admission comes with an audio guide that you scan on the numbers next to the exhibit and put next to your ear to hear. They have a ton of languages available. You also get a free piece of chocolate to enjoy. I thought they should have had rubbish bins so people can toss their plastic trash. There's about 3-4 stories of exhibits that teach you all about chocolate and how to make them. At the end, you get to try as much as you want of 4 different types of chocolate and watch the current chocolate-making class do their thing. You can watch a guy do a demonstration (timed) and get more free star-shaped pralines. (He made sure that everyone was ok with English first.) We even took a quiz at the end and scored 100%. HA! The museum ends at the gift shop of course. Worth a visit? I think so!

funny museum with lots of information. nothing too unique or noteworthy but it was like 7 euro soread more

Nice setup, with informative plaques. It's not crowded, and the museum takes you through the…read moreexhibition in a way that creates a good flow. It's well worth the money (9euros per person for adults). On the down side, it's not wheelchair or walkerframe friendly. Bonus tip: you can get tickets for the witch "museum" there too.. that too, is super cool, and right next to the torture museum

A well laid out and inviting museum that allows you to get up close to some of the best artowrks by…read morethe Flemish masters. Van Eyck and Bosch are represented, as well as a smattering of post-modern artists from the 20th century. I enjoyed how each room represented a particular artistic movement chronologically. A nice way to spend 90 minutes or so.

Flemish art overload. Allow 1-3/4 hours. Each room had multi-lingual explanatory cards (a great…read moreidea). + padded benches €30 for 2

This building is the biggest and most prominent on the Bruges main square. Go inside on a rainy day…read moreto do the VR experience or history experience, or simply go up to the top level's beer bar for a quick drink and view of the square from above (no cost to just walk up). The VR experience was included in the ticket we chose and actually pretty cool to see that there was once a canal going under the building for board and commerce in Bruges. The history experience throughout the building was a little strange -- like an animatronic story where you walk in room after room. I liked how interactive and Disney-like it was, but the story in general is just a little random (?). You follow a pretty girl in a red cloak through the markets and there's a bird and a painter and people looking for her or something? I would've loved to learn more about actual Bruges which is why I wouldn't consider it a must-do for visitors. We brought our toddler with us through it, but I wouldn't recommend for kids under 15 ish... it's dark and there's a room with women of the night portrayed so it just kind of leaves you wondering who this general exhibit is for as most of it would be great for kids but then there's that dropped into it for no reason. The beer bar and view is cool though! PS: The shop inside could be improved as it has a lot of junky merch and the main manager lady is not friendly... she got upset at one of her employees and we felt bad for them because she hadn't been nice to us either.

Stay away. Far away. No go zone. Do not waste your time or money…read more Sadly there is no history in the Historium. Just a cheesy made up love story. 50 minutes and some euros I will never get back.

Illness (biliary colic). The staff generously offered pomme frites to my brother. He reported they…read morewere chewy and did not taste right. Such a durable texture and off-flavor suggests re-frying old fries (tough) in old oil (off taste). 4 hours later he suffered 7.5 out of 10 biliary colic. We were all worried for his health. He pulled through. Moral of the Frietmuseum: Don't eat their fries.

Fun and kind of funky museum about the history of fries and potatoes. It has a lot of memorabilia…read morefrom different countries that we can all relate to and fun. The history of the potato is very important in the development of the world. It fueled many countries and provided low cost and nutrition to many who could work in the Industrial Revolution and it continues to be a vital staple today.

An excellent selection of Dali's work. I especially appreciated the number of sketches they had…read moreavailable to view. There is even a small shop to purchase copies. Not sure if you can call them original or prints or copies, but that is a fact the museum audio tour can begin to describe for you. That being said, the biggest disappointment when it came to this museum was how out of sync the audio numbers (linking to the audio tour) to the works where they were posted. The audio tour would go into some pretty significant details, however, you'd have trouble matching what they were talking about and why. It ended up being more a source of frustration than education or entertainment. As such, I would not call this one a must-do. However, if you are hopping around Europe and just tried of checking out churches after churches, this one could offer a change of pace, even if for just 30-45 minutes.

This is nothing more than paying 10 euros a person to see a bunch of signed prints of Salvador…read moreDali. It shouldn't be labeled as a museum and I would avoid going here. At the end of it you are able to purchase signed prints of Dali as well. The prints that are for sale are very overpriced as well. One can find signed Dali prints for much less in other places.

Fabulous experience. Very much a highlight of our short stay in Bruges. Luc is a genius and a mad…read morescientist of all things harp. You will leave with a smile.

Wow! This harp concert was so freaking amazing and definitely worth checking out if you have an…read morehour to spare. Follow the signs at Site Oud Sint-Jan. Luc plays at 3:00PM, 5:00PM, and 6:30PM. Please show up on time and stay for the entire performance (total, it's about 50 minutes). Don't be rude and ruin the experience for everyone. If you do come in slightly late, please take a seat during the short pause between songs. It's in a small room that seats about 40 people, and Luc does a quick 2-minute introduction, plays for the majority of the time, and gives a 5-7 minute explanation about the instruments he played after he's done. It truly is "Harps around the World," a one-man show. He only plays his own compositions, which are amazing. He controls the lighting (including different colored lights), and he's not offended when you fall asleep. He knows his music can be relaxing, but just don't snore!! The music is soothing and beautiful. I definitely fell asleep...because the concert was so great!!! Luc is a harp master, passionate about his craft. He switches between multiple harps, including Grand Concert Harp, Celtic Harp, Harmonic Sound Harp (a self-made contraption made of sound harps usually only used for music therapy!), traditional harps from China, Japan, India, cymbals from Tibet, Nepal, and Japan, gongs from China, a steel harp, and a Lyre de Ur. The last one is a replica of an ancient instrument from 200BC that was excavated, and one that he spent 2 years making! And he only finished it a couple months ago, so check it out now. Nothing like it. He even shows you a video of the process. Finally, this concert is free, as in donation-based, but you can purchase CDs as support as well. Please support him if you have the means to do so. Luc himself keeps it free because he believes that $$$ should not be a barrier to cultural and arts enrichment. I obviously loved the performance, and hope you choose to check it out!

The Christmas Markets in the fairytale-like Brugge is a magical one surrounded by the ornate gabled…read morebuildings of a medieval past! There are two main markets to visit around town: the Grote Markt (in front of the Belfort in the Market Square) and at Simon Stevinplein. They have since moved the ice skating rink down to the Minnewater Park on the Lake of Love which also includes a lively bar. You may also find the walking path of lights, Winter Glow, around the Minnewater Park. So much to do and so little time! In general, the whole town is bustling and bedecked in glittering, festive finery. The Grote Markt is especially active and contains more alcohol and food stalls/ chalets. Do not miss out on local food and drink specialties such as tartiflette (cheesy potatoes), shrimp croquettes, moules/ mussels, sausages, cheeses, vin chaud, chocolat chaud, and jenever. The Grote Markt felt a little more commercialized than the market in Simon Stevinplein which was more enclosed and fairytale-like. The Grote Markt was the best for finding food and a table to consume it at and the "Lake of Love" setup has a more alcohol focus, but certainly was not without food. The whole town in completely walkable therefore, a single day around Brugge during the holidays will be a most involved one.

The Christmas market in Brugge is a must see and hard to miss if you are in Brugge for the holiday…read moreseason. There are two markets: - the first consists of two rows of stores and glühwein stands in the Grote Markt surround an ice skating rink and a beautifully lit tree, which light up the Belfort and Provincaal Hof - the second, a larger market down the street on Simon Stevenplein which has bumper cars and several rows of crafts, food, and drink. Definitely worth it to stop by!

it had some cool things but was relatively unimpressive compared to other museums in europeread more

This museum has things going back to the 1400s. Very well preserved and interesting history about…read morea famous wealthy person. It's a must see for history buffs.