This city hall was over 600 years old and in open for public visits…read more Most of the first floor was freely accessible. A small gift shop and ticket counter was to the left after entering. After paying admission or scanning the Brugge Museum Card, all backpacks or large bags had to be stored in the free lockers behind the ticket desk before heading to the second floor. The main attraction was the Gothic room which was very ornate with epic paintings of Brugge history that wrapped around all four walls. Worth following along with the explanation placards (available at the entrance). A side room contained a VR map that traced the evolution of Brugge over time. Headphones needed to be set to your preferred language by the staff. After seeing the gothic room then head next door to the Renaissance Room (if it's open) or to the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

City Hall from 1376 in the Burg Square next to the Markt. There were benches & some greenery in…read morethis square. This is where locals get permits & licenses today. The beautiful square was filled with restaurants & shops.

It's known as the site that is close to where Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his famous poem…read more It is here that you'll see the Advanced Dressing Station bunkers along a bank of the Yser Canal. These types of medical stations were established very close to the front line. The original one where he tended to the wounded was a roughly made dugout shelter that had a roof covered with wooden boards. The ones that you see today are the reinforced concrete dressing stations built into the bank around 1917. The cemetery was named after the Essex Regiment in memory of the very first soldiers to be buried here from the Commonwealth. There are military cemeteries peppered throughout this region. Many that are buried in these cemeteries are still unknown. Recovery of the dead was difficult due to constant artillery bombardment and the initial gas attack during the Second Battle of Ypres. You'll learn more about that at In Flanders Fields Museum. This was our final stop of the tour. It put everything that we saw that day into perspective. The John McCrae Memorial Site, Monument to the 49th West Riding Division, and the Stone of Remembrance are prominent along with all the beautifully manicured garden of headstones. In the midst of it all are wild poppies that sprout up in the Fields around it. You can definitely see and understand how it all inspired a Canadian infantry field surgeon to write such a beautiful poem after one of his closest friends was killed in battle. I'll leave you with this famous poem. In Flanders Fields by John McCrae In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, through poppies grow In Flanders fields.

A small cemetery by World War I standards, but the medical facilities behind it on the Yser Canal,…read morethe British Advanced Dressing Station (ADS), are its most unusual feature. A line of crude, cold bunkers faces away from the canal and the line of advance of the 1915 German Army. It is difficult to imagine doctors working in near-caves like these - but no more difficult than imagining a civilization that would descend to the lunacy of the Western Front. The ADS saw its worst action in the Second Battle of Ypres, on April 23rd, 1915, when the German Army attacked for the first time under a cloud of poison gas.

Bruges is just an amazingly impressive old town. Even though big in size at first glance, it's very…read moreeasy to walk and to get around. Most of it is pretty flat, so also suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Just be aware that some cobbled streets might make it a bit more difficult It's hard to describe what to see and what to do. Your options are endless and one day will not be enough. Just to see to historic center takes more than a day. And that's without visiting museums or taking a little river/canal cruise. Maybe plan the big must-do's. And after that ... or during ... it's just fun to stroll around and get lost in the streets and lanes of Bruges. Some of the sights you really should check out: - Belfort Tower - Markt / Marktplatz - Brugse Vrije - Stadhuis Brugge - Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - De Burg Square - Huidenvettersplein - Nepomucenusbrug - Meebrug - Sint-Salvatorskathedraal - Bonifazius Bridge - Zuidzandstraat - Dijver - Rozenhoedkaai - Steenstraat - Sint-Amandsstraat And that's just to cover the biggest and most famous sights and streets. Belgian Waffles and chocolate. Give them a try. Surely a must-do. We sampled some. But sadly weren't convinced much. Nothing beats Swiss chocolate. An amazing old town. We really enjoyed it. One of the most pretty historic old towns we know. And we've seen many. Bruges. Really a place you must see at least once in your life. We love it and will be back one day.

Built in 1910 this bridge looks much older than it is because of the style of architecture. If you…read moreare walking south of the old Burg square towards the Church of our Lady, walk along the Djiver Canal. You will cross between Arentshof and Gruuthuse. Sitting on top of the bridge maybe one of the most pictureque views of Brugge. Seek it out when it's not crowded. It is one of the most tranquil places in the city with the cathedral as your backdrop and the canal below you.

This "Lovers Bridge" is picturesque, romantic and definitely worth searching out. Set near the…read moreGroeningmuseum and Church of Our lady it is a photographer's dream as it sits over a canal. Try to get there around dusk or early in the morning as the daytime brings lovers to not just steal a kiss but that perfect selfie or photo. Try to linger if you can and you can feel yourself delving back into a more romantic time. Despite the many people trying to get their selfies, it is not hokey at all but a true gem of a view and spot to sit and listen to the quiet of the canal once the tour boats have stopped speeding by. Romatically lit by the moon and little else, a sense of calm and detachment from the world will come over you as you ponder how lucky you are to be there with your significant other.

Since it carries the name Bourse it suggests that this used to the the former stock exchange,…read morethough considering that were are now in France I would have thought that the Stock Exchange would have been located in Paris. However, what this place actually is is a market place, and when we wandered through here on Sunday discovered that all of the regional booksellers had descended upon the town to begin selling their wares. Basically you could find quite a number of second-hand French books as well as numerous posters and other things (such as records). There are also a number of shops around the outside that are basically regular shops, but if you are looking for a bargain then definitely step inside and have a bit of a look around.

A brilliant building to check out in the middle of Lille. Inside there is also a book market and…read moresome art works sold which is quite a wonderful use of space in the Old Stock Exchange!

What do you do when you've already visited Brussels & Bruges? We decided to take an In Flanders…read moreFields tour that includes admission to this museum. It was a great tour! It's located in the reconstructed Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) at Grote Markt in Ypres. Did you know that it had been totally destroyed during WWI? You would never know this by looking at it. The museum itself is very well done. It focuses on the battles of the Ypres Salient. It's the Western Front in WWI that covered about 9.2 square miles and formed a semicircle around Ypres. The objective of the museum is to show more of the human side of the trench warfare battlefield through personal experiences and artifacts. There's a great amount of information about the artillery projectiles that were responsible for two-thirds of all deaths on the battlefield. There's also a display of medical items used to dress these wounds during the battle and at Advanced Dressing Stations such as the one in Essex Farm. The chemical warfare exhibit is the most haunting of them all, but then you'll see art in the midst of all of it. The art pieces are scattered throughout the displays as a segue or transition that humanizes the subject matter. My only regret is not purchasing the audio guide. They give you a microchipped poppy bracelet that allows you to enter. It can be personalized, but no one really gives you any instructions on how to program it. Who has the time for that anyway? It can be used with the interactive displays to scan for personal stories of people who lived through the war. You can keep the bracelet as a souvenir. We just dropped it back into the dedicated container on the way out. There's an option to climb up to the bell tower if you have the time. We also saw a nice café in the museum with a gift shop. We had a very nice visit at the museum and Ypres. It's a beautiful city!

This is a great museum in the heart of Ypres. There is a parking lot nearby and some street parking…read moreavailable. Entrance was 10 euros for adults. Kids under 6 are free. You get a poppy bracelet to let you in and out of exhibit and to follow along with one person's experience. Audio guides are available for a small fee. It's a great museum with lots of great artifacts, and amazing dramatized first hand accounts. The museum offers everything in English, French, Dutch, and German so it's easy for many people to read and understand. We spent about 2 hours there. I'm a history nerd and read a majority of the panels. Our little one did well. The museum is stroller accessible and when he was done my husband was able t take him to the cafe downstairs for a snack while I continued in the museum. Highly recommend.