Bruges Brugge - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 318

canal from Memling Museum at Katelijnestraat 4, tel. 050-332-
771) and Gruuthuse (Nieuwstraat 11, opposite Groeninge Museum,
tel. [phone]).
City minibus Tour —City Tour Bruges gives a rolling overview of
the town in an 18-seat, two-skylight minibus with dial-a-language
headsets and video support (€11.50, 50 min, pay driver). The tour
leaves hourly from Market Square (10:00-20:00 in summer, until
18:00 in spring, until 17:00 in fall, less in winter, tel. [phone],
www.citytour.be). The narration, while clear, is slow-moving and a
bit boring. But the tour is a lazy way to cruise past virtually every
sight in Bruges.
Walking Tour —Local guides walk small groups through the
core of town (€7, 2 hours, daily July-Aug, June and Sept Sat-Sun
only, no tours Oct-May, depart from TI on 't Zand Square at
14:30—just drop in a few minutes early and buy tickets at the TI
desk). Though earnest, the tours are heavy on history and given in
two languages, so they may be less than peppy. Still, to propel you
beyond the pretty gables and canal swans of Bruges, they're good
medicine.
Private guide —A private two-hour guided tour costs €60
(reserve at least one week in advance through TI, tel. [phone]).
Or contact Christian and Danielle Scharle, who give two-hour
walks for €60 and three-hour guided drives for €110 (Christian's
mobile [phone], Danielle's mobile [phone], www.tour
managementbelgium.be, [e-mail]).
Horse-and-buggy Tour —The buggies around town can take
you on a clip-clop tour (€30, 35 min; price is per carriage, not per
person). When divided among four or five people, this can be a
good value.
Near bruges
Quasimodo Countryside Tours —This company offers those
with extra time two entertaining, all-day, English-only bus tours
through the rarely visited Flemish countryside. The “Flanders
Fields” tour concentrates on WWI battlefields, trenches, memori-
als, and poppy-splattered fields (April-Oct Tue-Sun; Nov-March
Sun, Tue, and Thu only; departs at 9:15, 8 hours, visit to In
Flanders Fields Museum not included). The other tour, “Triple
Treat,” focuses on Flanders' medieval past and rich culture, with
tastes of chocolate, waffles, and beer (departs Mon, Wed, and Fri
at 9:15, 8 hours). Be ready for lots of walking.
Tours cost €55, or €45 if you're under 26 (includes a picnic
lunch, 9- or 30-seat bus depending on demand, non-smoking,
reservations required—call tel. [phone] or toll-free tel. 0800-
97525, www.quasimodo.be). After making a few big-hotel pickups,
the buses leave town from the Park Hotel on 't Zand Square.