Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bruges experiences: beer, Chocolate,
Windmills, and biking
ss
De Halve maan brewery Tour
—Belgians are Europe's
beer connoisseurs. This fun, handy tour is a great way to pay your
respects. The “Brugse Zot” is the only
beer still brewed in Bruges, and the
happy gang at this working-family
brewery gives entertaining and infor-
mative, 45-minute tours in two lan-
guages. Avoid crowds by visiting at
11:00 or 15:00 (€5.50 includes a beer,
lots of very steep steps, great roof-
top panorama; tours run April-Oct
daily on the hour 11:00-16:00, Sat
until 17:00; Nov-March Mon-Fri
11:00 and 15:00 only, Sat-Sun on the
hour 11:00-16:00; take a right down
skinny Stoofstraat to #26 on Walplein, tel. 050-444-223, www
.halvemaan.be).
During your tour, you'll learn that “the components of the
beer are vitally necessary and contribute to a well-balanced life
pattern. Nerves, muscles, visual sentience, and healthy skin are
stimulated by these in a positive manner. For longevity and life-
long equilibrium, drink Brugse Zot in moderation!”
Their bistro, where you'll be given your included beer, serves
quick, hearty lunch plates. You can eat indoors with the smell of
hops, or outdoors with the smell of hops. This is a good place to
wait for your tour or to linger afterward. For more on beer, see
page 367.
s
Chocolate shops
—Bruggians are connoisseurs of fine choco-
late. You'll be tempted by chocolate-filled display windows all over
town. While Godiva is the best big-factory/high-price/high-quality
brand, there are plenty of smaller, family-run places in Bruges that
offer exquisite handmade chocolates. Both of the following choco-
latiers are proud of their creative varieties, generous with their
samples, and welcome you to assemble a 100-gram assortment of
five or six chocolates.
Dumon:
Perhaps Bruges'
smoothest and creamiest choco-
lates are at Dumon (€ 2.10/100
grams). Madame Dumon and her
children (Stefaan, Natale, and
Christophe) make their top-notch
chocolate daily and sell it fresh
just off Market Square (Thu-Tue
10:00 -18:00, closed Wed, old
