chefmaison

The beautiful and romantic city of Bruges is my hometown. Every time I see the amazement in the eyes of the tourists visiting the city I feel privileged to live here. We live just outside ‘the Kruispoort’, and whenever the weather permits, we walk through Bruges as if it were our personal garden of Versailles. I love to wander along its small streets and still discover new spots in unexpected corners. I am an avid traveller myself who loves to discover new places and is always looking for an authentic local experience. So whenever friends visit Bruges the tourist guide in me pops out. I love to show our visitors the historic beauty and all the cultural riches that Bruges holds within its old ramparts. I love to show them the quiet cobblestone streets with the stepped gable houses, the many almshouses around the beautiful gardens, the more than 300 Lady Mary statues that grace the facades, the many parks that bring nature into the inner city and the labyrinth of canals that branded Bruges the ‘Venice of the North’. Only at the end of our walk will I immerse my friends into the crowded bustling city centre we’ve nicknamed ‘the golden triangle’. Here they come eye to eye with the grand medieval buildings and awe inspiring sights that made our city earn its Cultural Heritage status. Bruges is however more than ‘the Belfry’, the ‘church of Our Lady’, the ‘Gruuthuuse palace’, and the architectural gem that is ‘The Burg’. Bruges is most above all a city that exhumes a serene atmosphere that is not always easily translated into words but always leaves visitors elated and enriched.

I love to share my enthusiasm with visitors who want to experience Bruges. I hence decided to enroll in a four year study program to become a professional tour and city guide. I am still studying and probably always will be. I am now registered as a licensed city tour guide and eager to show you the exceptional beauty of my city. I can show you all the postcard highlights, let you discover the romantic backstreets we locals cherish and give you a peek into some of its less explored gems that stand witness to its medieval history. I can take you on bike rides around the green ramparts of Bruges and guide you along the canal towards the nearby picturesque village called Damme and its green surroundings.

Beside helping you to explore the sights and sounds of this fascinating ancient Hanze city I’ll also happily introduce you into our local culinary heritage and give you a taste of Bruges relationship with beer and chocolate.

I am also an official museum guide for the municipal museums in Bruges. Musea Brugge offers guided tours in the Old Saint-Johns’ hospital and Memling museum, one of the oldest preserved hospitals in Europe, in the Gruuthuse museum, where the 15th century gothic city palace is the perfect backdrop for 500 years of Bruges history and in our fine arts museum, the Groeningemuseum.

For more info, visit my website.

You can contact me by e-mail: hello@walkinbruges.be and I will be happy to create some unforgettable memories for you during your stay in Bruges. Hope to meet you soon.