Relatively cosmopolitan and bourgeois given its compact size, Bruges (official name in Dutch: Brugge) is one of the best preserved pre-motorised cities in Europe and offers the kind of charms rarely available elsewhere. Part of Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium, Brugge is a postcard perfect stop on any tour of Europe.

The historical center is not so big and thus quite walkable. The only mode of public transport inside city is bus. Buses are operated by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. Taxis on the market place and station cost about 10 euro.

Once over the circling canal and inside the city walls, Bruges closes in around you with street after street of charming historic houses and a canal always nearby. In recent years, the city has turned so much towards tourism the locals sometimes complain they are living in Disneyland. The newly cleaned houses should however not confuse you; they are truly centuries old. And if you can get away from the chocolate-shops, you can visit some more quiet areas s.a. St. Anna, and imagine what life in the late middle ages must have been like.

Some highlights:

• Groeninge Museum, Dijver 12 | B-8000 Bruges. 7 days 9.30am-5pm. Known as 'The city museum of Fine Arts', it houses a collection of artworks that span several centuries (14th-20th), focusing mainly on works by painters who lived and worked in Bruges. € 8 / € 6 (audioguide and ticket Arents House and Forum+ included in the entrance). (51.2061, 3.22639)
• Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilige Bloed Basiliek), Burg 10, April-September 9.30am-11.50am & 2pm-5.50pm, October-March 10am-11.50am & 2pm-3.50pm. A beautiful church on the Burg square. It houses a relic - a vial of blood that is said to be that of Jesus - and was built in the Gothic style. Try and get there early so you can view the chapel when it is quiet and not filled with tourists. And don't forget to visit the chapel underneath, in heavy Romanesque style - a contrast to the lovely light Gothic above.
• Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk. A fascinating church with architecture from the Romanesque and Gothic periods. In the east end of the church are very fine tombs of Charles the Bold and his daughter Mary of Burgundy - in contrasting Gothic and Renaissance styles, despite their superficial similarity. The church also houses a small but lovely Michelangelo sculpture of the Virgin and Child.
• Jerusalem church.  In a quiet area of the city, a highly unusual church with octagonal tower built by the Adornes brothers, merchants of Italian extraction. It includes a fine black tournai marble tomb, late Gothic stained glass, and a tiny and rather spooky chapel containing an effigy of the dead Christ. The entrance fee also covers the Lace Museum in the former Adornes mansion.
• The Begijnhof or convent, between the centre of the station and the city, with white painted small houses and fine plane trees, is a quiet place to walk - groups are discouraged.
• The Hospital of St John or Sint-Janshospitaal contains a museum of paintings by Hans Memling, within the early medieval hospital buildings.
• Choco-Story Museum, Wijnzakstraat 2 (Sint-Jansplein) 8000 Bruges, - 050/61.22.37, 10am- 5pm. This museum is a must see for chocolate enthusiasts as it describes chocolate's transition from cocoa into chocolate. It's low cost tasty exhibits make it well worth the time. Adults: 6 €. (51.2107, 3.22625) edit 
• Diamanthuis Museum, Katelijnestraat 43, 8000 Brugge, - 050 33 63 26. 10h30 - 17h30. Diamond museum has a large range of exhibits ranging from mining all the way to polishing and all the history in between. Everyday at 12:15 there is a live polishing demonstration. Individuals 6 EUR, Groups 4.5 EUR, Students 3 EUR. (51.2027, 3.22569)