Beautiful Bruges - and the Novotel Brugge Centrum

As per my last blog, we had a weekend in Bruges just before Christmas, and I'd recommend it as a mini-break destination, especially at this time of year. It's much closer than you imagine it to be - just over an hour's drive from Calais. And it really is a beautiful destination - amazing architecture, lovely canals, museums and medieval buildings.

 

We managed to fit in a visit to the Historium, the Salvador Dali exhibition, the chocolate museum and the cathedral, as well as a boat trip on the canals and a large amount of exploring. There's lots more for families to do that we didn't have time to fit in - plus, of course, hundreds of different beers to drink (and don't get me started on the chocolate...).

And while the December weather limits you slightly, it also brings with it Christmas markets, an ice rink in the main square and beautiful Christmas lights and decorations everywhere.

If you fancy trying Bruges and are looking for somewhere to stay (particularly as a family), then I'd definitely recommend the Novotel Brugge Centrum, where we stayed. Here's my cut-and-paste review from Trip Advisor:

We stayed as a family of four in the Novotel for a weekend break in December, and I really can't fault it. Firstly, hotel prices in Bruges are not cheap - and while the prices at this hotel might not be cheap in themselves, they certainly represent good value for Bruges, particularly when booking far enough in advance. The children stayed free in a superior room and had breakfast free if the adults paid for it, which made the hotel particularly good value for families. The location is very good - in the centre of town and an easy walk to the bell tower and the other sights, and probably a ten-minute walk to the train station. If coming by car, it is easy to find and there is an underground public car park right next to the hotel, where parking costs 8 or 9 Euros a day. The room is a reasonable size, and we found the beds perfectly comfortable. The toilet is separate from the bathroom, and there are toiletries, a hairdryer, TV, mini-bar (which just contained water) and a free safe. There is also free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, which was a bonus. There is a door between the bedroom and the hall area outside the bathroom, which means that parents have somewhere to sit other than the bathroom once the children are in bed! The breakfast offered plenty of choice (hot and continental) and was all very nice. We also ate dinner in the hotel restaurant one evening, and the food was delicious. The staff were really what made the hotel - everyone was very friendly, both at reception and in the restaurant - and made us feel welcome as a family. You can often be made to feel uncomfortable bringing children to a city hotel, but the children were given a gift at check-in and again at dinner, and there was an area for children to play in the reception (and also outdoors, but it was too cold!), with an impressive computer 'table' and an X-Box. We would certainly stay in this hotel again, and would wholeheartedly recommend it to other families looking for a hotel in Bruges.

Here's a video of our room in the Novotel Brugge Centrum. You can visit my YouTube channel (Holiday Obsessive) for more holiday-related videos (with more to be uploaded soon...).