Bruges Landmarks Square by Square

October 30, 2026

Most of Bruges can be seen for free from the street, and the ticketed sights are a short list of towers, museums and civic halls. This page separates the two, then gives the details for each landmark so you can see how much of the centre fits into a budget. Everything lies within a short walk of the Markt.

Free to enter

Basilica of the Holy Blood on the Burg: open daily from 10:00 to 17:15, and the basilica itself is free. The relic is venerated every day from 14:00 to 16:00 and on Fridays from 10:15 to 11:00. During Mass and confession parts of the church are closed to sightseers, and modest dress is expected. The lower chapel is 12th-century Romanesque, and the upper chapel is Gothic with 19th-century neo-Gothic additions. See holyblood.com .
Church of Our Lady nave on Mariastraat: free to enter. Opening times are Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 17:00 and Sunday 13:30 to 17:00, and it closes for weddings, funerals and Ascension Day.
Begijnhof Ten Wijngaerde: founded in 1245 and free, opening at 07:30 and closing at 18:30 in winter or 20:30 in summer. Women still live in the houses, so silence is requested. The beguinages of Flanders joined the UNESCO list in 1998, and the historic centre has its own, separate listing from 2000.
Minnewater and Koningin Astridpark: free parks, with swans at the lake and a pond, fountain and playground in the park.
The Markt: a food and flower market fills the square every Wednesday from 08:00 to 14:00, beside the neo-Gothic Provinciaal Hof of 1887 to 1920.

Ticketed landmarks

The Belfry (Markt 7). At 83 m with 366 steps and no lift, the tower holds a 47-bell carillon. An adult ticket costs EUR 16 in summer and EUR 15 on winter weekdays, and under 7s are free. Online booking of a time slot is recommended. It is open daily from April to early November from 09:00 to 20:00, with shorter winter hours, and the last entry is one hour before closing.

The Stadhuis (Burg 12). Building began in 1376. The Gothic Hall has early 20th-century murals and a 14th-century painted vault. Entry costs EUR 8, with EUR 7 and EUR 4 reduced fares, daily from 09:30 to 17:00. Part of the building closes on the last Monday of each month for council meetings, and the fare drops that day.

The Brugse Vrije (Burg 11a). The aldermen’s chamber has a chimneypiece for Charles V that Musea Brugge dates to 1528. It opens at weekends only and costs EUR 3, and it is free with a Stadhuis ticket at weekends.

The Church of Our Lady museum. For EUR 10 you see Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, bought by merchants and given to the church in 1514, along with the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy. The tower rises to 115.5 m and counts among the tallest brick towers in the world.

Sint-Janshuismolen windmill. One of four mills on the Kruisvest and the only one still grinding grain, it dates from 1770 and costs EUR 5. It opens from April to early November, closed on Mondays, and its stairs are steep.

Museum closure

The Groeningemuseum on the Dijver closes on 11 January 2027 for a long refurbishment. Meanwhile the core of its collection is shown at the BRUSK art space next door.

Passes and booking

The Musea Brugge Card costs EUR 49 for 72 hours and covers the Belfry, Stadhuis, Brugse Vrije and the museums, but not the Holy Blood museum. In 2027 the Bruges Triennial adds a free outdoor trail from 24 April to 5 September. For guided sightseeing, compare Bruges tours on GetYourGuide .