Brugge and Liege shaped up as our Christmas getaway. After a gruelling Christmas trip in Poland and Lithuania in 2023, we wanted to make a journey more aligned with the cold weather and our need to be more comfortable. Brugge and Liege had been on our radar for a while now, and travelling to both these cities reaffirmed my feeling that Belgium is a country of contrasts. 

 

We travelled to Liege on an extremely wet and windy day and went to the city center through a torrential downpour. For our efforts, we were treated with a truly unique church experience at Cathedral La Place. This cathedral has a unique blend of stained glass windows, ranging from traditional motifs and designs originating from the period in which the cathedral was built to modern abstract stained glass designs. The information provided in the church stated that they aspire that this place of worship be co-created by the next generation. After this interesting experience, we headed towards the Marche de la batte, a weekly market in Liege. Liege is famous for its Bueren mountain, which is steep and 374 steps high. These steps were created so that the soldiers in the fortress could access the city centre with relative ease. We reached the top of the staircase for a stunning city view. 

 

Subsequently, we went to a lovely French patisserie called La Pâtisserie Vegan. The pastry shop serves vegan delicacies inspired by traditional recipes. We had a chocolate log and a cross between a croissant and a cookie. It's truly stunning! 

 

Our final stop in Liege was the Christmas markets. Like many other cities in Belgium, Liege had Christmas markets dotting the entire cityscape. As we wove through these crowded markets, we were vibrating with excitement. We decided to go ice skating in one of the Christmas markets right outside the cathedral, which was Sreeram’s first ice skating. The twinkling Christmas lights, the soft music, the warmth radiating from the Christmas stalls and the beautiful skating rink made it a beautiful way to try something new. We also thought it was a wonderful way to welcome the new year!

 

A couple of days later, we visited Brugge. Brugge is pure magic! The city could be home to elves and pixies, faeries and dragons. It seemed to be lifted right out of a fairy tale. We followed a slightly more structured plan for Brugge inspired by Christina in the Clouds. If you are planning a one-day trip, we recommend this plan with a few minor additions. 

 

First, we chanced upon a small lace-based souvenir shop in a small passage next to Bubbles at Home. The shop displayed delicate pieces of lace-based art, a local speciality in Brugge. There are many lace-based shops in Brugge, but this one has the most exquisite pieces. Next, right next to Bubbles at Home, you’ll find a beautiful art store with an array of perspective-based artworks that change how they appear based on where you view them from. Another art shop we loved is called Artis Brugge Paintings. This is an outdoor exhibition and shop, and some of the expressive paintings truly captured the essence of Brugge. Third, we visited the Beguinage right next to Minnewater Park, which was in addition to Christina's proposed itinerary.  Aside from these little changes, we could enjoy the city's Christmassy glory, all decked up! 

For vegan food in Brugge, please visit Garlic’n Greens. They serve authentic Indian food, and the warm meal was a pleasant respite from the cold outdoors. They get pretty busy, so book a table in advance. We also heard about Otto Vegan Ateliers for vegan Brugge waffles. Unfortunately, they were closed on the day we visited, but we couldn’t find any other vegan alternatives for this sweet Belgian treat in Brugge. 

 

We have already decided to go back to Brugge in spring. The city captured our imaginations!