Bruges has a reputation as one of the most beautiful small cities in Europe and is a hugely popular destination in Belgium. only second to the capital Brussels. It’s a wonderful historic city with incredible Hanseatic architecture, the famous Rozenhoedkaai, Market Square and of course the canals.
Bruges (Brugge in Flemish) is an exciting city break at any time of the year but the city is particularly enchanting during winter. From late November you can visit Bruges Christmas Market as part of the Winter Glow Festival.
Bruges Christmas Market 2021
In Bruges, the winter festival is known as Winter Glow and Christmas markets in Bruges are part of this festival experience.
The Christmas market is a small market and decorated Christmas tree in Market Square, the main square in Bruges city centre.
Rows of Christmas stalls line the square where you can find international food and Christmas gifts.
As you walk around the city you’ll see the incredible light installations that are a feature of Bruges at Christmas and is one of the highlights of Winter Glow.
Bruges Christmas Market dates: 26th November to 9th January 2022.
Opening times: TBA
Location: Bruges Market Square and in smaller squares and streets around the city centre.
Reason to visit: The unique light installations and light trail.
Specialities: Street food, particularly frites (Belgian chips/fries), beer from local breweries and ‘brown cafes’.
Travel tips: Bruges has some of the best restaurants in all of Belgium. Try to budget for one or two nice meals out if you can.
Train travel: Eurostar tickets from London to Brussels (and return) include onward travel to Bruges or any other station in Belgium.
Hotels near Bruges Christmas Market: The Boutique Hotel Sablon is located 5 minutes from Market Square near the Zand district.
Hotels near Bruges Christmas Market
Bruges is a very popular tourist city and it can be difficult to find a good hotel at the best of times but it’s especially difficult over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Our guide to the best hotels near Bruges Christmas Market narrows down the task as we only list highly reviewed hotels within walking distance to the markets and other Winter Glow events.
Winter Glow Bruges 2021
Bruges Winter Glow 2021 will include light installations and decorations across the city. The ice skating rink and the cosy winter bar will become a winter hotspot and the Christmas market in Bruges will be given a completely new look after last year’s limited celebrations.
Keep in mind that Christmas markets aren’t a Belgian tradition. You might find the Brugge Christmas market is more of a general market than anything specifically related to Christmas and definitely nothing like what you’ll find in Germany or Austria.
The Belgian people typically celebrate the Feast of St Nicolas on the 6th December and this is when children receive gifts. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend visiting Brugge specifically for the markets or taking a day trip to Bruges Christmas Market. Instead, treat the Xmas markets as a community event you can experience while you are there on your winter break.
Map of Bruges, Belgium
If you have any questions or comments about visiting the Bruges Xmas market in 2021 or Bruges in winter more generally, please leave a comment below.
Please be sure to follow all government travel guidelines and restrictions while in Bruges and Belgium which may change at short notice. You can find the latest updates on the Visit Bruges tourism website.
This post contains affiliate links to hotels in Bruges, Belgium. This means we get a small commission from any bookings at no extra cost to you.
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