Visit the Bruges Beer Museum to get the lowdown on Belgian beer.
There are around 180 breweries in Belgium, brewing some 700 beers; along with Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp, Bruges was historically a center of brewing and that tradition still continues today in the city. Opened in early 2015 in homage to the national drink, the Bruges Beer Museum has pole position in the pedestrianized and historic city center.
For such a tiny country, Belgian beer certainly packs a tasty punch and a visit to the Bruges Beer Museum helps visitors decipher the maze of brands and styles from mass-produced pils to monastery-brewed Trappist ales plus fruit beers, white beers and wheat beers, blond beers, strong dubbels and tripels, and sour, fruity lambic beers.
The high-tech Bruges Beer Museum is found in the Markt, the city’s number-one tourist spot for its beautiful Gothic architecture dominated by the ornate spire of the Belfort, which once contained the city market halls. The museum offers an overview of the brewing industry in Bruges, with self-guided iPad tours and interactive, multimedia exhibits that educate while entertaining. Displays explain the process of brewing, showcase the ingredients that go into Belgian beers and explain how to pair the best beer with Belgian dishes. Inevitably – and this is half the fun – the tour ends up in a tasting room, where 16 different beers can be sampled while visitors enjoy views over the Markt; touch screens explain the provenance of each beer and snacks are available to help soak up the alcohol.
There are a variety of tickets available for the Bruges Beer Museum, with prices depending on number of beer tastings chosen. Children under 16 are not allowed to sample the brews. Other beer-related attractions in Bruges include De Halve Maan Brewery, which is open for tours and tastings of its strong blond Brugse Zot, which translates into English as ‘the Fool of Bruges,” presumably a comment upon its strength.
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