From Blankenberge a visit to Bruges

From the coastal town of Blankenberge, you can explore the inland and the beautiful city of Bruges. Just a stone's throw from the Flemish coast and Bruges lies Lissewege, the first village you pass through. It's a must-see right away. Lissewege is also known as the white village, because the houses in the old village center have been painted white for centuries. The imposing 13th-century Church of Our Lady of the Visitation towers high above the polders and is in itself a reason to visit. The old houses along the picturesque old canal bear witness to times long past. In the Visitor Center "The Old Parsonage," more than 120 saints keep watch in their own museum. And just outside the village center stands the largest medieval storehouse in Europe in the former Cistercian Abbey of Ter Doest. As a bonus, visitors to Lissewege can enjoy a free open-air exhibition during the summer months. The route leads you to beautiful Bruges, one of the cities sometimes called the Venice of the North. Its medieval center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You cycle into the city along the Ringvaart, the canal that runs east of the old center. Bruges is so rich in history and culture that one day is simply not enough to explore it. Bruges is famous for its lace, but is also considered the chocolate capital: there are more than fifty chocolatiers. They make, among other things, the typical Brugsche Swaentjes. In Bruges, you'll find—in addition to the terraces!—numerous interesting museums to pop into. You'll pass right by the Golden Boom Brewery. At the site where the Golden Boom Brewery was located, between Langestraat and Verbrand Nieuwland, a certain Jan Hugheins was already brewing beer in 1455. The name 't Hamerken first appeared in 1580 as a rural house known as an inn, whose owners are listed in records from 1588 onward. In 2006, the Palm Brewery sold the buildings of the Golden Boom Brewery on Langestraat in Bruges to a project development company. However, part of the former brewery and malting facilities was designated as industrial heritage in 2006. The remaining buildings made way for a new development with apartments, shops, and a museum café. Both the protected malting building and the restored 17th-century house on Langestraat have been integrated into the new development. You'll also cycle past Het Diamanthuis Brugge, a sister company of the Diamond Museum in Bruges, where diamond cutting and production are still carried out traditionally. It is one of the largest exporters of high-quality diamonds from Belgium. The Diamond House Bruges designs and sells jewelry in two showrooms, continuing a Bruges tradition over 600 years old. Back in Blankenberge, you can enjoy the sunset on a terrace by the sea!