Brugge surprised me in the best possible way. What started as a wander through a beautiful medieval city quickly turned into a deep dive into power, wealth, religion, art, and a few genuinely unexpected moments — including a very noisy climb and a world-famous artwork I absolutely did not expect to find here.
In this video, I visit three of Brugge’s biggest historical heavyweights. The first is a palace-turned-museum that quietly holds 500 years of the city’s history, complete with priceless books, trading ledgers, and a private prayer room built so its owner wouldn’t have to mix with the general public. The second is Brugge’s iconic bell tower — a UNESCO-listed landmark with nearly 400 steps, 46 bells, and a soundtrack that has controlled the rhythm of the city for centuries. And the third is a church that contains one of the most extraordinary art collections in Belgium… including a Michelangelo with a dramatic past.
It’s history, architecture, art, and a bit of personal suffering — all in one very Brugge day.
🎥 Watch the Video
If you prefer watching rather than reading, the full video is here.
🗺️ What This Video Covers
- A 15th-century palace turned museum
- Rare artefacts from 500 years of Brugge history
- Medieval books, carvings, and trading records
- The smallest Gothic window in Europe
- Climbing the Brugge Belfry (nearly 400 steps)
- How bells once controlled daily life in the city
- A church filled with extraordinary art
- A Michelangelo sculpture with a wild history
📍 The Story Behind the Scenes
The first stop was a palace built in the 1400s by Louis of Gruuthuse — an adviser to three Dukes and a man with extremely expensive taste. In medieval Brugge, books were a status symbol, and Louis collected them obsessively. Today, many of those books sit inside the museum, alongside carvings from the 13th century, trading ledgers from the early 1500s, and official documents that once controlled the city’s finances.
One of the most fascinating parts of the palace is Louis’s private prayer room. He had it built so he could look directly into the neighbouring church without ever having to step outside or pray alongside the “great unwashed.” The floors were even designed to creak, so servants would know if he was coming. It’s a small detail, but it says a lot about power and privilege at the time.
From there, I made my way to the Brugge Belfry — a UNESCO-listed icon and one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city. Access is carefully controlled, and once inside, the climb becomes steadily more challenging as the staircases narrow and steepen. At the top sit 46 bells, including the great bell cast in 1680, weighing six tonnes. These bells once dictated daily life — marking work hours, meals, emergencies, festivals, and even the closing of the city gates. Every two years, the mechanism is adjusted so the bells play a new tune, presumably to stop the locals from losing their minds.
The final stop was the Church of Our Lady, physically connected to the palace itself. Inside is an astonishing collection of art, commissioned by wealthy Brugge citizens keen to secure their place in the afterlife. There are painted graves from the 1200s, baroque confessionals carved with symbolic figures, and tombs of powerful rulers — including Mary of Burgundy.
And then there’s the Michelangelo. Commissioned by a Brugge cloth merchant, it’s one of the very few works to leave Italy during Michelangelo’s lifetime. It was stolen by Napoleon, taken again by Hitler, hidden in a salt mine in Austria, and eventually returned — where it now quietly lives in Brugge, astonishing anyone who wasn’t expecting it.
🧠 Things I Learned
- Brugge was once one of the most powerful cities north of the Alps
- Medieval wealth was displayed through books as much as buildings
- Bells were an early communication system for entire cities
- Art commissions were deeply tied to religion and legacy
- You never know where you’ll find a Michelangelo
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💬 Over to You
Have you been to Brugge, or was there something here you didn’t expect either?
Let me know in the comments — I read every one.
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