Love Chocolate? Add to Your Bucket List ‘Eat Pralines in Bruges, Belgium’

My husband and I traveled with friends to The Netherlands during the tulip season. During the planning phase, we decided to add several nights to the trip to explore Bruges, Belgium. It’s only about 3 hours by train from Amsterdam (including a quick change in Brussels.) Bruges turned out to be our favorite city on our itinerary.

Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bruges’ canals and medieval architecture offer a picture around every corner. Early spring can bring a mix of weather. While visiting in April, we had blue skies, rain, and even a bit of hail.

Before we talk about chocolates and pralines, here’s a snapshot of Bruges: virtually every street, corner, and canal is picture-worthy. The city’s medieval center is so well preserved, you feel as if you’ve gone back in time. My friend likened it to a fairy tale.

Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage site offering canals, medieval architecture, cobblestoned streets, and many museums. Horse-drawn carriages and larger restaurants with outdoor dining line the main square for tourists, yet the city still exudes old-world charm. Restaurants and shops are small and locally owned and operated. Most locals speak Flemish and English. Many also speak French.

The medieval city center is closed to cars and is, therefore, very bike and pedestrian-friendly. If you are driving to the city, park at the railroad station and take the bus to The Markt (the main square.)

Gastronomic Delights Including Belgian Chocolate

Bruges is a relaxing destination with a host of excellent restaurants, breweries (grab a flight), cozy tea houses, and waffle stops (sit-down or takeaway options). But for a chocoholic like me, the real draw is the many artisanal chocolatier shops.

A Chocolatier At Every Corner

I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say that every third store on every street houses a chocolatier. I could not confirm the official number of chocolatier shops in the city, but I’d guess around 40.

During our visit, I felt as if I had died and gone to heaven!

The chocolates are works of art. Windows are piled high with truffles, pralines, ganache, and various molded chocolates. At the time of our visit, tools including wrenches, nuts and bolts, and brushes were commonly displayed next to swans (a symbol of wealth and prestige in the city’s history) and sea shells.

Pralines: The True Stars

Even with the most creative and eye-catching molds, Belgian pralines are the true stars. And, every chocolatier offers numerous praline options—each with a unique design.

A good praline (according to Belgian standards) should have a very shiny outer shell, a crispness when you bite into it, and a well-rounded, robust taste. The taste is more cocoa than sugar or milk (even Belgian milk chocolates have a high cocoa content.) Other countries’ chocolate makers tend to use less cocoa and more sugar.

By taste-testing many truffles, pralines, and bars from several shops each day we were there, I can confirm that Belgian chocolates are the best. They live up to their reputation.

Who Makes The Best Belgian Chocolate?

The smallest and quaintest Dumon store in Bruges (there are 3) is just a stone’s throw away from Grote Market (the main square.)

Over several days, my girlfriend and I tasted many chocolates from the many artisanal chocolate shops located in Bruges. While the guys climbed the Belfry steps for an aerial view of the city, we opted to step into a few more chocolatier shops—that’s how serious we are about our chocolate.

After a thorough evaluation, our personal favorite is Chocolatier Dumon.

Dumon is where the locals indulge. Need I say more? There are multiple Dumon shops in the city but the one I like the most is the smallest. It’s located just outside Grote Markt.

If my luggage had no space for souvenirs, I would leave my backup walking shoes and even a few sweaters behind so I could make space for a few mix-and-match boxes of Dumon chocolates. That’s how good they are.

Unfortunately, shipping these chocolates from the shop to the U.S. is cost-prohibitive. So buy some to bring home while you’re in Bruges (I did not see them at the airport.)

Choco-Story Chocolate Museum

You will learn all about the history of cocoa and how Belgian chocolate is made. Plus, a few opportunities for free tastings!

Learn about the 5,500-year history of chocolate and the ‘drink of the gods’ among the Aztecs and Mayans. Hint: magic mushrooms played a part in the labor-intensive cocoa drink.

The museum portion of Choco-Story includes a large number of artifacts. There are several ‘smelling’ stations where you can sniff some of the ingredients used to make different types of chocolate confections.

There is also a demonstration by a chocolatier on how molded chocolates are made that concludes with a free sample. Very interesting.

For those interested in learning how to make pralines, you can register for a private 2.5-hour workshop in advance for 45 EU/adult (2024 price.)

Why Visit Bruges (Besides the Chocolate)?

The Markt is the main square of Bruges.

Is chocolate the only reason to visit Bruges? Of course not!

Bruges is a relaxing destination, particularly if you visit before the crowded summer months (July-August) or Christmas Market season (late November-early January.) And, as mentioned, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site—need I say more?

Here are a few things to see and do besides embracing Bruges amazing ‘chocolate culture’:

• Take a canal boat tour

• Take a horse-drawn carriage ride

• Experience a brewery tour and enjoy bars with huge selections of Belgian beer on tap (one that we visited had about 50)

• Climb the 13th-century Belfry of Bruges (366 steps for an aerial view of the city; on the way up, see the clock workings and the bell chamber)

• Visit the Basilica of the Holy Blood (a vial reputedly contains Christ's blood brought back from the Crusades)

• Enjoy high tea with all the traditional fixings (at a tea house or hotel)

• Visit a museum or two such as the Groeningemuseum (Flemish paintings), Historium Bruges (Bruges in the Golden Age), Musée de la Torture Bruges (medieval torture), and others.

We found Bruges delightful and would return. It’s a great little city for a 2- or 3-night visit.

What’s The Correct Spelling of The City’s Name?

Is the correct spelling ‘Bruges’ or ‘Brugge’?

Belgium has three official languages: Flemish (similar to Dutch), French, and German. So, the city is ‘Bruges’ in French (and English), and it’s ‘Brugge’ in Flemish (or Dutch).