Bruges After Dark: When the Day Tourists Leave

Bruges gets about 8 million visitors a year. The vast majority are day-trippers. By 7pm, the streets are yours.

This is when Bruges is at its most beautiful. The buildings are lit with warm floodlights. The canals reflect the glow. The cobblestones are wet. And the noise drops to almost nothing.

Walk along the Rozenhoedkaai after dinner. During the day it's a traffic jam of selfie sticks. At night it's a quiet bend in the canal with soft light on old stone.

For a drink, Du Phare on Sasplein has a terrace on the canal. Le Trappiste on Kuipersstraat is a beer cellar — literally underground — with barrel-vaulted ceilings and a curated beer list.