In Bruges

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Bruges is famous with Gothic Architecture. Look for big , thick , Belgian Gothic books and learn where you can hunt for photography.
I found there were many books on Belgian Gothic at my university and they were matchless.
I think carrying a SLR with a power tele will close you to document atchitectural details and fill the colummns fill the frame. If you can rent a Leica , you could be the happy man if you are interested in dıocumenting quality with quality.
Belgium have a extremelly wide palettes of beers and learn the list of oldest and best abbeys to taste and photograph the environment.
They have extensive needle work tradition and you can want to document it.
And their philatelic history is so great.
Instrument museums and art museums are worth to document interior decoration of a Ruckers clavichord or photograph a Bruegel the Elder.
I dont think you can have time and oppurtinity to take these masterpices details and prepare some money to acquire art history books . I dont think your photographs will match with these catalogs.
If I were you , I put my expensive air ticket money in to buying books. It will take couple of years to learn their history , art history , traditions , language , literature and than you can make your trip.

[Tony-S]

OK, thanks for all the hints and tips. I'll be there a few days so I should be able to explore the town in great detail.

[Uncle Goose]

Go to Ghent, that's a far more interesting city then Bruges and less tourists. I call Bruges Little Tokyo because of all the Japanese who go there. Being from Ghent myself I know that my home city is much more interesting because it's larger, less fake and less overcrowded. And it's only about 30miles from Bruges.

[Tony-S]

Is the train access to Ghent pretty easy?

Thanks for the tip!

[Marc Leest]

Is the train access to Ghent pretty easy?

Thanks for the tip!

If you take the intercity train direction GenK or Tongeren Ghent is 1 stop further and Brussels 2 stops. Runs every hour.

-m-

[Q.G.]

Go to Ghent, that's a far more interesting city then Bruges and less tourists. I call Bruges Little Tokyo because of all the Japanese who go there. Being from Ghent myself I know that my home city is much more interesting because it's larger, less fake and less overcrowded. And it's only about 30miles from Bruges.

It's also decidely less "picture postcard beautiful" than Brugge.

Which is why the tourists all flock to Brugge, 'die scone', of course.

[VaryaV]

***Word of Warning***

Avoid the pubs... at all costs.

[RTMoynihan]

I'd recommend watching the film 'In Bruges' before going, it's hilarious. But also take lots of film it's better to go over prepared and have to bring unfinished rolls back then run out halfway through your holiday! maybe try taking photos that aren't the postcard cliché and get something new! It's all up to you really

[ntenny]

I assume VaryaV meant "DON'T avoid the pubs"... :-)

Belgian beer, IMHO, is the best in the world (at the national level; there are a couple of American beers that I like better, but our team performance is dragged down by the lousy mass-produced lagers). There are reasonable people who would argue for Germany or the Czech Republic instead, but...they're wrong.

-NT

[Tony-S]

Yes, I have the movie "In Bruges" which is why I titled the thread. And you can be certain I'll visit a pub or two and sample some of the chocolates. I'm sure I'll come back a bit heavier than when I left.