Christmas Market: The Grote Market, Brugge, Belgium

Last year, in early December, my daughter - along with her friend - and I took a day trip to Brugge, Belgium. I had heard how this city was so picturesque, and I imagined how much more it would be during the holiday season. We boarded the TGV and in a couple of hours, we got there.




It was a frigid, gloomy day. We started to walk, following the big crowd ahead of us...to the center of town, along the canals.


After stopping by a number of old churches and small specialty shops on the old city streets, we made it to the Grote Market - "Big Market square"...and noticed the Christmas market from afar.


On one side of the square, we noticed a sign...


... for an indoor Christmas market...it was so cold that we opted to go here, first, to warm up a bit from the arctic cold...and walked around to find...






ceramic products, Christmas ornaments, figurines, candle holders, vases...and more...


hand-made gift items using Belgian lace...


artisanale fruit jams and marmalades with that home-made look...


chocolate products produced by an NGO in Africa...






hand-blown glass with the artisan making his creations on the spot...like glass ornaments, rings, and earrings...it was quite a show to watch...


figures made out of soap and paraffin.


It was time to brave the cold temperatures again...to get to see the rest of the Grote Market square.


We headed straight to the Christmas market section...just to look around...








while taking note of the old buildings surrounding the square.






Out in the cold, we needed a warm drink...


and some Belgian fries!


We were so tempted to join in the fun in the ice skating rink right next to the market...where most of the kids were at while their parents were going around the market stalls.


There was a Salvador Dali exhibit going on in one of the galleries...


horse-drawn carriages for hire to take you around the city.


And when more Christmas lights outlining the buildings switched on...



it was time to head back to the station. Inspite of the negative temperature reading for that day, we sure enjoyed our day trip to Brugge. The extra-ordinary beauty of the place, it's rich history and culture...the whole experience lingers in our fond-memories bank. Hopefully, we get a chance to go back soon, before this year is over.