Bruges, Belgium is known for its chocolate and beer, and the biking in and around this charming town is another plus.
We spent a relaxing day biking along the canal from Bruges to the border of the Netherlands, and this turned out to be a highlight of our trip to Europe.
We rented bikes from Eric Popelier, whose shop is right off the market square. We planned to ride to the next town, Damme, then eat lunch and bike back to Bruges. The young man who rented the bikes suggested we aim instead for the town of Sluis, much farther away and right on the border of the next country. He instructed us to follow the canal and enjoy ourselves. Why not?!
A few blocks from the center of the town we found the canal and began our enjoyable tour of the Belgian countryside. Windmills and farmland made for picturesque cycling.
Soon we arrived in Damme and found giant French fries. 
We were certainly up for a longer ride and continued along the canal. 
About lunchtime, we cycled into Sluis. I had not heard of this little city before, but it turned out to be a delight. The people out and about here love dogs. The shopkeepers love dogs. Bicycles are the preferred method of transportation, so we fit in well.
This is the view from the sidewalk café where we ate sandwiches.
Rested and fortified, we hopped on our bikes and headed back towards Bruges. With all the stopping to admire windmills and the scenery, this trip took a good part of the day. We turned in our bikes late in the afternoon, just in time to enjoy a snack of Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Yum!
If you go to Bruges, Belgium, consider spending a day in the country on a bicycle, taking in the peaceful scenes and fresh air. We were so glad we did!
Linking up with Image-in-ing, Little Things Thursday, Wednesday Around the World, The Good, the Random, the Fun, Through My Lens, Seasons, Our World Tuesday, Photo Friday, Seasons at Life-n-Reflection, Travel Photo Thursday, City Tripping, Weekend Wanderlust, and Life Thru the Lens.
35 Comments
Oh, what lovely scenery! I love the old architecture and the sweet pups are so cute!
So colorful! I love the windmills. What a fun adventure!
What a wonderful day you had! Bruges is lovely I know, but Sluis sounds equally gorgeous (and I love all the dogs!). Your snack looks yummy.
Beautiful landscape to bike through.
wow these are all so great! i really love the architecture in the 2nd and 3rd and really, really love all the dog pictures!!
What a wonderful adventure! It looks like you had perfect weather. I loved all your colorful photos and the adorable dogs
You came here to about one and a half hr. South of where I grew up as a child, in the province of Zeeland in Holland (where, by the way all the dykes broke through in the flood of 1955). Very familiar sites! The only difference for W-Europeans is that biking is the way to get one’s groceries, and for many, the way to school, job, etc. Greatly captured, Sharon and many thanks for sharing your biking adventure with ALL SEASONS! Have a beautiful week! (And thank you again for all the effort you put into leaving me a comment last week:):) )
Biking in Bruges is a great idea.I walked the city when I was there but definitely see the pluses of bicycling.
The whole place looks so lovely. I really like the coloured buildings in the second image in this series
Mollyxx
Sharon, this looks like the perfect day! And I have serious waffle envy now. 🙂
Ahhhh! The city is fantastic. There is no doubt about it. However, I find the countryside very appealing. You have no idea how I would like to bike around the canals, windmills and small towns. I try to find a balance between the urban and the natural when I travel. #WednesdayWanderlust
I have never been to Bruges, but it looks like the perfect city, and the perfect city to bike in! So picturesque I love seeing all the photos. #citytripping
What a lovely, relaxing day!! And those doggies!! Omgsh so cute and fluffy! The shiba inu is my all-time favorite dog.
Incredible landscapes and scenery! The bike path along the canals looks so serene and peaceful. It must have been such a lovely experience to bike along these trails. #citytripping
Excellent post, since I can’t hop on a bike right now I’m going to pop some pommes frites in the toaster oven. I’ve always found taking photos while biking a challenge and when I found what I thought was the perfect camera it got waterlogged and now I’m back to square one. I can see why this would be a highlight of your travels.
beautiful photos! I loved Bruges too when I visited it:) but on foot, not by bike:) #citytripping
Wow so awesome and fun adventure! Love the pics!
Another lovely place in the world that would be a joy to see in person!
Great shots. Beautiful place.
Sydney – City and Suburbs
The biking trail along the canal in Bruges looks so peaceful and lovely! A great place to stroll as well, in such beautiful weather. #CityTripping
Love all the photos! Went there a long time ago but need to go back!
What a gorgeous way to explore – I do love Bruges, it’s so pretty, but a day cycling through that countryside (and stopping for the occasional waffle) sounds fabulous. Thanks for linking up with #citytripping
We’re going soon. Can’t wait. Looks so beautiful. Will note down the bike shop!
Wow there were so many photos here that were just beautiful. I enjoyed your post.
So many dogs! Also, my bike has those dotty panniers. We need a weekend cycling in Bruges. Definitely one to stumble. #CityTripping
I love this series of photos! They make me want to visit Belgium in our next trip to Europe.
Definitely a great way to see Bruges! I love the details you’ve captured in the photos, especially the dogs! #citytripping
I love all your pictures! What a neat way to see the city riding a bike, especially Bruges. Can’t wait to visit some day! #weekendwanderlust
Looks like some lovely countryside and cycling seems like a great way to enjoy it. I know Belgium is quite flat so no awful hills! Might consider doing this when I visit Bruge!
Biking is such an excellent way to see the Be-Ne-Lux countries! What bright, colourful photos.
Wow!! All the photos are so beautiful!! Loved them!
What scenic places!
I see some lovely places we missed in Bruges as we always opt to walk. Beautiful photos, especially the doggie pics in Sluis. I’d love to check out this little city next time we are in Bruges.
[…] their way through the extraordinarily beautiful canals. Another great way to see the sights is biking in and around this charming town. But despite the chill in the air we chose to walk and absorb the […]
I will be visiting Bruges next month and you’ve given me a great idea how to spend one of the days …. thank you!