The area
Sight seeing:
Anna’s B&B is located in the quiet and picturesque St-Anne’s district in Bruges‘ city center, right across from the baroque St-Anne’s Church famous for its carved woodwork.
Just around the corner lies the Jerusalem Church. With an altar decorated with carved skulls, this tiny, dark church oozes a peculiar ‘gothic horror’ atmosphere. Follow the road past the church and you end up at the Kantcentrum (a lace center and museum) and, a little bit further on, the Folklore Museum which gives you a slice of daily life as it was two centuries ago.
From there, a short walk brings you to the Gezellemuseum and the old windmills. At sunset these wooden windmills (which are built on hillocks) offer a splendid view of Bruges. Again within walking distance, along the canal, lies the Museum ter Potterie and the old Catholic Seminar and its Baroque church, two destinations that are definitely worth visiting.
Wander further down that canal and you up end up at the Spinolarei which offers a great view of the old harbour district. In addition, the area is home to the beautiful Baroque Jesuit Church of St-Walburga.
Resto, pubs, shopping:
While the quarter itself is very calm and quiet, there’s a great range of restaurants and cafés to be enjoyed nevertheless. A mere 2-minute walk will take you to culinary heaven and some of the best restaurants in the country: Zet’joe, Bistro Refter, Rock Fort, Pepermolen and Sans Cravate (*, Michelin). Fancy a late night dinner? MOJO is the place to be. Aching for some really trendy tapas? Pull up a seat at Quatre Mains or La Buena Vista. Fancy a taste of grandmothers kitchen ? Then you should visit Cézar. If you prefer casual dining, try these places : Bistro Zwart Huis, One, L’Estaminet or De Stoepa.
For late night drinks, there is no shortage of cosy neighborhood cafés, such as the historic Café Vlissinghe (1515), ‘t Gezelleke (poetry café) and ‘t Risico. Trendier types might enjoy BarSalon for quality cocktails and bubbles or Bauhaus…. thé international hangout.
During summer the splendid waterside pubs around the Predikherenrei are always packed to the rafters. While the quarter by and large isn’t exactly a shopper’s haven, it does harbour the ONLY address where you can get genuine Bruges‘ handmade lace: the Kantcentrum or lace academy & center next to the Jerusalem church. Be sure to check out some nice stores in the Langestraat-Hoogstraat as well.