When the topic is beer, the destination is Belgium! This small nation is the only country whose beer country is on UNESCO’s Representative of the intangible Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The evolution of the Belgium breweries is closely entwined in the history of the country. In Bruges, you can easily find out the fascinating personality behind each one. If you are a beer aficionado or a beer enthusiast, here are the 10 places you need to visit to try the best Belgian beers.

The best beer experiences in Bruges

1. Beer Museum and Bruges Beer Experience 

If you are a beer fan, there is no better way to start your beer journey than visiting the Bruges Beer Experience. In this stunning museum visitors can learn about the history, interact with the brewing process, sample ingredients, and the best part: taste brews of varied styles! Trappist, abbey, Dubbel, Lambic do you know the difference? Before taking on Bruges beer scene you must head to the Bruges Beer Museum to feel like an expert when the topic is Belgium beers. There’s a lot of great information and handy facts in the interactive self-guided museum tour.

After spending a few hours tasting, smelling and touching the ingredients and learning about the equipment and process to make the best beers, visitors can put their knowledge to the test by tasting fresh draft beers in their nice bar in the famous Market Square. 

Visitors can choose between the Experience 1: Museum + Tasting or Experience 2: Tasting only. If you are ready to skip the best part, tasting 5 beers of your choice is 10 Euros and certainly worth the visit. There is also a store where you can buy a personalized beer bottle or a unique gift from Brugues. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm.

2. The Beer Wall at 2Be

Imagine a Dream Beer Wall! Then make your dream come true by entering the cavernous doorway where you’ll be in front of over 1250 beer bottles from all over the world. And this is only the beginning! After being amazed by the huge array of beer bottles and glasses displayed on the wall, you can enter at the 2BE Shop. In addition to admiring the splendid architecture, there are a range of Belgian products, including chocolates, biscuits, t-shirts, and of course, tons of great beers where you can put together a pack with your favorite ones. 

There are two floors with all kinds of beers and lots of vintage signs. The highlight of this place is the 2BE Bar, the terrace where you can finish your visit by a spacious beer garden with gorgeous views along the canalside. Make sure to experience a great selection of Belgium beers overthere. The visit to the Beer Wall is open to the public daily from 10:30am to 7pm, except on Wednesday. 

 It’s a mandatory visit when in Bruges.

3. Le Trappiste

Are you wondering what is behind a Trappist beer? Trappists are a Roman Catholic contemplative order with history that stretches back hundreds of years. With 120 different quality beers from bottle and 18 Beers from Draught, in this favorite Bruges bar, visitors can understand what makes a Trappist so Unique, including the The Rule of Saint Benedict, which was written in the 6th century mapping out the expectations of Trappist monks and nuns.

The underground bar feels like a medieval throwback where you can enjoy a beer with candles. All the incomes from Trappist-produced goods are used to support the monastery and local community.

Set in a 13th Century cellar, with exposed vaulted brick arches, Le Trappiste  is based in its spiritual trappist homeland in Bruges.

If you are curious about the authentic Trappist products and breweries, their blog is a good resource to learn more before your visit.

4. Duvelurium

Stop for the beer, stay for the view! The perfect place to rest and relax during your visit to Bruges, The Duvelorium Grand Beer Café has a terrace strategically located in the Market Square.The world’s only Duvel-themed café is free of entrance, offers some of the best postcard city views, and of course, is the top spot to experience the best assortment of your Duvel favorite beers. The ambience is beautifully decorated and unique Duvel gifts and souvenirs are available for purchase. 

The Duvelorium is close to the Bruges Tourist Information center and upstairs of the Historium Story, one of the favorite places to take a time trip to medieval Bruges. We loved the visit!

The Duvelorium is open every day from 11am to 6pm.

The best beer tours in Bruges

5. De Halve Maan 

With no doubt the most famous Bruges brewery tour is De Halve Maan. 

When people say that beer flows through Bruges’ streets, they’re not exaggerating. In 2016 , The Half Man Brewery installed a beer pipe to transport beer from the brewery to its bottling plant on the outskirts of the city. And today, De Halve Maan is internationally famous for its two-mile beer pipeline under the city.

Located in the heart of the city this is the perfect spot to take a 45 minute tour to learn more about Belgium beer from the traditions to the innovations. Their story goes all the way back to 1856, from horse-and-cart deliveries to beer transportation through this impressive pipeline. The tour is fun, informative and also includes a sampling of their  top beer brands.

Blond, dark, some a bit hoppy or a bit sweet, the brand ships the beers to over 40 countries and is represented on almost every continent. Although you probably have tasted some of them somewhere around the world, trying the most authentic beer from Bruges direct to its fountain has a special taste. This is the last authentic family brewery in the city center of Bruges and you must visit!

Tour prices vary from 15 to 24 euros and in addition to the tours, visitors can only seat in the brewery to enjoy a glass of their classic beers.

6. Bourgogne des Flandres 

Have you heard about lambic beers? Bourgogne des Flandres is a typical example of the Flemish beer and has a very special place in the Belgian beer landscape. Brewed on site, their lambic beers are aged for over eight months in wooden barrels and the result is a surprising red-brown beer with a low alcohol content and a very rich finish. This authentic West Flemish red-brown beer has survived the long-term competition from the hugely popular lager beers since WWI as well as the destruction caused by WWII.

Visitors can take one of the tours in the Brewery & distillery to learn more about the entire brewing process that results in Bourgogne des Flandres’ traditional rounded dark and fruity beer or go directly to their beautiful bar in central Bruges to taste their best beer selection. 

The Bourgogne des Flandres is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:30 am to 6:30pm and in addition to the great beers, this place is famous for having one of the most beautiful terraces in Bruges. If you take a cruise in the city, this place will not go unnoticed.

The best beer bars in Bruges

We wished we had more time to try all of them, but here are our favorite ones:

7. ’t Brugs Beertje

Considered by many of the best bars in Bruges, the ’t Brugs Beertje is a small pub on a cobbled street with walls and surface covered in beer-related paraphernalia and with over 300 Belgian Beers to choose from.

7. Bierbrasserie Cambrinus

It’s easy to find good beer in Bruges, you know! But the Bierbrasserie Cambrinus makes the perfect match between good beer and good food. The beer list is large, and the line is long because the price is good too! If you are really struggling to find the perfect one, the staff are always on hand to make a few recommendations. 

9. De Garre

De Garre is another Bruges beer gem. Located in one of the narrowest alleys in Bruges, this former fire lane was used to cut through to the canals, for quick access to the water. The passage no longer exists, but the medieval character has been preserved and visitors love to be back in time. Now The Garre is home to lots of welcoming little cafés and restaurants. And guess what? It’s a perfect place to stop by for a great Belgium beer too.

10. The Bottle Shop

If after all this beer drinking, you want to bring a few Belgian beers home with you, the shelves from The Bottle Shop speak for themselves. There are over 400 beers and wines where you shop your favorites to remember this iconic destination at home.

Do you want to learn more about Belgian beers and breweries? The BeerTourism website has great resources from the beer experts. Hope you enjoy it and let us know what is your favorite Belgian beer in the comments. Cheers!