# Three nights between Bruges, Damme and the Belgian coast, all by train and bike from Brussels Bruges in depth over two nights, with a day cycling along the canal to Damme, and a third night in Ostend with the Mercator sailing ship, Ensor's house and the tram to De Haan. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bruges/itineraries/bruges-damme-coast-3-nights · Revisado: 2026-11-13 Dónde: Bruges With one night, Bruges is seen; with two, it is lived, and a whole day is left to leave the city along the canal of poplars to Damme, the old port. This plan adds a third night on the coast, a quarter of an hour by train away: Ostend, with the Mercator sailing ship and the house of the painter James Ensor, and De Haan, the village of belle époque villas reached on the tram that runs the whole Belgian coast. Everything is done by train, by bike and on foot. ## What does it cost? WhatHow muchNote Bruges belfry€15–16With a booked slot Boat on the canals€15€9 for ages 4 to 11 De Halve Maan tour€16With a beer Bike hire for a day€13Electric €30 Bourgogne des Flandres€16With a beer Mercator sailing ship€8€6 for ages 6 to 14 James Ensor's house€14Book a time slot ## Where to stay? In Bruges, two nights at the Hotel Jan Brito, a 16th-century house with a Renaissance garden and an hour of private sauna included, 500 metres from the Markt; it has an enclosed garage for bikes. If it is a getaway as a couple, the Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, sixteen rooms over the canal junction, ask for a room with a water view. In Ostend, the Hotel Du Parc, a restored 1929 Art Deco building, a hundred metres from the beach and with its café on the ground floor. ## Where to eat? In Bruges, the Brasserie De Halve Maan on Thursday lunchtime, De Vlaamsche Pot on Thursday evening and Cambrinus on Friday. In Damme, Tante Marie, which is closed on Saturdays. In Ostend, Café Mosselhuis on Saturday lunchtime, with North Sea fish, and the Café Du Parc in the evening, open every day. ## What if I don't want to cycle? The Lamme Goedzak boat links Bruges and Damme along the same canal in 35 minutes, from April to October, for €12 one way. Bikes do not go on board, so the combination is the boat there and a walk back, an hour and a half of canal between poplars. ## El plan ### Thursday · 09:00 · Train from Brussels to Bruges About an hour. Leave your suitcase at the Hotel Jan Brito, 500 metres from the Markt. ### Thursday · 10:15 · The belfry The 366 steps with a booked slot, and the Burg square beside it. ### Thursday · 11:45 · Boat on the canals Half an hour from the Rozenhoedkaai. ### Thursday · 13:00 · Lunch and tour at De Halve Maan The brewery's brasserie at lunchtime and the 45-minute tour with a beer. ### Thursday · 16:00 · The beguinage and the Minnewater In the afternoon light, and back to the hotel along the Dijver. ### Thursday · 19:30 · Dinner at De Vlaamsche Pot Home-style Flemish cooking; from Wednesday to Friday it opens in the evening. Over-14s only. ### Friday · 09:30 · By bike to Damme Hire bike from Bruges Bike Rental and seven flat kilometres along the Damse Vaart. ### Friday · 11:45 · Lunch at Tante Marie On the Kerkstraat in Damme: shrimp croquettes and house pastries. ### Friday · 14:00 · The Kruisvest windmills Back along the canal and the eastern rampart, with Sint-Anna. ### Friday · 16:00 · Bourgogne des Flandres The brewery of Bruges red beer, with a terrace over the canal. Dinner at Cambrinus, open until 22:00. ### Saturday · 09:30 · Train to Ostend A quarter of an hour. Suitcase to the Hotel Du Parc, a hundred metres from the sea. ### Saturday · 10:30 · The Mercator and Ensor's house The training ship in the marina and the house of the painter of masks, with a booked slot. ### Saturday · 13:00 · Fish at Café Mosselhuis What the North Sea boats bring in; open on Saturday lunchtime. ### Saturday · 15:30 · Tram to De Haan Twenty minutes along the coast and a stroll through the villas of the Concessie. Dinner at the Café Du Parc, open until 22:00. ### Sunday · 10:00 · The beach and the seafront promenade Ostend's promenade in the morning, and train to Brussels, about an hour and a quarter. ## Un consejo más If you arrive by air at Charleroi, there is a direct bus to Bruges: start there and return by train from Ostend to Brussels. ## Cuándo no ir Changing the order and doing Damme on Saturday: Tante Marie is closed that day and the canal path fills up with weekend bikes. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How many days do you need for Bruges, Damme and the coast? Three nights: two in Bruges, with a day cycling to Damme, and one in Ostend. ### Do you need a car? No. Train to Bruges, bike to Damme, train to Ostend and tram to De Haan. ### When is the best time to go? From April to October, when the boat to Damme sails and the coast has open terraces; in November the Mercator opens only at weekends. ## Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Jan Brito**: A restored 16th-century mansion on a quiet street inside the city walls, about 500 metres from the Markt and a few minutes from the Rozenhoedkaai. It is an official four-star hotel with a Renaissance garden hidden behind it. The rooms and the house Classic standard rooms in the main building, junior suites with period details and a duplex suite opening directly onto the garden. Breakfast, hot and cold, is served in the old library. Each stay includes an hour of private sauna and hammam, by booking. There is a gym, bikes for hire, a locked bike garage and a 24-hour reception. If you come by car The hotel is outside the restricted traffic zone, which makes it easier to reach. It has private parking 250 metres away, for 25 € per 24 hours, by booking and with entry via a car lift. Go to reception first. With a dog Dogs and cats are accepted on request, at 20 € per animal per night and up to two per room depending on the category. - **Snuffel Youth Hostel**: Snuffel is a youth hostel on the Ezelstraat, north-west of the centre, about ten minutes' walk from the Markt. It is also a neighbourhood bar: young people from Bruges come for a drink on its terrace in summer and for the gigs, talks and stand-up on the calendar, almost all free. The rooms Private doubles, with or without bathroom, and rooms with four, six and eight beds. It takes groups of up to 120 people. Getting there From the station, the bus to the centre and ten minutes on foot, or twenty-five minutes' walk. By car, Bruges restricts traffic in the centre: leave the car at the station car park. - **Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce**: The Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce occupies one of the most photographed houses in Bruges: the half-timbered façade leaning over the water where two canals meet, next to the Rozenhoedkaai and three minutes from the Markt. It has just sixteen rooms, each decorated in its own way, with antique furniture and works inspired by painters such as Botero, Chagall and Klimt. Which room to ask for The ones facing the canal head-on are the ones that make the trip: they are called "Canal view" and "Superior canal view". The rest overlook the front courtyard or are small with a bathtub, quieter and cheaper. All have air conditioning, Vispring beds, wifi, and coffee and tea brought up to the room free of charge. Breakfast is served in a lounge overlooking the canal, among Persian rugs and tapestries. Getting there and parking It is on Wollestraat, inside the pedestrianised centre. If you come by car, the hotel has a locked garage 150 metres away, at €30 a night, with a charging point; it must be booked in advance. Reception is open day and night and stores luggage. Before booking With the flexible rate, you can cancel or change free of charge up to seven days before, always by email; within that week the full stay is charged. The non-refundable rate is charged on booking and cannot be changed. ## Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Jan Brito**: A restored 16th-century mansion on a quiet street inside the city walls, about 500 metres from the Markt and a few minutes from the Rozenhoedkaai. It is an official four-star hotel with a Renaissance garden hidden behind it. The rooms and the house Classic standard rooms in the main building, junior suites with period details and a duplex suite opening directly onto the garden. Breakfast, hot and cold, is served in the old library. Each stay includes an hour of private sauna and hammam, by booking. There is a gym, bikes for hire, a locked bike garage and a 24-hour reception. If you come by car The hotel is outside the restricted traffic zone, which makes it easier to reach. It has private parking 250 metres away, for 25 € per 24 hours, by booking and with entry via a car lift. Go to reception first. With a dog Dogs and cats are accepted on request, at 20 € per animal per night and up to two per room depending on the category. - **Snuffel Youth Hostel**: Snuffel is a youth hostel on the Ezelstraat, north-west of the centre, about ten minutes' walk from the Markt. It is also a neighbourhood bar: young people from Bruges come for a drink on its terrace in summer and for the gigs, talks and stand-up on the calendar, almost all free. The rooms Private doubles, with or without bathroom, and rooms with four, six and eight beds. It takes groups of up to 120 people. Getting there From the station, the bus to the centre and ten minutes on foot, or twenty-five minutes' walk. By car, Bruges restricts traffic in the centre: leave the car at the station car park. - **Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce**: The Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce occupies one of the most photographed houses in Bruges: the half-timbered façade leaning over the water where two canals meet, next to the Rozenhoedkaai and three minutes from the Markt. It has just sixteen rooms, each decorated in its own way, with antique furniture and works inspired by painters such as Botero, Chagall and Klimt. Which room to ask for The ones facing the canal head-on are the ones that make the trip: they are called "Canal view" and "Superior canal view". The rest overlook the front courtyard or are small with a bathtub, quieter and cheaper. All have air conditioning, Vispring beds, wifi, and coffee and tea brought up to the room free of charge. Breakfast is served in a lounge overlooking the canal, among Persian rugs and tapestries. Getting there and parking It is on Wollestraat, inside the pedestrianised centre. If you come by car, the hotel has a locked garage 150 metres away, at €30 a night, with a charging point; it must be booked in advance. Reception is open day and night and stores luggage. Before booking With the flexible rate, you can cancel or change free of charge up to seven days before, always by email; within that week the full stay is charged. The non-refundable rate is charged on booking and cannot be changed.