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We went to Bruges on an early Christmas shopping trip. We drove via P and O ferries from Hull to Zeebrugge on their overnight Cruise ferry service. We upgraded to a club cabin which was well worth the small supplement. Our cabin had a double bed and we had a fully stocked complementary mini bar and fruit basket in the cabin. The cabin assistant arranged for us to dine in the Langhan’s Brasserie and we started our break in style with a lovely dining experience with fantastic service.

On arrival the next morning in Zeebrugge we drove the short distance to Bruges refreshed from our excellent nights' sleep and parked in the underground central car park. We took breakfast in one of the many cafes before checking in to the NH Brugge hotel. NH Brugge is a luxury hotel in the building of a former 17th century monastery. The architecture captures the historic charm of this medieval city. The rooms are nicely decorated and have a lovely modern pod-type coffee maker in them with as many refills as you require!

Bruges is a fascinating city to explore with lots of hidden tiny medieval streets and pretty canals. It also has some excellent shops with plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants to rest tired feet. Being keen Belgian beer fans we were over the moon to discover Die Halve Man brewery down one of them and joined one of the regular and inexpensive brewery tours. This is the only brewery still working in Bruges with a modern plant operational but the old traditional brewery comprises most of the tour. At the end we were provided with beer to test and drink, fabulous!

Naturally we couldn’t visit Bruges without checking out the chocolate shops either which are plentiful! Every shape and type of praline imaginable is made here, we particularly loved the chocolate nativity in one of the windows complete with sheep, donkey and chocolate Jesus all set in a gigantic chocolate bauble decorated in gold leaf. Naturally we stocked up on edible gifts for Christmas including some beautiful chunky chocolate Christmas trees.

We found Bruges to be perfect for a short break. Not too large to get lost in and easy to navigate. Plus the standard of food and drink was excellent. We also managed to fill our car boot with inexpensive Belgian goodies for Christmas and picked up some very pretty decorations. A perfect time of year to visit!