The beautiful city of Bruges has two central medieval cores - the Markt and the Burg. The whole of the city's historic centre was added to Unesco's World Heritage List in 2000 and in 2002, Bruges put itself on the map by landing the prestigious title of European City of Culture.

Located in the north-western part of Belgium, Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the country's Flemish Region. A quaint and laid back city, a trip to Bruges is just what the doctor ordered. So what are you waiting for? Find flights online, book that last minute holiday and enjoy the best Bruges has to offer.

Tradition and culture in Bruges

Flemish culture draws its inspiration from English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most aspects of new media) and French and Latin cultures.

Music is also a very important part of the local culture. Belgium has produced numerous classical composers including Cesar Franck, Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugene Ysaye, Guillaume Lekeu and Wim Mertens.

On a more contemporary note, the country has also influenced electronic music with the likes of Praga Khan and 2 Many DJs. Belgium also started in very own take on hip hop, with groups such as Starflam and the Brussels-based CNN emerging in the mid-1990s.

Cuisine in Bruges is very reminiscent of food in France but local food does have its very own character.

Popular dishes include Waterzooi, a mild casserole of chicken or sometimes fish in cream and Flemish beef stew, which is similar to the French Beef Bourguignon but made with beer instead of red wine.

Recommended in Bruges

Bruges has many festivals which are popular with locals and tourists alike. Among the most notable are the week-long Musica Antiqua Festival which is held in early February and July's three-day Cactus festival which attracts hordes of world music fans.

Also worth pencilling in your holiday diary is the Cinema Novo Film Festival, which highlights Asian, African and Latin American films over ten days every March.

For those interested in the city's religious culture, the Holy Blood Procession is a must-see. It is held every May on Ascension Day and celebrates the drops of Christ's blood with a medieval-style procession through the town.

Weather in Bruges

During the summer months, Bruges has agreeable, temperate weather which often climbs to around 23 degrees C.

But between November and January, the weather is typically very cold. Spring however, brings more tolerable weather, though jumpers shouldn't be completely tucked away.

Destination checklist for Bruges

Bruges has a modest population of just 117,200.

The official currency is the euro.

Dutch, French and German are the official languages spoken, so bear in mind a holiday guide for language tips will be helpful.

Bruges is just one hour ahead of GMT and uses the international dialling code +32.