This year, we decided to explore the European Christmas markets. We started Thanksgiving weekend in Brugge. We traveled to Brugge for a swim event, but in the days leading up to the meet, we had a great time wandering around Brugge. We’d only been once before for an hour or two and really hadn’t been able to do much exploring.

We stayed just outside of the town center, so it was an easy walk to everything we planned to see. The Christmas market was spread out over several squares filled with stalls that housed everything from wares, to food, to gluwhein, seasonal mulled wine, and other alcohol. Unfortunately, they used styrofoam cups for the gluwhein and didn’t have collectible mugs like the Christmas markets in Germany, but it was still good stuff!

We browsed the stalls for two days as well as walked the streets and visited the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which is said to hold the blood of Jesus that was gathered at his crucifixion. The tour is free and you can go through the chapel downstairs as well as the upstairs church and view the Holy Blood that is under glass.