If you are planning to skip across the pond to Europe, you mustn’t miss the small town of Bruges, Belgium. While most people head to Belgium in search of fries and waffles, Bruges has a lot more to offer than standard fare. This town is all about museums of every shape and kind.

Every city, even a drab one, has an immediate obvious theme. Bruges screams history in the form of museums. Frankly, they are plentiful. The city is quaint enough to be worth visiting anyway with an old historic town and canals, but history buffs will really love it.

For those that love history, however, Bruges is a slice of heaven on earth. Within the historic section of the city you will find the Groeninge Museum; Gruuthuse Museum; Memling Museum; Renaissance Hall; Archeological Museum, Folklore Museum; and many more captivating glimpses into the past.

First up on our trip around Bruges is the Folklore Museum. Very popular with visitors, it is a cobbler’s heaven with 17th century almshouses. You can view ancient confectioner’s shops, classrooms and cobbler studios among other sites.

Love art with a local twist? The Groeninge Museum is the place to visit. It is a fine arts gallery packed with works from well known local artists. They include people such as Jan Van Eyck, Memling, and Gerard David.

The Van Brugghe-van der Aa family gives us our next must see museum - the Gruuthuse. It is a Gruut house formerly owned by the family. Gruut refers to a spice that was used to create beer that was incredibly popular.

If you are considered a great artist, you will often get your own museum. Such is the fortune of Hans Memling. An influential Flemish painter, he has the Memling Museum all to himself for the most part and it is worth a trip if you admire his work.

Reading about history is nice and all, but most of us prefer a more realistic experience. If 16th century Belgium interests you, the Renaissance Hall is the place to be. You’ll be transported into the daily life of this fascinating period from the mundane to the spectacular.

To say Europe has a long history is a minor understatement. The same goes for Bruges and the Archeological Museum is the place to experience it. It is interesting to walk around a city with the modern conveniences and then attend a museum showing the area without them.

The beauty of Bruges, Belgium is multi-faceted. Museums are definitely high on the list of things to see, but it is a friendly city worth just strolling around in and definitely worth a visit on your travels.