Parking near your stay

About the hotel

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Hotel Gulden Vlies is a small-scale family hotel in a stately mansion with art deco elements at Koningin Elisabethlaan 40, just outside the hustle and bustle of the historic center of Bruges. The building exudes in the early twentieth century, with high ceilings, ornate details and a distinct vintage design that comes into its own in the common areas. The owners aim for a homely atmosphere: guests are personally welcomed upon arrival and are immediately provided with tourist information about the city.

With a total of eighteen sleeping places, the hotel deliberately remains small. The rooms range from compact double rooms to more spacious options, each with a private bathroom, television, telephone and radio. The entire building has free Wi-Fi, so that both couples on a city trip and travelers who want to work for a while can easily go online. In the salon, guests can read quietly, plan for the next day, or just take a breather after a walk through the city, with the option of having coffee or tea.

One of the strengths of Hotel Gulden Vlies is the included breakfast buffet. In the morning, the breakfast room offers a wide range of freshly baked pastries and croissants, cakes and waffles, various types of yoghurt, fruit, nuts and dried fruit, a selection of cheeses and fine charcuterie, as well as hot and cold drinks. Those who prefer to avoid gluten or lactose will find several alternatives, according to the hotel information. Breakfast is included in the standard room rate and is a good start to a day in Bruges.

Later in the day, there is the Honesty Bar: a self-service bar where guests can enjoy Belgian beers, wines and soft drinks. You note what you take and pay for it later, which fits well with the informal, familiar atmosphere of the home. Practical extras such as a laundry service of up to five kilograms of laundry and dry goods at a fixed price per machine, and the option to arrange a taxi via the hotel, make the stay more comfortable for those who stay longer or travel with little luggage. Smoking is prohibited throughout the building and a fixed tourist tax per person per night is charged on departure, plus a small charge for credit card payments.

The surroundings

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Hotel Gulden Vlies is located on Koningin Elisabethlaan, a wide, green city avenue that forms part of the Bruges ring around the historic core. The street is famous for its row of elegant mansions, some of which are on the list of valuable heritage. From the front door, you can walk to the Grote Markt in about ten minutes, via routes that gradually go from residential to touristy. Those who prefer to return quietly after a night in the city will notice that the area around the hotel is quieter than the streets near the Markt, without sacrificing accessibility.

Within a few minutes' walk, you can reach the Ezelpoort, one of the preserved medieval city gates, and the green walls with water and hiking trails. This zone forms a natural transition between the ring road and the historic center and is ideal for an evening stroll along the water. There are smaller streets with local shops and daily amenities in the direction of the city center, while a little further south you will find the chain of shopping streets, cafes and museums of the classic city center. The location is convenient for drivers: via the N31 and the ring road, you can easily drive to access roads and motorways, while staying close to the pedestrian-friendly center.

Things to do in the area

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• Explore the Donkey Gate and the city walls
A short walk from the hotel is the Ezelpoort, a medieval city gate that forms part of the historic defense belt of Bruges. From here, you can walk along the green vests, with a view of water, trees and the city, a quiet route that contrasts nicely with the busier shopping streets in the center.

• Historium Bruges on the Markt
Historium Brugge is located on the Markt, an experience museum that takes you to the Bruges Golden Age through decor, film, sound and virtual experiences. You'll follow the story of a student of painter Jan van Eyck and discover how busy and international the city was in the fifteenth century, an interesting activity for both adult visitors and families with older children.

• Boat trip on the Bruges canals
From various jetties in the center, you can take a cruise on the canals, the canals that give Bruges its nickname “Venice of the North”. A boat trip of about half an hour shows bridges, facades and courtyards that you don't always see from street level and is a relaxing way to get a first overview of the city.

Restaurants & cafes

In the immediate and wider area of Hotel Gulden Vlies, you will find a wide range of places to eat, from simple brasseries to contemporary wine bars. The selection below focuses on well-regarded things in and around the historic core that are easy to reach on foot or with a short taxi ride.

Restaurants
• Ventura
Ventura is literally around the corner from the hotel, at Koningin Elisabethlaan 48a. The restaurant serves a combination of French and Belgian classics with influences from Italian cuisine, in an environment that matches the neighborhood's residential atmosphere.

• De Wijngaert
In the Wijngaardstraat, near the Minnewaterpark, you will find grill restaurant De Wijngaert. This family business is known for Belgian and French dishes, with a lot of attention to grilled specialties and fresh ingredients, and has a cozy terrace for those who want to have lunch or dinner outside when the weather is nice.

• Quatre Vins
Quatre Vins in the heart of Bruges combines modern shared dishes with an extensive menu of natural wines. The atmosphere is informal but well-kept and the restaurant is listed in culinary guides thanks to its price-quality ratio, which makes it attractive for those who want to spend an evening of culinary delights during their stay.

Cafes & bars
• Rose Red Hotel and Bar
Hotel and Bar Rose Red is an intimate café on a side street near the Markt, with a focus on Trappists and other Belgian beers. The interior is warm and cozy and the terrace in the quiet street makes this a place where you can relax and enjoy a specialty beer after a city walk.

• Great Flanders
Groot Vlaenderen in the Vlamingstraat grew into one of the most acclaimed cocktail bars in Bruges. Behind the historic façade, there is an elegant bar where classic and creative cocktails are carefully prepared, in an interior with dark wood tones and soft lighting that invites you to spend a long evening at the bar.

• Joey's Café
Joey's Café, in the Zilversteeg near the shopping streets, is a lively brown bar with a quirky atmosphere. In addition to Belgian beers and simple bar snacks, the place is famous for nights of blues, jazz and rock, and during the warmer months, the small terrace is a great place to observe the shoppers.

Lunch shops
• Vero Caffè
Vero Caffè on Sint Jansplein is a cozy coffee bar and brunch spot with a distinctly homely atmosphere. The menu includes colorful dishes such as pancakes, salads and bowls, with a lot of attention to organic, local and fair trade products and several vegan and vegetarian options.

• Bar Lowie
Bar Lowie in the center of Bruges presents itself as a place to eat something light at any time of the day. You can go there for breakfast, brunch or lunch with dishes made from fresh, local ingredients, from savory toasts and waffles to simple seasonal dishes, in a relaxed setting that invites you to linger.

• That's Toast
That is Toast, not far from't Zand Square, is about a concept of having breakfast all day long. The place serves creative toast combinations, sweet and savory dishes and quality coffee in an informal setting, and is known as a popular late brunch or early lunch spot with locals and visitors alike.

Accessibility

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• By car, you can drive smoothly via the N31 or expressway to the Bruges ring and take the exit to Koningin Elisabethlaan. Because the hotel is located on the edge of the city center, you can avoid the narrowest streets while still walking quickly to the Grote Markt. For drivers, the hotel offers private parking spaces at a daily rate, for which advance reservations are required.

• If you arrive in Bruges by train, take a short taxi ride from the station to the hotel or opt for a city bus to the city center and get off near the ring, from where it's still a relatively short walk to Koningin Elisabethlaan. Once checked in, most sights, such as the Markt, the Burg and the major shopping streets, are easily accessible on foot.

• Within the city, it's easiest to get around on foot or by bike. From Hotel Gulden Vlies, you can walk to the main squares, museums and shipping companies for boat trips in about ten to fifteen minutes, while the ramparts and the Ezelpoort are just around the corner and provide an attractive route for a quiet evening stroll.

Parking

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Hotel Gulden Vlies has its own, limited parking zone for guests travelling by car. These places are located near the hotel and are described as secure; reservations are required and a fixed amount per night is charged. This makes the property attractive for those who like to park close to their room and don't want to carry their luggage far.

The city center of Bruges is a paying zone where parking fees are due every day of the week between nine a.m. and 8 p.m., and parking above ground is limited in time. For longer stays, it is often more practical to choose an underground car park, for example Parking Centrum't Zand or Parking Zilverpand, both within walking distance of the main sights. If you prefer to leave your car on the outskirts of the city, you can use the P and R car parks such as Coiseaukaai, where you can park cheaply or for free and travel to the center with a bus connection. By determining in advance how often you need the car during your stay, you can make a good choice between the hotel car park, an underground city car park or a peripheral car park.

Summary

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Hotel Gulden Vlies offers a warm, personal and slightly nostalgic stay in an art deco mansion just outside the busiest streets of Bruges. The combination of small-scale rooms, an extensive included breakfast buffet, a cozy salon with Honesty Bar and practical extras such as laundry service and private parking facilities especially appeals to travelers who want comfort and proximity to the center without staying in the middle of the hustle and bustle. The location on Koningin Elisabethlaan makes both arriving by car and walking to the Grote Markt easy, while the Donkey Gate, the walls and numerous places to eat and drink are a short distance away. For example, Hotel Gulden Vlies is a suitable base for a multi-day visit to Bruges, with a balance between accessibility, atmosphere and peace.

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