Parking near your stay

About the hotel

House of Bruges is a small-scale guesthouse with a luxurious look in a historic building at Sint Jansplein 5, in the middle of the old town of Bruges. The building is part of an ancient block of houses that over time served as a home, trading address, printing company and later as a De Buck party room, whose art deco details can still be felt in the interior today. This former party room is now home to the Art Deco Loft, a special space where guests can enjoy free coffee and tea in peace and quiet and where the history of the house subtly influences the decor.

The rooms are spread across the historic complex and range from Standard Double to Spacious Suite with Terrace. They are decorated in a fresh, contemporary style while retaining historic elements such as high ceilings, wooden beams or large windows to the square. The official information highlights comfortable amenities in all room types, from comfortable beds and modern bathrooms to practical details for a pleasant stay. The guesthouse emphasizes a relaxed, homey atmosphere rather than a formal hotel structure, making it particularly attractive for couples, city trippers and travelers seeking a more independent stay in the heart of Bruges.

An extra advantage is breakfast. House of Bruges promotes a high quality breakfast with a clearly stated marketing claim as a five-star breakfast. This positions the guesthouse as an address where the mornings get all the attention and where a good start to the day is seen as an essential part of the stay. Combined with the quiet location on Sint Jansplein and the short walking distance to the main sights, this is an elegant base for a few days in Bruges.

The surroundings

Sint Jansplein is a relatively quiet square in the historic center, just a few minutes' walk from the Grote Markt and the canals. In the surrounding streets, you'll find a fine fabric of medieval facades, narrow alleys and small boutiques. The square lies on the border between an intimate residential environment and the lively tourist areas around Markt and Burg. This gives House of Bruges a particularly interesting location: as soon as you step out the door, you are in the old city fabric, but without spending the night in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the big squares.

A few steps away, in the Wijnzakstraat on Sint Jansplein, is the Choco Story chocolate museum, located in the historic Huis de Croon. The museum tells the long history of cocoa and chocolate and makes the square a small culinary hotspot for those who love sweets. A little further away is the Frietmuseum in the Vlamingstraat, located in the monumental Saaihalle, where the Belgian fries culture is central. The combination of both museums gives this part of the city a distinct Burgundian touch, while most visitors appreciate the proximity to Markt, Burg and the shopping streets at the same time.

The atmosphere in the immediate vicinity is typical of Bruges: cobbled streets, squares with terraces, historic churches within walking distance and a steady rhythm of walkers, cyclists and carriages. During the day, the area is filled with visitors who combine museums and shops, while the square itself feels rather small and friendly. In the evening, more peace returns and you can experience from the guesthouse how the city center slowly comes to rest, with only the soft sound of footsteps on the cobblestones and the light of street lamps playing on the facades.

Things to do in the area

• Visit Choco Story, the chocolate museum on Sint Jansplein in Huis de Croon, where you'll learn the full way from cocoa bean to Belgian chocolate through exhibitions, demonstrations and tastings. Due to its location a few minutes from the guesthouse, this is an ideal first introduction to the neighborhood.

• Walk to the Frietmuseum in the Vlamingstraat, located in the Saaihalle, and discover in a playful setting how potatoes and fries became a culinary icon. In the medieval cellar, you can try Belgian fries, a nice break while exploring the city.

• Start your visit to the city on the Grote Markt at the Historium Brugge, an experience attraction that brings Bruges's Golden Age to life with film, scenery, audio guide and a tower with a panoramic view over the roofs. The combination of historical stories, virtual reality and views makes this an exciting first stop within walking distance of House of Bruges.

Restaurants & cafes

House of Bruges does not have its own restaurant, but due to its central location on Sint Jansplein, several good addresses are literally around the corner. Within a few minutes' walk, you'll find both casual brasseries and more sophisticated tables, as well as a wide range of coffee and beer bars. The selection below focuses on addresses that are well rated and are easily accessible from the guesthouse.

Restaurants

• Belgian Pigeon House
Belgian Pigeon House at Sint Jansplein 12 is an attractive grill restaurant in a medieval cellar, where dishes are prepared on a Josper oven for an intense grill flavor. The menu includes pigeon and other meat dishes in a contemporary interpretation, in a setting that refers to the pigeon sport and the history of the house.

• Forestiere Brasserie
Brasserie Forestiere in the Academiestraat is an accessible brasserie that combines Flemish and French classics with pasta and simple stir-fries. It's a great choice for those looking for a relaxing lunch or early evening meal during a day out on the town, with options for kids and a casual atmosphere.

• The Florentines
The Florentines in the Academiestraat are among the better-rated Belgian restaurants in Bruges, with a cuisine that focuses on seasonal products and refined dishes. In a stylish but not rigid setting, you can choose from extensive menu formulas, making the address suitable for a quiet dinner after a day of sightseeing.

Cafes & bars

• The Bruges Bear
't Brugs Beertje in the Kemelstraat is an iconic beer café with a very wide selection of Belgian bottled and cask beers. The interior with old beer objects and wooden tables creates a warm, almost living room-like atmosphere, where both locals and visitors meet at the counter.

• Le Trappiste
Le Trappiste on the Kuipersstraat is a specialized beer bar in a thirteenth century cellar, with an impressive vaulted ceiling and a large menu of draft beers and bottles. It's an excellent place to sample extraordinary Trappists and other specialty beers in an atmosphere that feels historic and vibrant at the same time.

• 2nd Bar
The 2be bar in Wollestraat is known for its wide selection of beers and its terrace with a view of the canals, one of the most photographed spots in the city. Inside, the store combines a wide range of Belgian beers with a shop selling local products; outside, you can enjoy the water and the boats passing by with a glass in your hand.

Lunch shops

• Adriaan Coffee Bar
Coffeebar Adriaan, in a former bank building next to the Bruges Theatre, serves breakfast, brunch and light lunches in a tall and bright interior. Freshly roasted coffee, homemade cakes and platters of granola, bread and local cheeses make this a great stop when exploring downtown.

• Tonka Tearoom
Tonka Tearoom on the Walplein is a cozy tea room that focuses on fresh pancakes, waffles and homemade sweets, supplemented with salads, quiches and other simple lunch dishes. The store is an ideal place to take a break between museum visits, with coffee, homemade lemonade and a sweet or savory choice.

• Kottee Kaffee
Kottee Kaffee in the Ezelstraat is a cozy coffee and lunch spot with a warm living room atmosphere, where you can enjoy breakfast, soup, sandwiches and cake. The store is located in one of the longer shopping streets of Bruges and is therefore easy to combine with a walk through independent boutiques and galleries.

Accessibility

• Train travel
Bruges station is about a 20-minute walk from House of Bruges, via a route that takes you through the city center to the Grote Markt and then to St. Jansplein. From the station, city buses also run to stops near the square, so you can easily carry luggage.

• Travel by plane and public transport
For international travelers, Brussels and Ostend airports are the most used entry points, with frequent train connections to Bruges. From the station, you then choose a short taxi or bus ride to the area of Sint Jansplein, after which the last few meters go on foot through the car-free center.

• Getting around the city
Due to the central location of the guesthouse, you can explore the entire historic center on foot, from Markt and Burg to canals and museums. Bike rentals and canal cruises are available at various points in the city, so you can also experience the cityscape from the water or by bike.

Parking

According to official information, House of Bruges does not have its own car park or garage for guests. Those arriving by car therefore make use of the public parking facilities in and around the center. Paid street parking spaces are available directly on Sint Jansplein and in the adjacent Sint Jansstraat, with a rate per quarter and a maximum parking time during the day. In the evening and night, these places are usually free, although resident permits can play a role in the available zones.

For longer parking and more security, the underground car parks in the city center are a logical choice. Parking Biekorf, below the city library in the Naaldenstraat, is a short walk from the Grote Markt and therefore also a comfortable walk from Sint Jansplein. This car park is known as one of the most centrally located garages in Bruges, with good access to shops and city views. A little further away is the Ezelstraat underground car park, on the edge of the historic center at the beginning of the long Ezelstraat shopping street, also within walking distance of Markt and the surroundings of House of Bruges.

If you prefer to park just outside the most busy part of the center, you can use the spacious car park near the Oud Sint Jan site on the edge of the city center, near Zonnekemeers. This car park is often referred to as an affordable and easily accessible option within walking distance of the historic center. From there, you can walk past museums and monuments via Mariastraat to St. Jansplein and the guesthouse. In all cases, it is advisable to check the current rates and possible maximum parking times in advance via the official city information, especially during busy weekends or vacation periods.

Summary

House of Bruges is a stylish, small-scale guesthouse in a historic building on Sint Jansplein, just a few hundred metres from the Grote Markt. The combination of central location, quiet square surroundings and a well-kept range of rooms from standard room to suite with terrace makes it an attractive choice for those who want to explore the city on foot. The Art Deco Loft, which grew out of the former De Buck party room, recalls the building's rich history and today offers a comfortable common area with free coffee and tea.

In the immediate vicinity, you will find extraordinary museums such as Choco Story and the Frietmuseum, while the Grote Markt with the Historium is a short walk away. The guesthouse is surrounded by a range of restaurants, coffee and beer bars, ranging from grill restaurant Belgian Pigeon House on the same square to specialized beer addresses such as't Brugs Beertje and Le Trappiste. For lunch, there are plenty of attractive places, including Coffeebar Adriaan, Tonka Tearoom and Kottee Kaffee.

Because House of Bruges does not offer its own parking, visitors are dependent on street parking around Sint Jansplein or at nearby public car parks such as Biekorf, Ezelstraat and the car park near the Oud Sint Jansplein site. In return, you'll stay in the middle of the historic city fabric, with cobblestones, squares and canals just a few minutes' walk away. House of Bruges is therefore ideally suited for travelers who want to experience Bruges as a pedestrian city, with a comfortable and characterful stay as a peaceful home.

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