Driving to Bruges - places to stop and where to buy beer?

[Janesy B]

As the title suggests, I am headed to Bruges later this week, going by ferry to Dunkirk. Anything on the way worth stopping for or taking a detour for? I want to bring a couple of cases of beer back with me too, where's best to stock up?

Thanks!

[Dog Star]

I would suggest any large supermarket in the Dunkirk area; there will be any number of Carrefours and Auchans. Do a quick Google street view and make sure it's a big one. Fill your boots. And your boot.

I did have a specific suggestion but its on the autoroute north of Lille and not on a route you would logically take.

All the big French hypermarkets stock insane amounts of beers - including interesting Belgian varieties.

[sidekickdmr]

I drive to Bruges every yeAr, awesome place!

What kind of beer you wanting? French or Belgium?

[SrMoreno]

sidekickdmr said:

I drive to Bruges every yeAr, awesome place!

What kind of beer you wanting? French or Belgium?

Does anyone want French beer?

[whirly]

If you want a little detour, officially the best beer shop is in Ghent.

http://www.dehopduvel.be/

It has parking and internal google streetview for planning!

[lord summerisle]

stock up in Bruges. avoid the tourist beer shops on the main streets into the centre - look up Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan in the town centre - they brew 4 beers there - the Bruge Zoot blond & dubbel plus the stronger Straffe Hendrik Triple and Quadruple. taste em in the brewery bar then head to the brewery shop to pick up 750ml bottles for less than they are for sale in the tourist shops for 330ml bottles.

Look out for the Delhaize supermarkets & others for cheap beers within belgium. (take your own bags)

[Janesy B]

De Halve Maan was on my list, is it worth booking in advance for the tour? Thanks for the suggestions.

Edited by Janesy B on Tuesday 7th April 21:15

[theboss]

Whenever I'm in Bruges I park in the public car park off Zonnekemeers, walk around the corner to De Halve Maan brewery and carry crates of the local beers back to the car. You'll pay a small deposit for each plastic crate you take but they are handy to have whether you plan to return or not. Buy by the crate and its very inexpensive. Works brilliantly if you take a liking to the local Zot or Straffe Hendrike beers - not if you want a variety.

eta beaten to it. Just waiting for my brother to find this thread and post pic of 10 crates of Zot in the back of a 1-series

Also - whatever "favourite" beers you decide you like and wish to buy - do the proper thing and buy the matching glassware. It turns the whole beer drinking experience at home into a little ritual and reminds me of the great times I've had over there.

Edited by theboss on Tuesday 7th April 21:19

[MarshPhantom]

I like Bruges - can recommend Gulden Draak.

[lord summerisle]

whirly said:

If you want a little detour, officially the best beer shop is in Ghent.

http://www.dehopduvel.be/

It has parking and internal google streetview for planning!

thanks for that, we're off to ghent in may. Looks likes it's 5mins from our campsite too! bonus

[theboss]

lord summerisle said:

whirly said:

If you want a little detour, officially the best beer shop is in Ghent.

http://www.dehopduvel.be/

It has parking and internal google streetview for planning!

thanks for that, we're off to ghent in may. Looks likes it's 5mins from our campsite too! bonus

Ghent is awesome - a lot of the architectural and historical charm of Bruges but in a "real working" Belgian city with far fewer tourists.

[Sonic]

whirly said:

If you want a little detour, officially the best beer shop is in Ghent.

http://www.dehopduvel.be/

It has parking and internal google streetview for planning!

De Hopduvel is THE best place to go for sure.

My bi-annual trip consists of the Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof in Ghent, mostly filling up the car at De Hopduvel, then topping it off at Brouwerij De Halve Maan in Brugse - mostly with Zot Blonde which i tend to keep a good supply of in the garage.

theboss said:

Whenever I'm in Bruges I park in the public car park off Zonnekemeers, walk around the corner to De Halve Maan brewery and carry crates of the local beers back to the car. You'll pay a small deposit for each plastic crate you take but they are handy to have whether you plan to return or not. Buy by the crate and its very inexpensive. Works brilliantly if you take a liking to the local Zot or Straffe Hendrike beers - not if you want a variety.

eta beaten to it. Just waiting for my brother to find this thread and post pic of 10 crates of Zot in the back of a 1-series

Also - whatever "favourite" beers you decide you like and wish to buy - do the proper thing and buy the matching glassware. It turns the whole beer drinking experience at home into a little ritual and reminds me of the great times I've had over there.

That car park is very handy but i refuse to park there again after doing the same for 2-crates, losing my ticket and being shafted for €50 for the 5-minute privilege.

I also find any more than 2 crates is a serious workout, so tend to just dump the car immediately outside the brewery and load up. The lovely folk at the brewery don't mind, neither do the police once you explain what you're doing and they see you're loading up with Brugse' finest - just make sure you park it far enough in to let the horse and carts past and get someone to watch you out whilst you turn around and ignore the traffic signs to leave the way you came in

If you tell them you're having a zot in the bar whilst you're loading up with a good amount then they tend to give you a magic beermat which gets you a free one

And max capacity without leaving the missus behind was 16 crates (plus luggage and 3 boxes of glassware) in the 5dr 1-series.

[AllyBee]

We do it every Christmas. There's an Auchans right by the ferry terminal in Dunkirk. I've stopped there before and its pretty good for getting the more common beers, e.g. Leffe, Duval and Chimay etc, if you want some of the Trappist stuff there is a small Carrefore right in the main square in Bruges, they have a pretty good selection of beers that are loads cheaper than the tourist shops.

[TheAngryDog]

whirly said:

If you want a little detour, officially the best beer shop is in Ghent.

http://www.dehopduvel.be/

It has parking and internal google streetview for planning!

I didnt know about this place when I went last month! We went here on our way back from Amsterdam - http://www.drankengeers.be/site/

[scherzkeks]

whirly said:

If you want a little detour, officially the best beer shop is in Ghent.

http://www.dehopduvel.be/

It has parking and internal google streetview for planning!

End of thread.

[Medic-one]

Slightly offtopic, but if you like movies try and watch "In Bruges" before you go, it might give you some idea's on the town, and it's a brilliant film (English hitmen, hide, seek and chase in Bruges, loads of English swearing/humor) staring Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jh2Xct8AMo

[SrMoreno]

Medic-one said:

Slightly offtopic, but if you like movies try and watch "In Bruges" before you go, it might give you some idea's on the town, and it's a brilliant film (English Irish hitmen, hide, seek and chase in Bruges, loads of English Irish swearing/humor) staring Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jh2Xct8AMo

FTFY

[toon10]

lord summerisle said:

stock up in Bruges. avoid the tourist beer shops on the main streets into the centre - look up Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan in the town centre - they brew 4 beers there - the Bruge Zoot blond & dubbel plus the stronger Straffe Hendrik Triple and Quadruple. taste em in the brewery bar then head to the brewery shop to pick up 750ml bottles for less than they are for sale in the tourist shops for 330ml bottles.

Look out for the Delhaize supermarkets & others for cheap beers within belgium. (take your own bags)

This is good advice. The brewery tour is good and the Straffe Hendrick quadrouple is one of my favourite tipples.

There is a place called cafe rose which is a bar with over 500 beers. Very good place but I'm not sure if you can buy beers to take away as it's more of a bar.

[jkw]

The brewery is well worth a visit. I think I paid about 7 euros on the door. It was reasonably interesting, included a beer and they take you up to a roof terrace with a nice view.

[TheAngryDog]

jkw said:

The brewery is well worth a visit. I think I paid about 7 euros on the door. It was reasonably interesting, included a beer and they take you up to a roof terrace with a nice view.

We got there too late to go in and see it . I'm trying to convince the gf that we should go back