Things to Do in Bruges in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Bruges
Is December Right for You?
Advantages
- Christmas market season transforms the Markt into something genuinely magical - wooden chalets selling speculoos, glühwein steaming in ceramic mugs, and the ice rink reflecting lights off medieval buildings. The market typically runs late November through early January, and unlike summer when you're dodging tour groups, December evenings have this intimate quality where locals actually outnumber tourists.
- Museum weather is perfect - when it's 4°C (39°F) and drizzling outside, spending three hours in the Groeninge Museum looking at Flemish Primitives feels exactly right. The Memling and Gruuthuse museums are similarly uncrowded, and you can actually stand in front of van Eyck's work without someone's selfie stick in your peripheral vision.
- Accommodation pricing drops 30-40% compared to summer peak, except the week between Christmas and New Year. A canal-view room that costs €280 in July runs €160-180 in early December. Book before December 15th and you're looking at genuinely good value in a city that's otherwise expensive.
- Winter light does something interesting to Bruges - that low-angle sun around 4pm hits the brick facades and canal water in ways that don't happen in summer. Photographers know this. The city empties out by 6pm, fog sometimes rolls in off the polders, and you get Bruges the way it actually feels to live here rather than the postcard version.
Considerations
- Daylight is brutally short - sunrise around 8:40am, sunset by 4:45pm. You're working with maybe 7.5 hours of usable daylight, and if it's overcast (which it often is), that golden hour for photos shrinks to about 20 minutes. Plan your outdoor activities accordingly or you'll find yourself wandering dark streets by 5pm wondering what to do.
- The damp cold is different from dry cold - 3°C (37°F) with 70% humidity and wind off the North Sea feels colder than -5°C (23°F) in the Alps. Layers don't work the same way. That wool coat you wore in other European cities might not cut it here, and the wind funnels through those narrow medieval streets in ways that catch you off guard.
- Many smaller restaurants and family-run businesses close for winter holidays, typically December 24-26 and again around New Year. Unlike Amsterdam or Brussels where everything stays open, Bruges actually shuts down. If you're here December 24-26, your dining options shrink considerably and you'll be competing with other tourists for the few places that are open.
Best Activities in December
Christmas Market Exploration and Belgian Beer Tasting
December is THE month for Bruges' Christmas market in the Markt square - wooden chalets selling handmade ornaments, Belgian chocolates, and local crafts, plus an ice skating rink that operates until late evening. The market typically runs late November through early January. Pair this with visiting traditional Belgian beer cafes, which are particularly cozy in December when locals gather inside. The combination of mulled wine outdoors and Trappist ales in 500-year-old taverns is what December in Bruges is actually about. Evening visits work best - the market lights up around 5pm when daylight fades, and the atmosphere shifts from tourist-heavy afternoons to a more local evening crowd.
Canal Boat Tours in Winter Light
The 30-minute canal boat tours operate year-round, and December offers something summer tourists miss - that low winter light hitting medieval buildings at angles that make the brick glow amber around 3-4pm. Fewer boats run in December (typically hourly rather than every 15 minutes), which means less congestion on the water and a quieter experience. The boats have covered sections, and operators provide blankets. You'll see Bruges from water level the way it was designed to be seen, and the bare trees let you actually see the architecture rather than fighting through summer foliage.
Flemish Art Museum Circuit
December weather makes this the ideal month for Bruges' museum circuit - the Groeninge Museum (Flemish Primitives), Memling in Sint-Jan Hospital, Gruuthuse Museum (decorative arts), and the newer Lace Centre. These aren't just rainy day backups - Bruges has some of the world's best Northern Renaissance art, and in December you can actually stand in front of van Eyck and Memling works without crowds. The museums are heated, well-lit, and most tourists skip them entirely in favor of waffle shops. Budget 2-3 hours per major museum. The combined ticket saves about 30% if you're doing multiple venues.
Belgian Chocolate Workshop Experiences
Bruges has legitimate chocolate-making workshops where you actually make pralines rather than just watching demonstrations. December is prime season for this - chocolate shops are fully stocked for Christmas, tempering works better in cool weather, and the workshops lean into seasonal flavors like speculoos and orange-cinnamon. These typically run 2-2.5 hours, you make 15-20 chocolates to take with you, and you learn why Belgian chocolate is different (it's about the cocoa butter content and conching time, not just marketing). This works particularly well on those grey 3°C (37°F) afternoons when outdoor activities feel miserable.
Cycling the Polders and Damme Canal Route
The flat countryside around Bruges - called the polders - is surprisingly good for December cycling if you dress properly. The 7 km (4.3 mile) route along the Damme canal to the medieval village of Damme is particularly worthwhile: tree-lined canal path, virtually no car traffic, and Damme itself has several good cafes for warming up. December means no crowds, dramatic winter skies, and that crystalline light that makes the flat landscape look like a Bruegel painting. Avoid this if it's actively raining or below 2°C (36°F), but on clear December days around 6-8°C (43-46°F), it's genuinely pleasant with proper layers.
Evening Belfry Tower Climb and Night Photography
The Belfry tower (83 meters / 272 feet, 366 steps) stays open until 6pm in December, and that last entry slot around 5:15pm offers something special - you climb in daylight and emerge at the top as the city lights are coming on and the Christmas market below is fully illuminated. The narrow medieval staircase is easier to navigate when it's not packed with summer crowds. From the top, you get 360-degree views of Bruges' rooflines, and in December's clear cold air, visibility can extend 15-20 km (9-12 miles) to see the flat polder landscape. Bring a phone or camera - the night photography opportunities are exceptional.
December Events & Festivals
Bruges Christmas Market and Ice Rink
The main Christmas market in the Markt square typically runs from late November through early January, featuring 50-plus wooden chalets selling Belgian chocolates, handmade ornaments, local crafts, and food stalls with oliebollen (Dutch donuts) and smoutebollen (fried dough balls). The ice skating rink operates in the center of the square with the Belfry as backdrop - genuinely one of Europe's more photogenic skating locations. Evenings after 6pm have the best atmosphere when locals show up and the tourist day-trippers have left. The glühwein (mulled wine) here is decent, though locals know the better stuff is at the smaller market near Simon Stevinplein.
Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival
Held in a refrigerated tent near the train station, this features ice sculptors creating themed installations - recent years have done themes like Disney, fairy tales, and Belgian history. The tent is kept at -5°C (23°F), they provide parkas at entry, and it's a solid 45-minute experience. More substantial than it sounds - the sculptures are genuinely impressive and it's particularly good if you're traveling with kids. The ice slide at the end is a nice touch. This runs continuously through winter but December is prime time before it gets picked over in January.