What to expect from the Bruges scavenger hunt
The Bruges scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk through the medieval centre, solve a riddle at each landmark by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories behind it. The game fills about 2 hours, yet the stops are so close that walking takes only 24 minutes over 2 km and 10 stops, which leaves most of the time for looking, solving and the odd chocolate; the first riddle opens when you choose.
Highlights include the Belfry above the Markt, Saint Salvator's Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady with its brick tower and the Bonifacius Bridge, plus the canal view from the Rozenhoedkaai, the Burg with its Gothic City Hall and the Choco-Story chocolate museum. Bruges is small and flat, and canals and bridges are never far away, so the short walk leaves plenty of time to look around.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 24 min · 2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese
Canals, towers and riddles in medieval Bruges
Every answer is on a wall or a bridge
At each stop one riddle waits, and the clue is somewhere in the scene: a saint on a bridge, a coat of arms on a merchants' house, a date on a tower. Look carefully, think it through, and you have it, with no history homework required.
Merchants, counts and a relic
Solve the riddle and the stop unlocks its stories: the wealthy traders who met in the Poortersloge, the counts of Flanders who built their castle on the Burg, the relic said to hold drops of Christ's blood, the legend of the Prague priest whose statue guards the Nepomucenus Bridge. The audio narration can tell it all while you watch the boats go by.
Only 2 km in all
Google Maps takes you from stop to stop: 24 minutes of walking all together, along the canals from Jan van Eyckplein via the Markt to the Rozenhoedkaai and the Burg. Bruges is flat, but expect cobblestones nearly everywhere.
Waffles welcome
The game has no clock, so a waffle, a Belgian beer or a long look at the view from the Rozenhoedkaai fits in whenever you like. Carry on later or tomorrow, and change the order in the app if your hotel is closer to the Burg than to Jan van Eyckplein.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who should play the Bruges hunt
A day trip to Bruges
Many visitors have only a day, and the Belfry, the two great churches, the canal views and the Burg all lie along 2 km of streets and quays. The riddles turn the walk into more than a series of photo stops.
Young detectives
Bruges rewards small, sharp eyes: swans on the canals, a saint standing on a bridge, a bridge that looks medieval but is little more than a century old, a tower that rises above every roof. An adult must play in each team, and the route ends at a chocolate museum, which tends to help.
Away days and club trips
Teams of up to 5, each player with the game on their own phone, can set off from Jan van Eyckplein together and compare scores at Choco-Story. The streets and squares are public, so all you organise is one ticket per person.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The route: from Jan van Eyckplein past the Belfry and the canals to the Burg
10 stops · about 24 min walking · start: Jan van Eyckplein · finish: Choco-Story Chocolate Museum
The hunt starts on Jan van Eyckplein, the old merchants' square at the end of the Spiegelrei canal, and passes the Municipal Theatre on the way to the Belfry on the Markt. From there you walk to Saint Salvator's Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, cross the Bonifacius and Nepomucenus bridges to the Rozenhoedkaai, continue to the Burg and finish at the Choco-Story chocolate museum. Every riddle is answered from the street, the quay or the bridge, so no entry ticket comes into play, and if you would rather start at the Burg or elsewhere, the app lets you begin there and reorder the stops.
Open the route map ↗
1Jan van EyckpleinStart
This square at the end of the Spiegelrei canal was a busy trading spot in medieval Bruges. On one side stands the Poortersloge, built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries as a meeting house for wealthy merchants, and close by is the Tolhuis, the former customs house from 1477.
Read the full story →
2Municipal Theatre (Stadsschouwburg)
The Stadsschouwburg on the Vlamingstraat opened in 1869 and is still the city's main theatre. Its neo-Renaissance facade is decorated with columns and statues, and inside is a richly decorated foyer and horseshoe-shaped auditorium in nineteenth-century style.
3Belfry of Bruges
The Belfry rises 83 metres above the Markt; it was begun around 1240, and its octagonal top stage was added in 1483–1487. A steep staircase of 366 steps leads up to a carillon of 47 bells, and the tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4Saint Salvator's Cathedral
Work on the present church of Saint Salvator began in 1250, and in 1834 it became the cathedral of Bruges, replacing the destroyed Saint Donatian's Cathedral. Its fortress-like neo-Romanesque west tower is 99 metres high, and its base dates from the 12th century.
Read the full story →
5Church of Our Lady
The brick tower of the Church of Our Lady is 115.6 metres high, still the tallest structure in Bruges and one of the tallest brick church towers in the world. Inside are Michelangelo's Madonna and Child, given to the church in 1514 by the Bruges merchant family Mouscron, and the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy.
Read the full story →
6Bonifacius Bridge
This small arched bridge over the canal looks medieval, but it was only built in 1910 and is one of the youngest bridges in Bruges. From it you look along the water to the Gruuthuse Palace and the tower of the Church of Our Lady.
Read the full story →
7Nepomucenus Bridge (Sint-Jan Nepomucenusbrug)
This bridge over the Dijver canal carries an 18th-century statue of Saint John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of bridges. According to legend, the Prague priest was thrown into the Vltava in 1393 for refusing to reveal the queen's confession, which is why his statue watches over so many bridges in Europe.
8Rozenhoedkaai (Rosary Quay)
The Rozenhoedkaai lies where the Dijver and Groenerei canals meet and offers one of the best-known views in Bruges, with the Belfry rising above the old houses. Its name is said to recall the rosaries that were once sold here.
Read the full story →
9Burg Square
The Burg is where the counts of Flanders built their castle, and it was the seat of power in medieval Bruges. On the square stand the Gothic City Hall, begun in 1376 and one of the oldest town halls in the Low Countries, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which keeps a relic said to contain drops of Christ's blood.
Read the full story →
10Choco-Story Chocolate MuseumFinish
Choco-Story is a museum about the history of chocolate, from the cocoa drinks of the Maya and Aztecs to the Belgian praline. Belgium's chocolate fame owes much to the praline, created in Brussels by Jean Neuhaus in 1912, and Bruges has many chocolate shops along its streets.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Très sympa. Énigmes faciles à résoudre. Jeu qui nous apprend des anecdotes, mais qui reste un peu cher.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Het was een leuke interactieve puzzeltocht door een onbekende stad als brugge
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leuke wandeling, Minder opdrachten dan verwacht. Is snel voorbij als je geen pauzes tussendoor hebt.
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Fantastic way to see the sights at your leisure. Excellent for travelling with children and seeing a new city. Riddles were fun.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Très bonne activité que je recommande. Elle vous fait visiter Bruges sans être fatigué. Nous apprenons beaucoup de choses très intéressantes. Vous pouvez y aller sans problème.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Niet super bijzonder, wel leuk voor kinderen denk ik.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Le site propose le prix « à partir de 6,50€ par personne », j’ai dû payer 13€ malgré le fait que je sois seule. Ce n’est pas correct je trouve. Le jeu est assez simple et plutôt rapide, je le pense vraiment chouette a faire avec des enfants.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Uns hat die Schnitzeljagd sehr gut gefallen. ?? 1 Stern weniger, da ich mir mehr geschichtliche Hintergründe gewünscht hätte. Wir haben die Schnitzeljagd mit 2 Erwachsenen und 2 Kindern (9 und 13) gemacht. Absolut zu empfehlen.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Diese Art Brügge zu erkunden war super. Die Auswahl der Rätselpunkte, ihre Abstände und Reihenfolge, könnte man noch optimieren.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Etwas wenige Spots. App funktioniert nicht richtig. Die gestellten Fragen können nicht beantwortet werden.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leuke manier om de stad te leren kennen op je eigen tempo. Raadsels waren goed te doen. Persoonlijk had iets meer interessante feitjes over de plekken voor ons wel leuk geweest.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Het was een zeer leuke tight door Brugge
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Hele leuke en gezellige stad. Echt het bezoeken waard.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Nichts Spezielles…. Zudem schlecht übersetzt und benötigt Internet.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Erg leuk om te doen
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Bewegwijzering en opdrachten waren niet altijd even duidelijk. Leuke ontspannende activiteit voor het hele gezin.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Mooie tocht door Brugge. Opdrachten waren niet moeilijk dat was wel jammer. De route en opdrachten op 1 telefoon is genoeg.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
het was een toffe en leerzame wandeling. je ziet de mooiste plekken van brugge. Het duurde soms wel efkes tegen dat we de vraag snapten maar 1 keer dat we het doorhadden ging het als een lopend vuurtje. 1 tip: doe dit niet met een rolstoel. de kasseien in brugge maken het echt wel uitdagend om dit te doen.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Schöne Idee, um die Stadt besser kennen zu lernen. Mit Kindern super, weil Distanzen zwischen den Stationen überschaubar, und alle können mitraten.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es war eine schöne Tour durch Brügge. Wir haben viele Dinge gesehen, die man als normaler Touri vllt nicht sieht. Leider ist Brügge eine sehr hektische Stadt. Da wir unter der Woche dort waren, gab es auch viel Verkehr in der Stadt. Lkw’s, Busse und vor allem Rad- und Rollerfahrer trüben die schönen Eindrücke.
Mexico –
Collected on GetYourGuide
La verdad es que es sencillo pero entretenido, nosotros lo tomamos como una guía para conocer los puntos históricos de interés y no tanto por el juego como tal. Por el precio que pagas, vale mucho la pena, la aplicación es sencilla de manejar.
Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Luxembourg –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Latvia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
This game is a great way how to explore new cities. Thanks to the game you have to pay attention to details which most likely would be left unnoticed. Definitely worth trying.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Strukturierter Spaziergang durch die Stadt, einfache fragen, aber man schaut anders auf Details als wenn man die Tour alleine macht. Die Verbindung mit Google Maps ist auch sehr hilfreich
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leuk. Alleen er was een vraag dubbel qua vraagstelling met afbeelding
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Chouette activité, pas trop longue. Il aurait été préférable d’avoir une application à télécharger sur le GSM plutôt que de devoir faire le jeu sur une page internet car on a dû souvent se reconnecter. Je me demande pourquoi avoir dû payer pour 4 personnes alors qu’on n’a utilisé qu’un seul GSM.
Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Schöne Führung durch die Stadt, Bedienung allerdings über den Browser anstatt einer „App“, wie es in der Beschreibung steht
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
E stata una bellissima esperienza
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leuke speurtocht met moeilijke en makkelijke raadsels. Precies lang genoeg.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Zu wenig Verweise auf die Sehenswürdigkeiten, angesteuerten Gebäude, Hintergründe, Daten, Anekdoten etc. Teilweise fehlerhafte Beschreibung
Laura– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leider haben uns mehr Infos über die einzelnen Anlaufpunkte gefehlt. Die Reihenfolge der einzelnen Stationen war etwas unpraktisch.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Très chouette activité qui nous permet de passer dans des petites rues peu fréquentées mais avec une très belle architecture. Seul petit bémol… beaucoup de va et vient aux opposés de la ville.
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
A fun and efficient way to get to see the most beautiful corners in Bruges in just a couple of hours and at own pace. The puzzles are nice ones to solve.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
One of the best ways to get to know and experience this beautiful city
Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Woow ich kann nur weiter empfehlen
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Great way to get to know the city and the history of it.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es war super Sache!
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
The amount of information is exactly so much as needed to give you the sense of what you visit, without stuffing you with too much historical info. It takes you to all the sites in a fun way!
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Mise en route difficile mais une fois que le fonctionnement est compris, c’est sympa. Des points d’histoire en plus serait apprécié. C’était cependant très agréable. Belle découverte. À faire avant la visite des canaux car le trajet vous y amène Merci.
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
A great way to explore Bruges on our own! Cracking the codes at each of the location to reveal the history of the site was fun and navigating to the next site meant we could meander through the city taking in its charm. Would definitely recommend as an alternative to guided walking tours!
Brazil –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
De puzzels zijn leuk. Maar € 20 is relatief duur. Info is ook algemeen te raadplegen (wikipedia). In de info zaten rare zinnen (vertaling?).
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Via een website hebben we met onze gsm de mooie, interessante route gelopen. De vragen waren erg leuk. Niet te moeilijk. En een prima manier om de prachtige stad Brugge in 1 middag te ontdekken. We waren met 2 volwassenen, 2 kids van 16 en 13 en onze jack russel. Onderweg gestopt bij het Chocolademuseum. Ruim een uur binnen Heel leuk! Het frietmuseum viel tegen. Geen aanrader. De hond kon bij beiden niet naar binnen, maar even wachten is geen probleem. Op korte afstand genoeg te zien. Een rondje per paard en koets was een leuke toeristische toevoeging. We gaan deze manier vaker gebruiken voor een stadstrip!