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.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Den Kindern hat es Spaß gemacht. Leider war immer wieder das Funknetz gestört, das keine mobilen Daten zur Verfügung standen. Somit konnte das Spiel nicht flüssig gespielt und es mussten teils Aufgaben übersprungen werden. Sinnvoll wäre die Funktion komplett auf der App. Die Navigation war dadurch ebenfalls erschwert, ein Kartenausschnitt in der App könnte zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Grundsätzlich ein tolles Spiel
France –
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Très sympa et économique pour découvrir Bruges en autonomie de manière un peu ludique
Tanja – Germany –
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Man hat durch die Tour alle Punkte gesehen, die Aufgaben waren aber nicht so interessant
Belgium –
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Redelijk kort, parcours kan beter
italy –
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Tour autonomo con audioguida e quiz delle principali attrazioni di Brugge. Le informazioni e i giochi divertenti, ma la voce elettronica dell’audioguida oltre ad avere un fastidioso suono metallico non rispetta la puntegggiatura tanto da essere talora poco comprensibile.
Virginie – France –
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Activité ludique et d’un niveau assez facile. Cela permet d’apprendre davantage sur la ville.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
C’était vraiment chouette de découvrir Bruges et de se laisser guider par l’application. Les traductions en français ne sont pas toujours justes mais on comprend le sens quand même. Je le referai sans hésiter!
Italy –
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Ben organizzata, fatta con due adolescenti. Si sono divertiti molto.
Anna – Germany –
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Es ist eine Schnitzeljagd durch die Stadt entlang der bedeutendsten Sehenswürdigkeiten mit kleinen Rätseln. Es gibt dabei aber keine größere gesamt Geschichte. Aber wir haben in circa zwei Stunden die Stadt und wichtigsten Hotspots erkundet. Als Familie gemeinsam sicherlich auch für Kinder sehr interessant ??
Netherlands –
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Germany –
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Schöne Tour. Von Station zu Station nicht allzuviel Fußweg. Interessante Infos zur Stadt die man Freischalten kann. Hat uns sehr gut gefallen. War mal was anderes. Rätsel auch gut machbar aber manchmal bisschen knifflig ??
United States –
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We only had one afternoon in Bruges and we found this self guided tour to be the best way to see the city, learn and have some fun. It took us to all the most important stops, we made breaks for shopping, chocolate and beer and still felt we saw the whole city!
Moritz – Germany –
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Sehr einfache Rätsel, die meisten okay, einzelne davon schlecht gemacht. Aber nette kleine Route, ordentliche Info-Texte. Preis/Leistung in Ordnung.
Germany –
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Haben dadurch viel erfahren und alles gesehen um danach noch durch die Stadt zu schlendern
Dirk – Germany –
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Wurden gut und einfach durch die Stadt gelotst, die Fragen waren recht leicht zu beantworten,, schône Tour
Belgium –
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Activité très agréable et facile à organiser et à faire. Une belle et très agréable façon de decouvrir une ville !
Elke – Germany –
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Sehr empfehlenswert. Einfach zu installieren und anzuwenden. Man kommt auch zu Orten hin, die sonst nicht so beachtet werden, aber dennoch lohnenswert sind. Die Aufgaben sind gut zu lösen. Noch besser wäre es, wenn die Tour zu Beginn auf einen Blick zu sehen wäre, dann kann man seine eigenen Interessen besser einfließen lassen. Volle Empfehlung.
Portugal –
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So fun!
Netherlands –
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lionel – France –
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excellent pour voir des monuments
Dirk – Germany –
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Hat total viel Spaß gemacht und man hat spielerisch die Stadt und die Geschichte erlebt!! Klasse Format für jung und alt. 5 Sterne
France –
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on a aimé déambuler de manière différente et amusante.
Wolfgang– Germany –
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abwechslungsreich, spannend und unterhaltsam
NATACHA– France –
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Chouette activité. On apprend beaucoup de choses et ça permet de visiter les lieux importants de la ville.
Sadrin – France –
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Très bon format pour découvrir la ville ludique ment à son rythme
Germany –
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Hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht! Wir hatten viel Freude daran.
Catherine – Belgium –
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Chouette activité. Problème de connection à certains endroits.
United Kingdom –
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Great concept. Too many extra apps to upload. Very frustrating to start then easier to use. We covered a lot of ground but the clues could be a little more imaginative, challenging and varied.
Belgium –
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Vraiment chouette! Nous avons fait l’activité à 4, en 2 équipes : les parents contre les ados! Activité ludique et belle façon de circuler dans la ville, à son rythme en découvrant de beaux endroits !
France –
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c’est une bonne activité qui permet de découvrir de façon ludique et a son rythme
RogieR – Germany –
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Leuk loopje en info achter de stad. Kan wat interactiever en voor 2 groepen 13 euro is wat veel voor gebodene. Toch leuk gehad.
Kim – Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Was ontzettend leuk om te doen! Leuke route, leuke puzzels en vragen en een aanrader voor kinderen in de leeftijd van 10-14 jaar, die van ons hebben genoten. Wat mij betreft had ik het voor 1 persoon kunnen kopen ipv voor 4, want met 1 telefoon lopen en gezamenlijk oplossingen vinden vonden wij leuker en gezelliger.
France –
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Jeux en équipe et belles balades à travers brugges pour découvrir une partie de son Histoire.
Shannon – United States –
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This was a fun way to explore the city on our own. Plus, it gave us a good history lesson along the way. We enjoyed it so much, we even talked about doing this in our own hometown.
Edwin – Netherlands –
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leuke activiteit om samen te doen. Even lekker puzzelen en zo meer te weten te komen over de stad.
Erika– Italy –
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It is a great option if you want to visit the city’s main attractions but don’t want to bother planning an itinerary by yourself and want a little bit of flexibility during your day to fit in any extra experiences or do it at your own pace. The puzzles are not hard but still fun and you always have interesting information about the places and buildings included and other points nearby. My main tip is that you just really need to remember to charge your phone and have a power bank at hand, because you will need it between using the app, the GPS and your camera all day. Me and my girlfriend actually plan on buying it again in the future for other cities we may visit.
Silent – Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Prima wandeling waarbij je zelf kan bepalen om even te stoppen voor een terrasje en alle hoogtepunten ziet met achterliggende informatie. Wij hebben van deze combinatie genoten. Gr Steven
Switzerland –
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Jeroen – Netherlands –
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Puzzels mogen weggelaten worden, de samenwerking tussen bavigatie en de app is slecht. Ook moeten twee apps geinstalleerd worden.
Belgium –
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Germany –
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italy –
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Bellissima idea per intrattenersi in un pomeriggio di una nuova cittadina. Dira all’incirca 1ora e mezza, sono 10 posti diversi. Per ognuno bisogna risolvere un indovinello (super facili) e viene raccontata una storia/aneddoto sulla cittadina; si passa alla tappa successiva direttamente su maps. Per 13€ ho scoperto e girato la città senza vagare inutilmente, divertendomi e imparando qualcosa in più! Davvero ben fatta
France –
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Très agréable et original. Cela permet de découvrir la ville sous un autre angle. Peut être un peu complexe au départ pour comprendre le fonctionnement.
France –
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Très agréable
Germany –
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Die Rätsel waren nicht alle lösbar für uns, obwohl wir wirklich lange nach der Lösung gesucht haben. Irgendwann haben wir dann abgebrochen. Schade …
Netherlands –
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We hadden het als groep gezellig maar hebben weinig over Brugge geleerd. Het was erg simpel.
Nadine– Germany –
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Ich fand es sehr gut, die Kinder hatten viel Spaß beim Lösen der Rätsel 🙂
Germany –
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Es war gut, aber eine Erläuterung zu den Antworten fehlt meiner Meinung nach
Belgium –
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Très bien conçu, visite ludique de Bruges, les énigmes sont assez simple à résoudre, accessible niveau enfants. Pour vous rendre d’un point a l’autre, il faut télécharger Google maps et l’application ouvre automatiquement l’itinéraire à suivre. De plus, il y a des informations dispensées sur la ville et des histoires. Belle découverte
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
C’était super! Notre guide Guillermo a été de très bon conseil!