Arriving in the city by train, you'll be treated to a pleasant walk featuring the old city walls and canal. An entire trip could be devoted to a tour of these ramparts and their historical features. The route up to the center takes you near the city's beguinage and ends at the belfry. In this way, three heritage sites could be combined in a single 30-minute walk, but I would advise spending extra time getting to know this storied town. I had three days in this city, but could have spent months exploring.

Bruges is fundamentally a medieval seaport, a surprising fact for anyone looking at its location on a map. The Romans founded the city on a tidal inlet, which grew in importance under the Franks and throughout the Middle Ages. Silting of the tidal inlet in the 11th and 12th centuries required extensive engineering efforts to combat. This struggle to maintain direct access to the sea continually threatened the city's survival until a modern port, Zeebrugge, was completed.

The Stadhuis or City Hall provides an excellent survey of this history via a series of murals and an augmented reality presentation. Once you've acquainted yourself with the founding legends, climb the belfry and stop at each landing to learn more about these chapters from history.

I was able to see all of this and several other historic sites with a Belgian Museum Pass. As an American, it was as simple as signing up on the website and using my hostel as the local address. Reservations are required for the belfry, as it gets quite busy. However, if you arrive early in the morning before the daytrippers are bused in, you can enjoy the quieter side of this remarkable city.