In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Beguinage (Begijnhof), formally the Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde, was founded in 1245 and is free to enter, open daily from 07:30 to 18:30 in winter and 07:30 to 20:30 in summer. Its whitewashed houses and lawn sit beside Minnewater in the south of the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site where women have lived continuously for centuries. Keep your voice down: the City of Bruges asks for silence. Or book a tour: the boat, chocolate and walking tourad (from €39, 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews) lists a hidden almshouse garden and swans by the Beguinage in its highlights, and the bike tour with a local twistad (from €40, 4.8 stars from 327 reviews) covers more ground in 2.5 hours.
⚠️ It is a home, not a park. The city says the beguinage is a lively place of silence where single women from Bruges and a few women with a religious vocation live. Talk quietly, and do not use the courtyard as a photo set.
Visiting
Details are from Visit Bruges.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | Free |
| Hours, winter | Daily 07:30 to 18:30 |
| Hours, summer | Daily 07:30 to 20:30; in 2026 the summer period ran from 29 March to 30 September |
| Dogs and pushchairs | Allowed |
| Nearest bus stop | Brugge Olv Kerk |
| Nearest car park | Katelijne |
The beguines were lay-women who lived a pious, celibate life without becoming nuns, and they lived in silence as far as possible. For centuries the Bruges beguinage has been inhabited exclusively by women, and the City of Bruges now looks after it. Silence is part of what UNESCO recognised when it listed the site as World Heritage, and the city expects every visitor to respect it.
The access paths and entrance are accessible with assistance, and there is an adapted toilet. The nearest station is Brugge, and the Markt is a 20-minute walk from it.
The church
The Beguinage Church of St Elisabeth, in the centre of the Begijnhof. Photo: Marc Ryckaert, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Begijnhofkerk (Begijnhof 5) is free and stands in the middle of the lawn. Visit Bruges says a church has stood here since the mid-13th century, that little remains of the first building beyond a gate in the north wall, and that a fallen candle caused a major fire in the 16th century while weavers who had fled were sheltering there. The present church dates from the early 17th century. The simple exterior hides baroque elements of the 18th century inside, and above the entrance is Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, the patron saint of the Bruges beguinage. Inside, Our Lady of Spermalie, a wooden statue of the 13th century, is the oldest wooden statue in Bruges.
Tours worth paying for
The Beguinage needs no ticket and no guide, but the beguines and the districts round it come alive with one. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices.
Boat, chocolate and walking tour
From €39 · 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group
Bruges: Boat, Chocolate and Guided Walking Tourad is led by a local certified guide. Its highlights include stepping into the hidden garden of a historic almshouse and sailing the canals past swans near the Beguinage, with a chocolate tasting.
Bike tour with a local twist
From €40 · 4.8 stars from 327 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group
Bruges: The Bike Tour with a Local Twistad takes a small group through the city’s sights and quieter corners; the product says every guide has their own route, so the Beguinage is not promised.
Premium city bike tour
From €43 · 4.9 stars from 193 reviews · 2 hours · small group
Bruges: Premium City Bike Tour with a Localad is a 2-hour small-group ride on the cobbles with a local.
Minnewater and around
Minnewater, with the lock-keeper’s house on the water’s edge. Photo: Marc Ryckaert, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
- Minnewater. The Lake of Love sits beside the Begijnhof. Visit Bruges says people once believed water nymphs (minnen) lived here, which gave the lake its name, and names the Lake of Love bridge and the Lockhouse as the best viewpoints for photographs.
- De Halve Maan. The brewery is on Walplein and sells a 45-minute tour at €16.
- Canal boats. Boats run between Jan van Eyck Square and the Begijnhof, and the Beguinage gate is on the route. Visit Bruges says the swans gather at the Bakkersrei next to the Beguinage, the only feeding spot in the city centre.
- Wijngaardplein. The square at the Beguinage’s main gate. Visit Bruges points out the Sashuis here, the 16th-century lock house that replaced a 13th-century lock complex and regulated the water flow in the centre, which is why the Lake of Love exists. It has not been used since the 1970s, and you can still see where the weirs were. Horse carriage rides pause on the square.
- The Beguinage bridge. The bridge that leads into the Beguinage, a place Visit Bruges says is closed by night. Boats pass beneath it, and swans swim by.
- Poertorenpark. A round Gunpowder Tower on the city ramparts close to the Lake of Love, where explosives were once stored. At its foot a small garden by the water has willow baskets, fruit trees and benches, reached by a metal staircase.
- Free sights. More in free things to do in Bruges.
Begijnhof buildings across the water of Minnewater. Photo: Sally V, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Seeing it well
Daffodils under the trees of the Begijnhof lawn. Photo: Ermell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Go early. The grounds open at 07:30, hours before the museums.
- Keep to the rule. The city asks for silence, and the houses are homes.
- Combine it. From the Begijnhof it is a few minutes to the Church of Our Lady and Sint-Janshospitaal, and to Walplein for a beer after.
Common questions
Is the Bruges Beguinage free?
Yes. Visit Bruges lists the Begijnhof as free to enter, and the Beguinage Church inside it is free as well.
What are the opening hours of the Begijnhof?
Visit Bruges lists 07:30 to 18:30 every day in winter and 07:30 to 20:30 in summer. In 2026 the summer hours ran from 29 March to 30 September.
Do people live in the Begijnhof?
Yes. The city says it is home today to single women from Bruges and a few women with a religious vocation, so it is a living place, not a museum.
Do I have to be quiet?
Yes. The city asks every visitor to respect the silence that UNESCO recognised as part of the site's value.
Can I bring a dog or a pushchair?
Yes. Visit Bruges lists pets and baby carriages as allowed.
What is the oldest object in the Beguinage Church?
Our Lady of Spermalie, a wooden statue from the 13th century that Visit Bruges calls the oldest wooden statue in Bruges.
