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Bruges is full of shops catering primarily to tourists; you'll find dozens of places selling souvenirs.

Belgian beers, chocolates (particularly pralines), and Belgian lace (mainly machine-made in the Far East: if you want the real thing, you'll have to ask for it and pay considerably more).

However, it isn't really a great place to shop - prices are high and are rarely matched by the quality. There are a couple of slightly more interesting places, such as Zazou at St Amandstraat 19, which sells original bags and modern silver jewellery in two charming little shops which face each other.

For a good selection of Belgian beer, look no further than The Bottle Shop, Wollestraat 13. A little further along Wollestraat, at 31b, is Pralinette, with its hundreds of varieties of chocolates. The Grotemarkt and Vismarkt markets offer a wide and wonderful array of local foods and drink.

Most shops are open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Friday evening is late night shopping when most shops stay open till 8 or 9pm. In summer, many shops also open on Sundays for part, if not all of the day.

If it’s bargains you’re after, then look for the signs in the shop windows indicating Solden (Sales)