The best Films and Fiction set in Bruges

Published in Paris in 1892, Georges Rodenbach’s fin-de-siècle novel Bruges-la-Morte tells the story of an Englishman who settled in Bruges after the death of his wife. While wandering the deserted streets, he falls in love with an actress, but finally murders her in a fit of rage. The novel brought thousands of tourists to Bruges to see for themselves the melancholy dead town.

Released in 2008, the black comedy In Bruges was filmed in various locations across the city. It caused something of a sensation because a crime film set in Bruges seemed such a weird concept. It was not particularly flattering, yet everyone, even the tourist office, loved the film’s quirky Irish humour.

The 2013 British TV series The White Queen is set in 15th-century England, but many of its scenes were filmed in Bruges. Locations include the Heilige-Geeststraat (standing for a street in London), the Basilica of the Holy Blood (the Tower of London), the Stadhuis (Westminster Hall) and the B&B Nuit Blanche (a tavern and a bedroom).

Fred Zimmerman used several locations in Bruges for his 1959 movie The Nun’s Story. Starring Audrey Hepburn, the film tells the story of a young nun from Bruges who became a missionary in the Belgian Congo. Some key scenes were filmed in a beautiful rococo mansion on Sint-Annarei.

The hugely successful Bollywood romance PK was partly filmed in Bruges in 2014. The blockbuster movie features scenes shot in the Minnewater Park, the Markt and on several canals. “We found the innocence and charm we were looking for in Belgium,” the director said.