Visit Bruges launches its first cycle route in the Route App

The marked route starts at the Dampoort and takes cyclists past Bruges’ former outer harbours in the Zwin region. Along the way, nine stops bring themes such as trade, war, nature and heritage to life through text, photographs, videos and 360° drone footage.

Mayor Dirk De Fauw (Bruges): “This route allows visitors to discover how the region played a key role in the development of Bruges as a medieval trading city. We introduce them to stories from the area whilst they cycle through the countryside where those events took place. Our cycle tour encourages visitors to look more closely at their surroundings. After all, history isn’t just found in buildings, but also in the surrounding area.”

Mayor Joachim Coens (Damme): “Cycling between Bruges and Damme helps to raise awareness of the historical links between Bruges and its immediate surroundings. From Bruges’ earliest days, through the heyday of this bustling region, to the skirmishes during the Eighty Years’ War, the construction of the Damse Vaart and nature conservation today: the cycle route takes visitors on a journey through various chapters of over 2,000 years of local history. The Damse Vaart forms the common thread running through the route.”

Filip Babylon, Councillor for Tourism (Damme): “The canal, with its distinctive row of trees, is a recognisable landmark and therefore an ideal guide for international visitors exploring the area, perhaps for the first time. The route in the app also offers tips on parking your bike every now and then to visit one of our attractions.”

Minou Esquenet, Councillor for Tourism (Bruges): “The cycle tour fits in with Bruges’ tourism vision, which focuses on individual visitors who consciously choose a high-quality, multi-day stay. Through the Route App, we introduce them to unique and authentic heritage sites off the beaten track. What’s more, you can’t complete a cycle tour like this in just an hour or two. It easily takes a whole day. And cycling, just like walking, can be enjoyed in any season and at any time of day. In this way, we encourage our visitors to stay longer in Bruges and to return again in the future.”

The Visit Bruges Route App offers a high-quality, multilingual range of experiences, which is reflected in high levels of visitor satisfaction, with very high ratings and positive reviews.

The route was created on the initiative of Visit Bruges, who was responsible for coordinating the project and invested heavily in copywriting, translations, new photographic and video material, and 360° images. This was done in collaboration with Westtoer, which supported the development by providing advice on the route and storylines, and the Town of Damme, which provided substantive feedback on the texts and thus helped to ensure the historical accuracy of the cycle tour.

Practical information

• ‘Cycling between Bruges and Damme’ will be available exclusively on the free Visit Bruges Route App from 1 September 2026. In Dutch, French, German, English, Spanish and Italian.
• Start and finish: Dampoort, Bruges. Distance: 29 km, with a shorter 11 km loop for those wishing to return to Bruges via Damme.
• The route follows the cycle junction network. Anyone who would like to attach the junction numbers to their handlebars can collect a handlebar sticker from the tourist information offices in the centres of Bruges and Damme. The sticker is free and lists all the junctions and the nine stopping points.

Download the Visit Bruges Route App for free in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.