Bruges is not immediately renowned for its industrial history and heritage. However, since the Middle Ages, the town always has been a busy trade and craft city. Bruges lace was famous (and seems to be one of the main souvenirs tourist buy today) and in the 19th century many industries came into existence in the town and its vicinity. As a result Bruges has a lot of (often ‘hidden’) industrial heritage gems, even a large tandem compound steam engine one can visit on appointment and a special occasions. Bruges also houses a chocolate museum (Choco Story), a potato fry museum (‘Frietmuseum’), the lamp museum ‘Lumina Domestica’, and of course a beer museum. The history of many traditional crafts and the daily life of people is told in the city’s Volkskundemuseum (Museum of Folk Life).
Bruges presents itself as a city with a rich beer and brewing history. In 1846 the town counted 20 breweries, of which only two had a steam engine. In 1880 there were 27 breweries, 17 driven by steam. They all produced white and brown high fermentation beers of ca 3% alcohol. Some of them produced a ‘double’ (of 6%) or the famous ‘Bruges Triple’ (9%). At the end of the century only one could cough up the heavy investments to switch over to low fermented lager beer.
With Bourgogne des Flandres, De Halve Maan and Fort Lapin, it now has three working breweries. Lapin is a new micro brewery, ‘De Halve Maan’ is a heritage brewery, and ‘Bourgogne de Flandres’ has a special story.