Bruges gets about 8 million visitors a year. The vast majority are day-trippers. They arrive mid-morning, walk around the centre, eat lunch, buy chocolate, and leave by late afternoon. By 7pm, the streets are yours.

This is when Bruges is at its most beautiful. The buildings are lit with warm floodlights. The canals reflect the glow. The cobblestones are wet (it rains a lot — this is Belgium). And the noise drops to almost nothing.

Walk along the Rozenhoedkaai after dinner. During the day it's a traffic jam of selfie sticks. At night it's a quiet bend in the canal with soft light on old stone. The Bonifacius Bridge — tiny, covered in ivy, absurdly photogenic — is usually empty after dark.

For a drink, Du Phare on Sasplein has a terrace on the canal. It's a jazz bar, slightly bohemian, and far enough from the centre to feel like a local spot. Le Trappiste on Kuipersstraat is a beer cellar — literally underground — with barrel-vaulted ceilings and a curated beer list.

If you're staying at Inn Bruges, the walk home along Katelijnestraat at night is one of the best parts. The street is quiet, the buildings are centuries old, and for a few minutes you have medieval Bruges entirely to yourself.