A Unique Museum: the Fries Museum in Bruges

I know it`s hard to believe that we have a museum for fries, but us Belgians are proud of our fries. So it won`t come as a surprise that the Frietmuseum in Bruges is the only museum in the world dedicated to fries. I`ve already talked about French fries or Belgian fries before and during my last visit to Bruges, I thought it would be the perfect time to visit the Fries Museum and get answers to my questions once and for all.

The museum explains the history of the potato, you learn about the differences and you find out about a lot of fun facts.

What I`ve learned

Fries are of Belgian origin.

There is no scientific or historical proof relating to the origin. The story goes that people ate fried fish but when winters were harsh and there was no fish, they cut their potatoes, resembling small fish and fried those…fries were born.

Why do we say French fries?

This is what I talked about in my first article. The term “French” was introduced when American soldiers arrived in Belgium during World War I, tasted Belgian fries, but called them French as it was the official language of the Belgian Army at that time.

Why are Belgian fries so delicious?

It`s a combination of reasons, such as freshly peeled and cooked potatoes, but most importantly they`re cooked in two separate phases. A tip: dry your fries, after having sliced them up, before you put them in the fryer.

I also learned there`s even a song for Fries…yep.

These are just a few of the things I picked up from my informative visit. It`s a fun place to make a stop, especially when it`s raining outside. A good tip when visiting the museum is to go around lunch time. There`s a “frituur” (fries shop) at the museum where you can eat Belgian fries. You even get a discount with your entrance ticket.

Practical

The museum is open every day from 10 am till 5 pm. Closed on 24^th, 25^th and 31^st December, 1^st January. (Also closed during the second and third week of January). The entrance is 6 euros/adult* and 4 euros/child* (between 6 to 11 years). It`s located at Vlamingstraat 33, an easy 2 minute walk from the main square, Markt.

If you`re on the lookout for more attractions in Bruges, here`s another interesting one: the Historium.

*Prices were accurate at time of publishing