Bruges is a beguiling medieval city - and it's closer than you may think, as Sarah Hyde discovers on a quick break.

EVERYONE I know who has visited Bruges has nothing but praise for this historic Belgian city, so when the opportunity arose, we packed our overnight bag and grabbed the chance to see the place for ourselves.

Easy to get to from our region, it is doubly tempting to make the trip at the moment, thanks to a P&O Ferries special offer - buy one return ticket, get one free, until Christmas.

Take your car, or do as we did, leaving our car parked, free, at the P&O car park in Hull, and use the free coach transfers from the ferry terminal at Zeebrugge into Bruges city centre.

The mini-cruise was just as exciting as the destination for Maddie, nine, and Clementine, seven, with a buffet where they could pick and choose and help themselves to dinner, bunk beds with vertiginous ladders, a children's activity club, cinema, not to mention the sea itself to watch.

Showered, breakfasted and raring to go, we left our clobber in the cabin ready for the return trip that night, and hopped on the coach for the 15-minute trip to town.

And it was clear from the moment we arrived that Bruges was going to live up to its reputation.

It is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities. A prosperous cloth manufacturing town and centre for art from the 12th to 15th centuries, Bruges owes its grand buildings to the wealthy merchants who thrived here.

But during the 1400s the waterway linking Bruges to the sea, providing those essential trade routes, began to silt up and the merchants relocated to Antwerp, leaving Bruges to slumber undisturbed, for 400 years, until it was rediscovered by the forerunners of today's tourists.

Now more than two million tourists visit every year and are beguiled by the medieval city which has evaded the developers thanks to the downturn in its fortune all those years ago.

Around every corner, through each narrow alleyway, are glimpses of cobbled courtyards studded with autumnal trees and lined with pretty castellated buildings, some with walls and roofs so bowed they look positively precarious.

The people of Bruges are justifiably proud of their city and keen to help visitors make the most of it. You can see the city on a boat cruise around the canal network, or opt, like we did, for a horse-drawn carriage ride. It lasts 30 minutes and the young guides give an informative commentary during the tour of the city's most historic quarters. Great value at 27 Euros - the perfect way to get your bearings and pick up tips on places to visit on foot for a closer look.

History aside, Bruges is famous for two things: lace-making and chocolate, and a girl can resist temptation only for so long. So we decided to stave off the autumn chill with a hot chocolate break.

The picturesque squares are lined with cafs, bistros and bars where you can soak up the atmosphere inside or sit outside under patio heaters and watch the world go by in true continental style. Hot chocolate and pancakes with hot chocolate sauce and bananas plugged a gap before we headed to the Belfort, a 13th Century bell tower which dominates the market square. Climb the 366 to the top for a bird's eye view of Bruges, passing the 47-bell clarion on your way.

The Belfort rises from the Hallen, a magnificent enclosed market-place, which was hosting an exhibition of sculptures by Rodin and Degas during our visit.

Maddie and Clem tolerated our prolonged interest in this and were rewarded with a visit to a more child-friendly attraction: the Story of Chocolate Museum, a five-ten minute walk from the market and well-worth seeking out. Displays, artefacts and room sets tell the story of chocolate from its earliest Mayan incarnation through to the beginnings of mass manufacture and the hand-crafted Belgian specialities we can't resist today.

The tour ends with a chocolate-making demonstration and tastings...

One thing you must know about Bruges, which we didn't: if you want to climb the Belfort and see the works of art by the Great Masters in the Groeningemuseum, don't go on a Monday: they are both shut. It was a disappointment, certainly, but more than made up for by a visit to Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk, a 13th century church, conveniently located on the way back to the bus, which is home to the exquisite Madonna and Child, carved from a block of marble by Michelangelo and one of the few Michelangelo masterpieces outside Italy.

With no time left for the diamond museum, we wended our way through narrow back streets and courtyards back to the coach and ferry for a meal, duty free shopping if you want to stock up for Christmas, and a good night's sleep, to be woken back in Hull again.

Compact, impossibly pretty and offering something for everyone, from chocolate to world-class works of art, Bruges is a must.

Fact file:

For more information on P&O Ferries, or reservations, contact 08705 202020 quoting North Sea two-for-one offer. Mini cruises to Holland and Belgium cost from £40 per person until December 23. The usual price is £80 per person.

Updated: 16:33 Friday, November 05, 2004