Combining Amsterdam with Brugge would double our fun, my husband, John, and I surmised, as we hopped onto a train at Amsterdam’s Centraal Station. Two hours later we changed trains in Antwerp and were slicing through flat Belgian farmland. Light snow covered the landscape, which was dotted with grazing horses. As we got closer to our destination, villages of gabled buildings with narrow cobbled streets passed by our window.

It wasn’t long before the train stopped in Brugge, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The city is the capital of the West Flanders Province, and in 2000 Brugge was added to the long list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Charming cobblestone streets wind their way through Brugge, Belgium.

Belgium is world famous for its decadent, rich chocolate and fine handmade lace. During our five-minute taxi ride into the city, I fell in love with Brugges. Everywhere I looked, colorful buildings were replete with heavenly chocolate shops, inviting restaurants and toasty teashops with fireplaces glowing inside the windows.

The taxi pulled up in front of the Hotel Heritage, a small, elegant hotel that was once a Georgian mansion. Only steps away from Market Square, the hotel features classically appointed French décor with antique-style furnishings.

To take the chill off, tea is served in the sitting room, off the lobby, in front of a crackling fire. In our room, two sets of French doors were swathed from floor to (high) ceiling in golden-yellow fabric. Terry robes were provided, and the room even had a computer for our use.

The best way to absorb Brugge is by getting lost on the cobblestone back streets, I figured. Grabbing two umbrellas on our way out the door, we set out to explore the gothic town that grew wealthy on the fabric trade in the 11th century.

At one time, Brugge was a focus for international trade. High-quality English wool was turned into garments and exported all over the known world. By the 14th century, the population had grown to the size of London; with a population of 35,000, it was one of the biggest cities in the world.

In the 15th century, Brugge was the favored residence of the Dukes of Burgundy, while England and France trudged through the 100 Years War. It was also home to artists Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. By the 16th century, Brugge’s Golden Age abruptly ended. The economy had collapsed and the Burgundian court left town. Occupied by the Germans in Word War I and II, the city remained below the radar of tourism until the 1960s. Today, it prospers on tourism.