Bruges: Frietmuseum - Discover the History of Fries
Description
This educational museum is housed in the Saaihalle, one of the most beautiful buildings in Bruges, which increases its attraction to tourists even more. It explains the history of the potato and fries and the different condiments with which they are habitually served.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On the ground floor you can learn about the fascinating history of the potato which originated in Peru more than 10,000 years ago. On the first floor, the visitor can discover the history of the fries and how they came to Belgium and in the basement of the building, in the medieval cellars, it is even possible to sample some. The Frietmuseum completes the choice of museums in harmony with all the others which the town of Bruges has to offer and allows the visitor to discover the origins of one of the greatest Belgian culinary specialities, of which we are very proud: potato fries. The museum was created by the families Cédric and Eddy Van Belle who also created in Bruges the Belgian chocolate museum, Choco-Story, and the domestic lighting museum, Lumina Domestica.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Food available on site
- Open every day from 10 am to 5 pm (last tickets at 4.15pm)
Reviews(157)
This is an audio tour where they give you an audio player that you put up to your ear and walk around scanning different things to learn about it. The information was great and right on point., Via tour says this should take about an hour, but we were there for over an hour and a half if you scan every number. We were also surprised at the end that the fries were not included. The description seems to indicate that you will try fries at the end and that is technically correct, you just have to pay for them yourself.
We visited as a family with 2 kids and really enjoyed our visit. The museum has worked hard to make the attraction interesting and interactive at every turn. The staff were very helpful. Downstairs in the basement we were able to get drinks and frites, which were gluten free as cooked in their own fryer. The audioguides are included in the ticket and worked really well, especially for kids.
We visited the museum in May. After purchasing our tickets, we noticed the price list displayed at the entrance. It clearly indicated that senior tickets were reduced by €3 per ticket. As both my wife and I are over 65 and therefore eligible for the senior discount, I politely asked a member of staff for the discount. He refused to refund the difference, stating that it was “only €3”. He then suggested that if we were not happy, we could email the head office to complain — which I did. It has now been nearly two months, and I have still not received any reply. I find this behaviour unacceptable. It showed a clear lack of respect and empathy towards customers. As a result, I will not be visiting the museum again.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are truly sorry to hear that you felt disappointed by the way your request was handled. Providing a friendly and respectful welcome to our visitors is very important to us, and we regret that this was not your experience. We would like to look into this situation further, but we have not received an email regarding this matter so far. Could you please send your message again to info@frietmuseum.be, together with your proof of payment? This will allow us to verify the details of your visit and investigate what happened. We would also like to clarify that the difference for the senior rate is €2 per ticket. Nevertheless, we understand that the matter is not only about the amount, but also about the way the request was handled. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We hope to have the opportunity to address your concerns appropriately. The Frietmuseum Team
Overall we enjoyed our visit & it was interesting learning about many varieties of potatoes and other facts associated with frites!!! It was well laid out & cool inside. Some of the exhibits were a bit "tired" but it was a fairly good museum to explore. We bought our tickets on the day & were slightly disappointed with the lack of a smile or welcome from the staff. When buying a portion of frites at the end of our visit the cafe area was taken up by a group of excited school children, so it was a bit loud!
Thank you very much for your visit and your detailed review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed discovering the different potato varieties and the history of fries, and that you found the museum interesting and well laid out. We are sorry that some exhibits appeared a little tired and, especially, that you did not receive the warm and friendly welcome you should expect from our team. We will share this feedback internally. School groups can occasionally make the café area quite lively, and we understand that this may have affected the end of your visit. We nevertheless hope you enjoyed your portion of fries and thank you again for helping us improve the visitor experience.
Educational guide with a nice ending 😊
Hartelijk dank voor uw mooie review! 😊 Fijn om te horen dat u de audiogids leerrijk vond en genoten heeft van het lekkere einde van uw bezoek. 🍟 Graag tot een volgende keer in het Frietmuseum!
We visited the fries museum and learned quite a bit about potatoes; it was an enriching visit. Don't forget to taste the fries before leaving.
Merci beaucoup pour votre visite et pour ce bel avis ! Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez trouvé la découverte de l’histoire de la pomme de terre enrichissante. Et vous avez tout à fait raison : une visite au Frietmuseum ne serait pas complète sans une bonne dégustation de frites avant de repartir ! 🍟 Au plaisir de vous accueillir à nouveau à Bruges.
The museum itself is nice, but if you have done the extensive chocolate museum first, this one can be disappointing. You get a receipt for 0,50€ discount on the fries in the cellar. French fries are mediocre, and 4,20€ for a loose hamburger slice, is far from worth it... the man behind the kettle just says that the prices are on the plate, while the woman is coughing every 15 seconds, which makes the hunger go away.... Too bad they couldn't extend the level of chocolate museum.
Bedankt om uw ervaring met ons te delen. Het spijt ons te horen dat uw bezoek niet volledig aan uw verwachtingen voldeed. Graag geven we wel wat extra verduidelijking mee over de frituur. De Crunchy Chicken wordt aangeboden als een volledige hamburger. Op uw verzoek werd deze zonder broodje geserveerd, maar de prijs blijft dezelfde aangezien het om één vast menu-item gaat. Wat betreft uw opmerking over onze medewerkster aan het onthaal: het kan inderdaad gebeuren dat iemand eens moet hoesten, wat helaas niet altijd te vermijden is. Uiteraard blijven we steeds aandacht besteden aan hygiëne en klantvriendelijkheid. We appreciëren uw feedback en nemen uw opmerkingen mee in onze verdere werking. Hopelijk heeft u tijdens uw bezoek aan Brugge toch nog kunnen genieten van enkele positieve aspecten van het museum.
For the place, visit and welcome
Nous vous remercions pour votre excellente évaluation du musée de la frite. Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez trouvé la visite ludique et enrichissante, et que la dégustation ait été à la hauteur de vos attentes dans notre cadre atypique. Votre appréciation de notre lieu et de l’accueil nous touche beaucoup.
Was fun, educational and also tasty! from potato to fries, the baking and the sauces. Funny show at the end
Bedankt voor je fijne review! 😊 Wat leuk om te horen dat je bezoek aan het Frietmuseum Brugge zowel leerzaam als lekker was. Van aardappel tot friet – we vinden het geweldig dat je het hele proces én de sauzen hebt kunnen ontdekken. En fijn dat de show op het einde in de smaak viel – een beetje humor hoort er natuurlijk ook bij! Hopelijk mogen we je in de toekomst nog eens verwelkomen voor een nieuwe portie frietplezier!
Great experience! The lady on reception was lovely, had very good English and was very banterous. The museum itself was very informative and very well laid out. The free fries at the end was a great addition even tho we got caught in a school trip and skipped the fries, the ladies said we could return in 10 minutes when it was less busy. Great pass time activity!
Thank you for your kind words about the Frietmuseum. We're delighted to hear that you had a great experience and appreciated the informative exhibits and the warm welcome from our staff. It's wonderful that you could enjoy the free Belgian fries, even with the busy school trip. We look forward to welcoming you again for more fascinating insights into potato history in our historic building. The Frietmuseum Team
