Bruges in June

April through September gives you the best weather, but also the biggest crowds. May and September hit that sweet spot — pleasant temperatures around 18°C, longer days, and fewer tour groups. Summer means 20-hour daylight and canal tours until 10pm, but also lines everywhere and €300+ hotel rooms. Winter has its own magic with Christmas markets from late November, but it's cold, wet, and dark by 4pm. The shoulder months of April and October offer decent weather with hotel prices dropping to reasonable levels. Avoid weekends if you can — day-trippers from Brussels flood in on Saturday mornings like a medieval invasion.