Huis van de Bruggeling — Local services in Bruges

My last few experiences at the government office for paperwork have been very frustrating, firstly they claimed my scheduled appointment wasn't in the system, I had to reschedule, adding two weeks of bureaucratic limbo. Then, my supposed two-week wait for a residence permit turned into a full-on month, due to another "system error." Moreover, the machines at the door are only in Dutch.

Today, during my last visit, a considerate staff member offered me coffee, and the desk lady was efficient and friendly. While these personal touches improved my experience, there is a serious need for administrative improvements at...

I encountered an older lady with short red hair at the reception who had a terrible attitude. She refused to provide any service or even listen to my concerns. The worst part was that she instructed her colleague in Dutch not to assist me either. As a resident of Bruges who pays taxes, I believe that language should not be an excuse for such behavior. Her dismissive attitude and choice to speak Dutch to her colleague to avoid helping me are unacceptable for someone representing a government office that is supposed to serve...

Avoid going to Bruges. They have DECEPTIVE parking practices. We parked in a public street that had NO signs, let alone any in English. We were there for only 2 hours and returned to find a parking ticket on our car that had instructions in many languages to pay 40 Euros to include English. So, they won't warn you but are more than happy to take your money and explain in many languages how to extract money from your wallet into their coffers. This place is a...