Brussels and Bruges are more alike than different.  Although Brussels is bustling with commerce commuters and Bruges is slower paced and less crowded, both have amazing architecture and charming shopping avenues.  Both have preserved and restored their beautiful city squares.  They compete for bragging rights to hosting the shops with the best Belgium chocolates.  Lastly, they both have some of the most interesting and beautiful displays of statues in Europe.  The slide show below is just a small sample of what can be found within a 10 minute walk of each city.  I can’t imagine how many photos I would have taken had I ventured further away from the city squares and train stations.