Frietmuseum (Belgian Fries Museum)

The Frietmuseum, or Belgian Fries Museum, at Vlamingstraat 33 in Brugge, Belgium, is a quirky museum devoted to the potato and the Belgian fry, housed in the historic Saaihalle, a 14th-century building in the old town a five-minute walk from the Markt. The museum claims to be the only one of its kind and traces the story of the potato from the Andes, where it was first cultivated, to its arrival in Europe and the development of fried potatoes in what is now Belgium. Visitors learn the local legend that fries began in the Meuse valley in the 17th century when villagers fried small fish, and that during a freeze they fried potatoes cut in the same shape. Exhibits cover potato varieties, frying techniques, equipment, vintage fryers and chip shop signs, and the cultural place of the friet in Belgian life. Beneath the museum are medieval cellars, now used as the Fries tasting space and a bar, where visitors can taste fries with a choice of sauces at the end of the visit, a part of the ticket price or an added extra depending on the ticket. Entry costs about EUR 10 and the museum is open daily from about 10:00 to 17:00. A visit takes about an hour. It is a good choice for a rainy afternoon, when the collection draws more visitors, and the first hour after opening is generally the quietest. Staff offer information in several languages and the displays include English labels. The museum is small and more playful than scholarly, so it suits families, while a few exhibits are interactive. The cellars are reached by a staircase, and the lower level can feel crowded when a group arrives. Because the museum explains the potato's role in Belgian food, it is a useful companion to a visit to a nearby friture for fries from a stall.