Friet Museum
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Why go
- Taste fries, Belgian meat dishes and sauces prepared on site in the medieval cellar.
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 17:00Show all
Don't miss
- Wild potato exhibitHow wild potatoes became a cultivated crop and reached Europe.Potato section
- Potato-processing machinesMachines for harvesting, processing, peeling, sorting and frying potatoes.
- Fries-making videoA video explaining how to make fries.
- Fries-themed artworksWorks by Jean-Michel Folon, Marcel Mariën, Jan Bucquoy and André Stas.
What's inside
- The collection spans three floors.
- The ground floor covers potato history in Peru.
- The first floor explores the history of fries and their origins in Belgium.
- The basement has photographs and artworks about historic potato-peeling and chip-making machines.
With kids
- Children can walk through the fry-stand exhibit.
Tips for your visit
- Look for the displays about fries in Bruges.
- Look for the museum’s contemporary art, especially potato-themed photography, which it continues to acquire.
Interesting facts4
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The museum combines three original collections, expanded with later acquisitions.
Frietmuseum - Wikipedia -
Former fries vendor Eddy Cooremans supplied old machines after planning a museum in Merchtem.
Frietmuseum - Wikipedia -
The entrance portal has a tall upper panel, a crocketed ogee arch and pinnacles on either side.
Frietmuseum - Wikipedia -
The façade has windows with elaborate Gothic tracery.
Frietmuseum - Wikipedia
History
Genoese merchants used Saaihalle as a base during the fifteenth century. It housed the Republic of Genoa’s silk trade and representation in Bruges. Between its weaving and banking uses, the building served as an inn, café, cinema and dancehall. Renovation before the museum opened took a year and a half and included façade restoration. The interior underwent no structural changes.
- 1399Saaihalle dates to 1399 and is among the oldest buildings in Bruges’s historic centre.
- 1441The building was extended as the residence of the Consul of Genoa.
- 1578–1750Weavers used the building.
- From 1978The building served as a bank and exhibition space.
- 2008Eddy Van Belle founded the museum, which opened in May.
Sources: Frietmuseum - Wikipedia · Frietmuseum - Wikipedia · Frietmuseum - Wikipedia · Frietmuseum (Brugge) - Wikipedia · checked 27 Sep 2026
- Website
- frietmuseum-brugge.be/
- Phone
- +3250612237
Questions and answers
Is there a café at Friet Museum?
Yes. The café is in the basement.
Does Friet Museum explore fries in popular culture?
Yes. It covers fries in music, cinema and comics, as well as art.
What is distinctive about the entrance to Friet Museum?
The entrance portal has a tall upper panel, a crocketed ogee arch and pinnacles on either side.
What architectural detail can I see on Saaihalle’s façade?
Its windows have elaborate Gothic tracery.
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