Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Belgium Bruges Frietmuseum
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Frietmuseum

Potato-peeling mannequins, Inca art, and a dangling tuber mobile help trace the history of fries at this Belgian museum.

Bruges, Belgium

Added By
Sam O'Brien
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Two giant cones of pommes frites greet visitors.   Courtesy of the Frietmuseum
Two giant cones of pommes frites greet visitors.   Courtesy of the Frietmuseum
The potato mobile.   Courtesy of the Frietmuseum
Visitors can read about the history of fries and peruse the potato-themed art.   Courtesy of the Frietmuseum
Head to the basement to order some pommes frites.   Courtesy of the Frietmuseum
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In Bruges, nestled among the Gothic architecture and outdoor cafes dolling out beer and waffles, lies the world's only museum dedicated to fries.

While some might call fried potatoes "French" fries, it’s well known that Belgium is the real source of pommes frites, and the Frietmuseum pays tribute to this national cuisine. Inside a 14th-century building known as the Saaihalle, founders Cédric and Eddy Van Belle have assembled a curious collection of artifacts, equipment, and art. Their museum traces the history of the fry, from Andean potatoes to Belgium's iconic paper cones of crispy, hot pommes frites. There's an Inca-era vase featuring potatoes, dioramas of Peruvian farmers and potato-peeling European soldiers, vintage ads, an extensive assortment of potato cutters, and a mobile of dangling tubers of various hues and sizes from around the world.

After working up an appetite, visitors can descend to the medieval cellar, where a cafe dishes up pommes frites, among other items such as croquettes and beef stew.

Related Tags

Food Museums Fries Snacks Potato Museums Potatoes Museums

Know Before You Go

The Frietmuseum is open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last tickets at 4.15 p.m.). Entry costs $8 (7€) per adult, $5.95 [5€] per child aged 6-11. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Sam OBrien

Edited By

CoolCrab, goldylocks, Collector of Experiences

  • CoolCrab
  • goldylocks
  • Collector of Experiences

Published

October 22, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://app.livethe.world/activities/Frietmuseum
Frietmuseum
Vlamingstraat 33
Bruges
Belgium
51.211028, 3.224001
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Devil's Pants

Bruges, Belgium

miles away

Lumina Domestica

Bruges, Belgium

miles away

The Procession of the Holy Blood

Bruges, Belgium

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bruges

Bruges

Belgium

Places 13

Nearby Places

The Devil's Pants

Bruges, Belgium

miles away

Lumina Domestica

Bruges, Belgium

miles away

The Procession of the Holy Blood

Bruges, Belgium

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bruges

Bruges

Belgium

Places 13

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate Guide to the World's Food Museums

List

By Sam O'Brien

10 Places That Will Take You to Potato Paradise

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • O'Leary, Prince Edward Island

    Canadian Potato Museum

    This sprawling collection hides many charms.

  • The “Bakauke Inari” shrine.

    Niigata, Japan

    Niigata Rice Cracker Museum & Bakauke Inari

    This snack factory boasts several tributes to its popular line of rice crackers, including a quasi-shrine.

  • Giant Potato Sculpture

    Blackfoot, Idaho

    Idaho Potato Museum

    This museum glorifies the humble potato.

  • You may want to hold your nose.

    Loštice, Czechia

    Museum of Olomouc Cheese

    This entire museum is dedicated to a single smelly delicacy.

  • Learn about all aspects of the seltzer-making process.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

    Try an original egg cream at this museum located inside one of the last surviving old-fashioned seltzer factories in America.

  • The Hearn Potato House is located in rural Sussex County near Laurel, Delaware.

    Woodcrest Estates, Delaware

    Hearn Potato House

    An abandoned rural reminder of a time when the sweet potato crop was king in Delaware.

  • Scallion cyclists greet you at the entrance.

    Su'ao, Taiwan

    Sanshing Green Onion Culture Palace

    Eat green onion ice cream and other allium-centric treats at this unusual museum.

  • Brie has been made in this region for more than a thousand years.

    Meaux, France

    La Maison du Brie de Meaux

    Visit a museum dedicated to the “the king of cheeses.”

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.