See The Museum Dedicated To Fries And Potatoes In Belgium

See The Museum Dedicated To Fries And Potatoes In Belgium 

The museum  is said to be founded in 2008 by Eddy Van Belle, who had previously opened two other museums in Bruges, both based in one building: Choco-Story, which is dedicated to Belgium's chocolate industry, and Lumina Domestica, which houses Van Belle's 6,500-piece collection of lamps.

Inspired by the popularity of Choco-Story, Van Belle had researched the possibility of a museum dedicated to fries, and was encouraged to open the Frietmuseum after discovering that no similar museum existed elsewhere.

The Frietmuseum is located in the Gothic Saaihalle at Vlamingstraat 33 and is one of the oldest buildings in the World Heritage listed historic center of Bruges and dates back to 1399, with an annex added shortly afterwards.

According to history, throughout the fifteenth century, this building was used as a base for the activities of Genoese merchants. Prior to the museum's opening, it underwent a year and a half of renovation work, including restoration of the façade. During this work, no structural changes were made to the interior of the building.

The museum is spread across three floors. Exhibits on the ground floor trace the history of potatoes, beginning in Peru 8000BC. The first floor details the history of fries, and their origins in Belgium. The basement of the building houses a cafe. Exhibits include photographs, artwork, historical potato peelers and chip-making machines, and a video outlining how to make perfect fries.