When I first visited Bruges many years ago, it was as if I had stepped into the pages of a fairy tale, with the sound of horse-drawn carriages echoing off the well-preserved 12th-century city walls and cobblestone streets. But since then, it’s turned into a tourist trap. Every morning, swarms of cruise ship passengers and day-trippers descend on the little Belgian city. Many of the charming medieval buildings have been taken over by fast-food chains and tacky chocolate and tchotchke shops. Every local I spoke with lamented how much it had changed.

And yet, Bruges is still more splendid than spoiled — as long as you stay the night. When the hordes depart at the end of the day, the city reveals moments of quiet delight. A solo audience with Michelangelo’s “Madonna of Bruges,” the alabaster statue positively glowing in the late-afternoon sun. A twilight walk along a misty canal, watching swans glide across the glassy water. A convivial pub filled with locals, where the barkeep helped me choose from a list of hundreds of Belgian beers.

I’ve long recommended only two small hotels in Bruges, but on this last trip, I found a new hideaway to add to the list.