Key information
All the important information you should know about Civitates Forum
Agenda
Monday, 9 March – Welcome Day
Evening: Welcoming grantee partners with an informal networking dinner and drinks, setting the tone for an open, participatory gathering. ​
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Tuesday, 10 March – All-Grantee Day
'Connect, Share, Inspire!' A full day of exchange and peer learning for grantee partners, co-designed with participants to reflect shared priorities. An opportunity to meet, connect, share, learn from and inspire each other.
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Evening: Joint sit-down grantee–foundation partners dinner to strengthen cross-sector connections and community.
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Wednesday, 11 March – Foresight Day
‘Reimagine European Democracy’. What will European Democracy look like in the next 10 or 20 years? What challenges and opportunities lie ahead, and what can we do to defend and strengthen our democracies? A foresight exercise with Civitates grantee and foundation partners led by the foresight teams of Mercator Switzerland and the Robert Bosch Foundation, exploring long-term democratic scenarios and shared strategic pathways.
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Evening: Free evening with recommendations for informal networking around Bruges.
Thursday, 12 March – General Assembly
The Forum concludes with the first General Assembly of 2026. The Civitates Foundation partners will reflect on the insights gained during the foresight exercise with grantee partners and their implications on the Civitates strategy.​
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Please note: this page will be regularly updated as the event takes shape. ​
Venue & hotels
Conference venue
Concertgebouw Brugge
’t Zand 34, 8000 Bruges
Belgium
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Hotel for grantee partners
GRAND HOTEL CASSELBERGH
Hoogstraat 6, 8000 Brugge
BELGIUM
Hotels for foundation partners
Le Bois de Bruges****
NH Brugge****
Hotel Portinari****
Radisson Blu Brugge****
Dukes’ Academie****
Novotel Brugge Centrum****
Grand Hotel Casselbergh****
Hotel Navarra****
Boutique Hotel Sablon****
Hotel Dukes’ Palace*****+
Hotel De Tuilerieën*****
Travel
​By Air:
Bruges has 3 major airports: Brussels International Airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, and Ostend–Bruges International Airport (OST).
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From Ostend–Bruges International Airport:
The closest airport to the city centre is Ostend–Bruges International Airport, which is located just 25 km (16 mi) from the city center. The airport offers a quick and easy route to Bruges
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From Brussels International airport:
To get to Bruges by train from Brussels Airport, you must take a train from the airport station to either Bruxelles-Midi (or Bruxelles-Central) and then transfer to another train heading to Bruges. The entire journey takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
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From Brussels South Charleroi airport:
To get to Bruges from Brussels South Charleroi airport you can get a bus to Brussels to Brussels Midi, then transfer to another train heading to Bruges. The entire journey takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The most efficient public transport option is to take a Flibco bus directly to Bruges, which takes about 2 hours. Buses depart every two hours from the airport.
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By train from Brussels city:
The average journey time from Brussels Central to Bruges (Brugge) by train is 1 hour 7 minutes, although on the fastest services it can take just 1 hour. Direct trains are usually available every day on the route to Bruges (Brugge)
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PLEASE NOTE: cost of travel (for grantees) will be reimbursed by Civitates.