In the new film In Bruges, released this week, two hitmen, played by Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson, are sent to Belgium to hide out after a botched job.

Much of the film's humour comes from the two hapless hitmen trying to fill the time without coming across as fish out of water, though the plethora of tourists in the old town of Bruges (Brugge in Flemish), a UNESCO World Heritage site, makes it easy to blend in if they can behave themselves.

Ken (Brendon Gleeson), the older gangster, embraces the gentle pace of the extraordinarily well preserved medieval city and sets about enjoying the canalside culture.

Colin Farrell's character, Ray, goes stir crazy hanging around their guesthouse in the day and yearning for fun at night, while their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) extols the virtues of Bruges on the phone before joining them later.

In Bruges

The story of two chalk-and-cheese hitmen, it is riddled with ridiculous twists, slapstick violence and barmy cameos

• Martin McDonagh and Colin Farrell on In Bruges

• In Bruges at Sundance

BACKGROUND

• To Belgium the green way

• Bruges: Not just a Northern Venice

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The film uses this chocolate box of a city as a backdrop, inspiring a visit to enjoy the architecture, art and museums by day, followed by a search for nightlife, mussels and beer by night.

We arrived off the Eurostar at 9.30pm, and on the 15-minute walk to our B&B you could hear a pin drop - there was hardly a car or person about, last orders had been called at the neighbourhood restaurants that we passed and houses were still and shuttered. It seemed that we, too, would struggle to find the fun that Ray was after.

The B&B Bonifacius was our first port of call, a wonderful 3-bedroom luxury property. Overlooking the Bonifacius Bridge, the Welcome Church of our Lady and the courtyard at the rear of the Gruuthouse palace, there could hardly be a better location in the whole of the city.

The building dates back to the 16th century, but, like many buildings in the city that retain their medieval charm, has been restored on more than one occasion, namely its beautiful wooden gable jutting out over the canal.

Used by the cast used during filming, Colin Farrell took the medieval-themed room and master suite looking over the canal, Brendon Gleeson shacked up in the Guinevere suite with early Flemish art reproductions on the walls, and we had Ralph Fiennes's room - a lovely, light, pastel-coloured affair with massive bath and walk in shower along with its own sitting room.

There are superb, silent night-time views from the terrace, sunk into the roof with a wall that afforded the stars some privacy away from tourists and tabloids.

The lounge/breakfast room acted as the 'green room' for the crew during production. Here we were served breakfast in the window alcove, with personal touches by owner Lyne Vanhaeke, who has living quarters in the B&B and also helps at her family's boutique hotel The Pand.

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