Capital of the Belgian province of West Flanders , Bruges is
a lovely medieval city. Aptly nicknamed ‘Venice of the North’ for
its beauty and romantic network of canals and bridges, the city
has remained basically unchanged since the latter part of the Middle
Ages. The city was an important trading centre in the thirteenth
century, attracting traders from afar to sell their wares and purchase
Flemish cloths.
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Vikings discovered and settled in Bruges in the ninth century.
Because of its proximity to the North Sea , Bruges became a major
harbour. A wall was eventually built to protect the city. Bruges
lost its importance as a trading centre by the fifteenth century,
partly because of the silting up of vital waterways, and also because
it had become more popular to transport goods over land. Another
factor was that the larger port of Antwerp had taken over in prominence.
The decline continued and by the end of the sixteenth century Bruges
had become one of the least prosperous cities in Belgium.
Bruges has had a revival, however, in the busy tourist trade,
attracting visitors from all over the world who marvel at its unspoilt
beauty with its cobbled streets and canals with picturesque bridges.
Additionally, the harbour of Zeebrugge, just a few miles away,
helped to revive the area.
Bruges is a place that has many lovely Gothic churches and buildings.
It also has the Flemish art school which produced many famous Flemish
painters.
As much of the city is for pedestrians only, the city is perfect
for leisurely strolls with stops at the many cafes and restaurants
to sample the local cuisine. There are a variety of ways to see
Bruges other than by foot. There are canal-boat trips, horse-drawn
carriages, as well as scooters and bicycles for hire.
Apart from exploring the delightful pedestrian streets, sampling
Belgian beers and admiring the medieval architecture, there are
several museums to visit as well as galleries with wonderful works
by Flemish painters. For shoppers there are plenty of interesting
shops selling all manner of crafts, including Bruges lace and tapestries.
For chocolate lovers, Bruges will not fail to please with its
Chocolate Museum and tours where you can observe chocolate being
made.
The Church of Our Lady in Bruges contains a marble sculpture
of the Madonna with Child (Pieta) by Michelangelo.
The Eurostar is one way to get to Bruges and is a wonderful way
to have a mini-break back in time to another world where time stands
still. |
