ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Bruges is called : 'the Venice of the North'. This splendid medieval city is one of Belgium's crown jewels. In no other European city the feel and the look of medieval times are so present as here in this city close to the North Sea

Even if it's clear that Bruges is undeniably one of the loveliest cities in Europe, with the additional advantage of being so easily accessible to the visitor, there is a third excellent reason for planning a visit : Bruges is delightful both round the clock and round the calendar.

It's true that Bruges is subject to the phenomenon that exists everywhere in the world of tourism, namely the season. It has, of course, to do with the simple fact that most people go on holiday in the summer and, above all, with the concentration of events and manifestations in Bruges during this period. Bruges' best known events, almost without exception, take place in July and August.

Please remember that Bruges is much more than just a particularly attractive decor in which to walk around in short sleeves. It has a peculiar atmosphere of its own which can sometimes be called charming and at other times imposing.

Today's Bruges has a population of about 45.000 people (the old centre) or 120.000 people (centre together with the suburbs). These numbers clearly show that Bruges is not a tiny miniature city. It ranks, even today, among the important cities of Belgium. It is also the capital of the Belgian province of West-Flanders. A lot of people take day-trips from Brussels to Bruges, but there is to much to see here to fill only 1 day. The best way to visit Bruges is to spend at least one night in one of the many beautiful and cozy hotels. Later in the evening, when all the tourists have gone, Bruges finds back its charm and quiet of old times. When one is lucky with the weather, a stroll through the tiny medieval streets can be an enchanting experience.

This special dimension is also present in the summer months but not more than otherwise. On the contrary, on account of the cosmopolitan crowds. You are more likely to hear your own language than the Brugean dialect; unless you book early enough, you won't be able to relax your weary limbs in a romantic Brugean hotel bed; and you will find yourself sharing the Van Eycks and the terraces with James, Ulrich, Brigitte and Carmen, which can in itself have pleasant consequences.

Bruges is well worth visiting when the chestnuts are falling. In the autumn Bruges accumulates atmosphere, colour contrasts and authenticity, as no other city can. Look at that handsome classified gothic facade, beautifully adorned with geraniums, but also stop to admire the more prosaic little house beside it, where the neighbour has already placed a sober winter Erica on the window-sill. You don't have to have a poetic soul to recognize the beauty of the red ivy climbing up the stately walls of Our Lady's Church in November.

What's more, at this time of the year the landlord of the cafe, where you have gone for a drink, finds time for a chat with you, you don't have to push your way through crowds at the shop cash desk and you can easily park your car.

The same goes for the winter. Although it can be cold then, this is just the moment to discover how heart-warming Bruges can be. There is always a chance that you can discover Bruges on the frozen canals among the excited Brugean children and the skaters gliding towards Damme or back, with warmly dressed families, sometimes pushing prams on a bracing winter's walk. It's unbelievable how good a Flemish hotpot can taste beside the open fire in one of the many typical restaurants serving regional dishes, which you can find in Bruges, even below zero. Rediscover too the delights of a hotel which you not only use, but to which you come back, cold and wet, to a strong coffee-with-liqueur, a warm reception, and a cheering story about the even colder days gone by.

Or take the spring with its unpredictable sunshine that makes Bruges so picturesque, even though it's often quite fresh outside. This freshness can be found in everything. Waiters take the time to help you choose a drink and explain the menu to you.

The Minnewater, close to the station and an enormous coach park (where you can also park your car) which leads via a little bridge to the Minnewaterpark, and where there is also a sub-office of the Tourist Information Office, with a direct telephone line in case of absence, for example during the off-season.

The closest "monument" from here is the Beguinage, though the park and the Minnewater itself create a monumental first impression. Such a view is to be found only in postcards or miles away from the inhabited world. Stroll around the water, especially if there are two of you, for this romantic "lake of love" is reputed to have an positive influence on budding love affairs, and even to stimulate relationships of a dustier nature. Some people throw coins into the lake in the hope of speeding up matters, but it is not known if it helps.

You now enter the Beguinage through a handsome gate of more recent date than the close itself, which goes back to the 12th century. This inner garden with its spectacular trees is beautiful : the peacefulness will take your breath away. If you arrive just before noon, you should accept the invitation of the convent clock to go into the church where the Benedictine nuns, who have replaced the former Beguines, can be heard chanting prayers. Easter is the best time to be here, with the daffodils in full bloom.

Leaving the Beguinage you cross the Walplaats and head in the direction of Our Lady's Church, whose 117m. spire towers above the surrounding houses.

Before you go into Our Lady's Church to admire Michelangelo's beautiful Madonna and Child, you pass the centuries old St. John's Hospital, situated to the left and over the bridge in the Katelijnestraat. In the awe inspiring sick wards you cannot fail to be impressed by hospital life in previous centuries, but above all the finest works of Hans Memling, which are displayed in authentic surroundings.

More worldly sights await you on your way: the pump from which the horses are watered while the coachmen slake their thirst in a nearby cafe during their passengers' visit to the Beguinage; one of the two remaining active Brugean breweries in the Walplaats, which produces "Straffe Hendrik", and a remarkable metal sculpture on the Square itself. The narrow Stoofstraat owes its name to the "bath stoves" which once heated a kind of medieval sauna of dubious reputation.

Past the church and its shadow, you come to the Gruuthuse museum. Even if this stately house, a gem of civil gothic architecture, was completely empty, it would still be worth looking around. But it's far from being empty. You will find here a wealth of carpets, furniture, lace, weapons, coins, antiques and hundreds of other interesting exhibits.

It's also nice to approach the Gruuthuse from the other side of the church, via the backdoor, as it were. This brings you to the St. Bonifacius bridge, possibly the prettiest in Bruges, even though it was built in the 20th century. In so doing you come to the Arentshof park and the museum of the same name. Opposite this is the coach gallery. Through a gateway you reach the Groeninge museum with its magnificent survey of Flemish painting from the 15th century virtually to the present day. Names such as Hans Memling, Jan van Eyck, Petrus Christus, Gerard David and even Breugel and Hieronymus Bosch hang next to one another, and you quickly forget the gaps in the more recent works.

Now, we can walk along the Dyver in the direction of the Rozenhoedkaai. Strolling through the weekend antique and bric-ΰ-brac market on the Dyver, we come to the Huidenvettersplein, which a number of active painters have turned into a kind of "Brugean Place du Tertre".

Before approaching the Burg via the Blinde Ezelstraat, have a quick look at the Fish Market where, in the morning, the best produce of Zeebrugge is sold among the 126 columns of this impressive piece of 19th century architecture. The Burg itself is far from being 19th century and in fact reflects the styles of various centuries. In the right hand corner next to a fine example of successful 20th century architecture stands the 12th century Romanesque. This is one of the most well-known buildings of Bruges. The gothic City Hall of 1376 should also definitely be visited. On the first floor behind this lace-in-stone facade, is the incomparably beautiful Gothic Hall.

© Copyright 2000 - 2004  Eurotravelling.net  POWERED BY wORLDTRAVELGATE.NET