Brugges, Belgium

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When you visit the little town of Bruges, you are instantly transported back to the Middle Ages. Nicknamed "the Venice of the North," because of its continuous ring of Renoir-like canals, Bruges used to be one of the wealthiest cities of Europe. But unlike so many European cities that have had their hearts ripped out by war, Bruges has remained intact, and most of its glorious historic buildings are still standing. Bruges itself, is really one big fairy-tale attraction -- a mixture of pointy, gabled houses, meandering canals, magnificent squares, and narrow cobblestone streets. This quaint medieval city is beautiful whatever season you decide to visit it. It's a city you are going to fall in love with.

Sunset in Brugges Downloaded from Internet-Source unknown

Surrounded by canals so picture-postcard perfect it is impossible to take a bad photograph.

Where is Bruges? (pronounced broozh in French and English, and Brugge - broo-gha in Flemish/Dutch and used mostly by the citizens) )

Bruges, the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in Belgium, is located in the northwest corner of Belgium. It is about 8.5 miles from where your ship docks in Zeebrugge to Bruges. Bruges is 44km (27.3 miles) from Ghent to the southeast and 145 km (90.6 miles) from Brussels.

HISTORY - Bruges had it's golden age around 1300, when it became one of the most prosperous cities of Europe. In the 13th century, Bruges was an important international trading center. Traders from all over the world came to the city to sell their products to each other and to buy Flemish cloth, a internationally acclaimed textile product produced in the area.

The decline of Bruges' wealth started in the 15th century with the unstoppable silting up of the Zwin. Around 1500, when the Zwin channel blocked Bruges' access to the sea, Bruges began losing its economic strength to bigger harbor of Antwerp. People began to abandon the center leaving their buildings intact which helped to preserve its medieval features. They simply moved on, rather than upgrading, revitalizing, and remodeling as has been done in other historical cities.

Today Bruges is once again a thriving community with a population of 120,000 people, and the well preserved medieval center (one of the most beautiful in Europe) is a UNESCO world heritage site. And it certainly is a leading contender for the title of Europe's most romantic town.

LANGUAGE - Culturally, Belgium is split into two regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders to the north and French-speaking Wallonia in the south. Bruges is in Flanders, so you'll see and hear a lot of Dutch, but you'll also probably hear French and some German. Most people also speak English.

GOVERNMENT - The governing of the country is very much complicated by the particular structure with three language communities; Flanders (Flemish/Dutch) in the North, Wallonia (French) in the South, and a tiny German speaking region in the East. Thus, it becomes a multilingual, multicultural and multinational nation. The Belgian governing system might be described as highly self-organizing. The political system is based on discussion and compromise between different groups of interest, without a clear central control (the king has no real power, and the prime minister is mainly the person who is best suited for implementing the agreements).

City of Bruges - Medieval Bruges, encircled by a moat and city walls, and can be entered via four old gates Almost everything is within the circle of canals which follows the path of the old city walls. It only takes about 45 minutes to walk from one side of the city to the other (if you don't get lost in the maze of cobbled alleyways!). The main attraction of the 1.66 square mile city is its historic-city center, consisting of two squares, Markt and Burg. Here you'll find excellent examples of medieval architecture, as well as picturesque side streets, canals, and several beautiful old churches. You can climb to the top of the 83-meters high tower of Grote Markt for views of the city, visit some of the many museums in Bruges, or take a sightseeing tour boat around the canals.
It's fairly safe to walk in the city centre because the amount of traffic has been significantly reduced over the past few years. However, the numerous charming cobbled streets which may look pretty, can be uncomfortable to walk on if you are not wearing appropriate shoes. Also beware of bicycles. They are allowed to go very fast on the narrow one-way streets in the city centre in any direction!

CURRENCY - The currency in Belgium is the Euro.

WEATHER - Belgium enjoys a moderate climate. The port at Zeebrugge can be on the cool side with temperatures in the 60s, however the wind makes it feel somewhat cooler. The best time to visit Bruges is from May to October. Rain is also a possibility year around, so be sure to bring an umbrella just in case.

If you are on a cruise vacation to the Netherlands and one of your port stops is Zeebrugge, you will have to decide what excursion you want to participate in. (1) Bruge, the quaint romantic medieval city nearby, (2) Gent, or (3) the more cosmopolitan, Brussels, a larger historical city about 1.5 hours away (90 miles).On this trip, we decided on romantic Bruge.

Brugges, Belgium

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