Travel - Bruges: Picturesque medieval city

  • Published
  • By Dane
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
BRUGES, Belgium --  Bruges is the capitol of West Flanders and is one of Europe's best preserved medieval cities. Bruges has a turbulent past of flourish and decline, tax wars between citizens and royalty and the silting up of the Zwin River, which cut it off from the open seas closing up its major trade routes. Yet through it all - it has remained the picturesque medieval city with a cosmopolitan flare.
Bruges is situated inland approximately 20 miles from the North Sea on the N31 or the A10/E40 from Brussels, and has been called the "Venice of the North" along with many other canal cities, such as Stockholm and Amsterdam.
Winding my way through the throngs of humanity, I headed to the one place I had waited 40 years to return, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk or Church of Our Lady. I had simply fallen in love with a statue. Housed in this magnificent edifice is the only Michelangelo statue that left Italy during his lifetime. The statue of Madonna and Child was originally commissioned by the cathedral of Siena, Italy. Upon completion, the cathedral had no money to pay the renowned sculptor. Subsequently, it was purchased by a wealthy Bruges merchant. It has remained in the church since that time.
You can buy Kant - the fine lace of Bruges virtually anywhere in the city. For those of you especially interested in lace, there is the Kantcentrum, or lace center at 3a Peperstraat where you can buy lace and watch the craft being practiced and learned.
Across Katelijnestraat, housed in the former 13th century St. Janshospitaal is the Memlingmuseum. The museum contains one of the seven most important art treasures in Belgium - Hans Memling's shrine of St. Ursula on which he depicted six scenes from the life of the Saint. One of the major players on the art scene was Jan Van Eyck who is featured strongly at the Groeningemusuem. During his stay in Bruges van Eyck worked on the Ghent Altarpiece - the Adoration of the Holy Lamb.
There is no better way to see the city than taking a canal boat tour. It gives you a good overview of the historic center - and from there you can meander along the canals at your leisure going back later to the places that appealed to you on the tour.
Much of Bruges wealth stemmed from the production of fabric and trade. The medieval Cloth Hall located right by the Markt off Steenstraat is where the merchants of Bruges used to store their textiles. Next door is the Belfort en Hallen, which is a bell tower and provides an excellent view of the city. This landmark is 300-foot high with 366 steps, and by no means an easy task to climb. However, the views and photographic opportunities make it worth the effort.
Once you've whet your appetite after the long climb - head down the narrow Blinde-Ezelstraat, which will take you to the fish market. If you like seafood, there are few restaurants that serve succulent lobster stew. If you are not into seafood, continue heading to Huidenvettersplein, which is home to many great eating establishments in the city.
After you've leisurely loaded up on calories, walk your way over to the ring road on the inside and head to the Kruispoort where there are wonderful old windmills rising above the Krisvest. As you drive out of the city, take the ring road around on the outside and look at the four surviving 15th century medieval city gates - Gentpoort, Kruispoort, Ezelpoort and Smedepoort.
Time your visit for the end of April or the first part of May when the blossoming tulips bring forth magnificent displays of color everywhere.