#1 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Bruges
West Flanders
~0.51 miles from Brugge city center
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#2 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Lace Center
West Flanders
~0.56 miles from Brugge city center
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#3 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig Bloed Basiliek)
West Flanders
~0.79 miles from Brugge city center
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#4 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Bruges Town Hall (Stadhuis)
West Flanders
~0.79 miles from Brugge city center
Hotels Close to Bruges Town Hall (Stadhuis)
The Stadhuis (town hall) in Brugge is the oldest in Belgium, built in the late 1300s, and is worth a stop to see the Gothic Room.
Admission is 2.50E, reduced to 1.50E with our hotel discount card, and included an audio guide in English (and several other languages) describing the various frescoes and celing ornamentation.
The exterior is covered with 49 replica statues, the bottom row is biblical figures and one lone knight, the top three rows feature rulers of Flanders up until the French period and Adam and Eve in a rather naughty pose. The original statues were taken down during the French Revolution and destroyed in 1792 in the public square, a 2nd set placed there in 1862 rapidly deteriorated so the statues you see are rather recent as the facade was only finished in 1989. When you tour the inside, they will give you a guide to some of the more notable statues on the exterior.
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#5 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Burg
West Flanders
~0.80 miles from Brugge city center
Hotels Close to Burg
Bruges is a city with two town squares. The largest one is the Market, the commercial heart of medieval Bruges. The second square is called the 'Burg'. Here was, and still is, the heart of the administrative Bruges.
It was here that Count Baldwin I had a fortified castle built to protect the area against the ramping Normans and Vikings. The castle has long since disappeared as well as the main religious building of Bruges, the St. Donatius church, which stood on the opposite site of the town hall. On the site of the church is now a little wall, a partial reconstruction of the choir walls of the church. It was built here after the foundations of St. Donatius had been found back in 1955. The church was erected around the year 900. The central part was octagonal, much like the cathedral of Charlemagne in the German city of Aachen on which it was modeled. The original prayer house of the year 900 was replaced in the 12th century by a church in Romanesque style. This version of the St. Donatius church was destroyed in 1799 during the French occupation of the Southern Netherlands. Some of the art treasures went to other churches (St. Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges). Several famous people were buried in St. Donatius : the English princess Gunhilde (+ 1087), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (+ 1441) and the Spanish philosopher Juan Luis Vives (+ 1540)
One of the most beautiful buildings of Bruges can be seen here : the gothic town hall from 1376. It was one of thefirst monumental town halls in the Low Countries. In the front facade are six gothic windows. On the frontside are also displayed the town weapons of the cities and villages that were under administrative rule from Bruges. There are 48 niches for statues. The original statues (biblical figures and counts of Flanders) where demolished during the aftermath of the French Revolution. Their 19th century replacements have also already been changed for more modern versions. In the entrance hall a large staircase leads to the so-called Gothic Hall (1386-1401). This hall was decorated in 1895 with neo-gothic wall paintings that illustrate the most important events in the history of Bruges.
The Burg square is really a showcase of different European architectural styles. Next to the gothic town hall stands the Old Civil Registry in renaissance style. (1534-1537). The decorative statues were also smashed to pieces in 1792, but later renovated. The bronze statues represent Justice, Moses and Aaron. Since 1883 the building is used as Peace Court. On its left side is another building in another style: the former Court of Justice in neo-classicist style. (1722-1727). Inside this building is the famous monumental chimney of the 'Brugse Vrije'. The chimney was built between 1528 and 1581 in wood, alabaster and marble, to commemorate the victory of Emperor Charles V on the French king François I in Pavia. The former Court of Justice now houses the Tourist Information center of Bruges.
Also the Baroque style is represented here. On the left side of the square is the Deanery (1662), the former house of the Deans of the St. Donatius church. It became later a part of the palace of the Bishop of Bruges.
Then, finally, tucked away in the corner of the square, next to the town hall, is the Basilius church and the Chapel of the Holy Blood.
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#6 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Bruges Market Square (Markt)
West Flanders
~0.81 miles from Brugge city center
Hotels Close to Bruges Market Square (Markt)
The central location of the Market square indicates that this was the medieval heart of the city. At least, the commercial medieval heart, because the center of the city administration was found on the nearby 'Burg' square.
The market place (Grote Markt) is free from traffic since October 1996. It has been completely refurbished and is now one of the most attractive parts of the city. The main monument is of course the belfry tower and the cloth hall. On the Northern side of the Market is the Provincial Court. It stands on the site were the medieval 'water halls' used to stand. This was a covered hall where the ships could unload their products for storage in the halls or for direct sale on the adjacent market. Right in the middle of the square the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck can be seen. The other sides of the market are occupied by restaurants and shops located in former private houses as well as in guild houses.
The Provincial court is the best example of how Bruges was renovated in neo-gothic style during the second half of the 19th century. After the destruction of the water halls in 1787 a new complex of houses was built there in classicist style. This style was considered very modern in a town that was basically built in late-gothic style. In 1850 the provincial government bought the complex, enlarged it and made it the seat of the provincial institutions. The members of the catholic and traditionalist political parties rejected the building as 'unfit for the beautiful gothic Bruges'. In 1878 a fire destroyed most of the building. Different groups took their chance to have it reconstructed in neo-gothic style, the 'house'-style of the catholic party. On the left side of the complex is now the house of the Governor of the Province of West-Flanders. The red brick building on the right side is the Post Office of Bruges.
In the center of the Market stands the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck. The statue not only honors these two leaders of the 'Battle of the Golden Spurs' which took place on the 11th of July 1302, it is perhaps more so a clear statement of the political leaders of the 1880's that the cause for Flemish emancipation was something that the Belgian government had to take notice of. Both Breydel and de Coninck participated in the 1302 uprising of the Flemish against the occupation by the French king, known as the Battle of the Golden Spurs'. This battle was also the central theme of the book 'De Leeuw van Vlaanderen' (the lion of Flanders) written by Hendrik Conscience in 1838. He romanticized the Flemish uprising and it became a symbol of the Flemish movement which fought for recognition of the Dutch language and Flemish culture in the French-language dominated Belgium of the 19th century.
Finally, on the Southern side of the Market several medieval-looking houses can be seen. They are not really medieval because a lot of them are modern reconstructions of the medieval styles. Some critics use these and other reconstructions (like the Provincial Government house or the Holy Blood Chapel) to bring down the image of Bruges as a fake. It is absolutely true that Bruges is as much a medieval city as a neo-gothic reconstruction from the 19th century. It is not difficult, however, to understand that buildings which are several centuries old always have to be renovated at certain times just for the sole purpose of keeping them in existence.
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#7 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Hall
West Flanders
~0.82 miles from Brugge city center
Hotels Close to City Hall
The City Hall of Bruges is located in the Burg Square close to the Bruges Tourist Office and the Basilica of Holy Blood. Tourists can visit the Gothic Chamber in the first floor which can be accessed through a staircase from the entrance. This along with the Historical Chamber contains a number of works of art, documents, paintings and murals which shows the grandeur of the city’s past. The ceiling and artwork in the Gothic Hall would delight any visitor. It is splendid.
The outside artwork of the building reminded me of the Town hall in Brussels. I thought maybe it is copied from the Brussels Town Hall. But it seems actually the Bruges (brugge) Town Hall is the predecessor.
Location of The City Hall/ Town Hall/ Stadhuis, Bruges:
Burg 12, 8000 Bruges (Brugge)
Timings: 9:30am – 5 pm (Mondays Closed)
The City Hall of Bruges dates back to 1376 – 1421. In 1376 Count Louis gave the order to demolish the existing edifice and replace it with a good City Hall. The City Hall was built under the supervision of Jan Roegiers and it was completed in 1421. It was one of the oldest of such buildings and later led to being imitated in Brussels, Ghent etc. This gorgeous building is evidence of the prosperity of the city in the 14th – 15th centuries. The façade of the building is highly detailed with images of Biblical and historical figures. The historical figures represent the rulers/counts/countesses of Flanders and a knight. These figures however have undergone repair and retouching over the centuries. Especially after the French Revolution when many of the original images were destroyed. Some of these original pieces are with various museums. The destroyed images were replaced by new and updated images. The latest changes were as recent as 1989. The roof and towers also have art work.
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#8 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Belfry Museum
West Flanders
~0.83 miles from Brugge city center
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#9 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Bruges Belfry (Belfort)
West Flanders
~0.84 miles from Brugge city center
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The belfry of Bruges, or Belfort, is a medieval bell tower in the historical center of Bruges, Belgium. One of the city's most prominent symbols, the belfry formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives, and served as an observation post for spotting fires and other danger. A narrow, steep staircase of 366 steps, accessible by the public for an entry fee, leads to the top of the 83-meter-high building, which leans about a meter to the east.
To the sides and back of the tower stands the former market hall, a rectangular building only 44 m broad but 84 m deep, with an inner courtyard. The belfry, accordingly, is also known as the Halletoren (tower of the halls).
The building is a central feature of the 2008 film In Bruges.
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#10 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Groenigemuseum
West Flanders
~0.97 miles from Brugge city center
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#11 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Gruuthuse Museum
West Flanders
~1.02 miles from Brugge city center
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#12 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Sint Salvador Cathedral
West Flanders
~1.07 miles from Brugge city center
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#13 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Church of Our Lady
West Flanders
~1.08 miles from Brugge city center
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The Church of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.
Its tower, at 122,3 meters in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world (the tallest being the St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Germany).
In the choir space behind the high altar are the tombs of Charles the Bold, last Valois Duke of Burgundy, and his daughter, the duchess Mary. The gilded bronze effigies of both father and daughter repose at full length on polished slabs of black stone. Both are crowned, and Charles is represented in full armor and wearing the decoration of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
The altarpiece of the large chapel in the southern aisle enshrines the most celebrated art treasure of the church—a white marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child created by Michelangelo around 1504. Probably meant originally for the Siena Cathedral, it was purchased in Italy by two Brugean merchants, the brothers Jan and Alexander Mouscron, and in 1514 donated to its present home. The sculpture was twice recovered after being looted by foreign occupiers—French revolutionaries circa 1794 and Nazi Germans in 1944.
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#14 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
St. Jans Hospitaal Hans Memling Museum
West Flanders
~1.14 miles from Brugge city center
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#15 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Begijnhof
West Flanders
~1.34 miles from Brugge city center
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Bruges is a wonderful place. It's immortalised in the opening sequence of Dorothy Dunnet's "Niccolo Rising" (which is what you get when a professional historian writes fiction). It was during the celebrations for the centenary of Guido Gezelle, and I owe the place a great debt because it was here that I first discovered the Begijns and the Begijnhof. It took until the end of 2004 for me to revisit the place armed with everything I?d learned in the intervening years. In the meantime we've visited the Begijnhoven at Lier, Dendermonde and Mechelen, which are written up already, as well as Diest and Leuven,
Bruges works hard at its old-world charm, and mostly succeeds. The canals and the old port lend the place a great character and the place is full of contrasts - the bustling Grote Markt, the wonderful parks and quiet back streets. Out of the centre to the north-east is the Balstraat area where Guido was a pastor, leading out to a series of windmills: although they're been relocated and heavily restored they're still a reminder of the time when they were needed to keep the canals wet and the fields dry. On the other edge of the old town, near the Minnewatter and approached over a canal bridge, is the Begijnhof, known as "De Wijngaard" (the Vineyard).
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#16 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Minnewater
West Flanders
~1.41 miles from Brugge city center
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#17 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Central Train Station Brugge
West Flanders
~1.61 miles from Brugge city center
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Brugge railway station is the main railway station in Bruges and one of the busiest railway stations in Belgium. Its NMBS/SNCB internal code is FR.
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#18 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Jan Breydel Stadium
West Flanders
~2.90 miles from Brugge city center
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#19 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
West Flanders
~13.29 miles from Brugge city center
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Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul), the main church of Ostend, Belgium is a Neo-Gothic church.
It is built on the ashes of a previous church that occupied the site. King Leopold II enthusiasly enterprised a plan to build a new and more magnificent church. Construction started at 1899 and was completed and consecrated on by Bishop Waffelaert on on August 31, 1908. Its stained glass windows were destroyed during the two World Wars and were replaced by stained glass by Michiel Martens. The church is 70 meters long and 30 meters wide. Its spires are 72 meters high.
The church was built in Neo-Gothic style according to plans by architect Louis de la Censerie who based his plans on the Gothic Cologne Cathedral and the Neo-Gothic Votivkirche in Vienna.
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#20 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Ostend Beach
West Flanders
~13.84 miles from Brugge city center
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#21 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Ostende
West Flanders
~13.87 miles from Brugge city center
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#22 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Vlissingen
Vlissingen
~21.36 miles from Brugge city center
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#23 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Renesse
Vlissingen
~21.36 miles from Brugge city center
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#24 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Institute of International Law
East Flanders
~24.12 miles from Brugge city center
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#25 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Ghent
East Flanders
~24.55 miles from Brugge city center
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#26 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Langemark German War Cemetery
West Flanders
~25.06 miles from Brugge city center
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#27 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
Tyne Cot Cemetery
West Flanders
~25.11 miles from Brugge city center
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#28 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Middelburg
Zeeland
~25.48 miles from Brugge city center
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#29 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Terneuzen
Terneuzen
~27.12 miles from Brugge city center
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#30 of 30 Things To Do in Brugge
City Centre Kortrijk
West Flanders
~27.27 miles from Brugge city center
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