Bruges - Heren van Gruuthuse

On the left at the far end of the Dijver stands an attractive ensemble of 15th C. buildings comprising what was once the mansion of the "Heren van Gruuthuse". Here in 1471 the fugitive English king Edward IV took shelter. The original "heren" were not noblemen at all but merchants with a monopoly on the trade in "gruut", the dried herbs. In summer the charming courtyard with its vine covered colonnades and neighboring Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk for a backcloth, becomes the venue for an atmospheric son-et-lumière show. The courtyard can also be reached direct from the Groeninge Museum by first crossing Arentspark and then the picturesque Bonifatiusbrug, beside which can be seen a bust of Juan Luis Vivés, the Spanish humanist.