Bruges - Townscape

With its wealth of interesting old buildings and its canals Bruges still retains a medieval air, more so perhaps than anywhere else in Belgium. Anyone taking a walk through the narrow streets or a boat trip on the canals falls immediately under its spell, charmed by the atmosphere of what is for many the most delightful of all the cities of Flanders. This together with its remarkable state of preservation makes Bruges a tourist destination almost without rival in Europe.

The style of the medieval brick houses is thoroughly distinctive. Above many of the windows are recessed shallow arches, and the windows themselves are often found bracketed together by a continuous cill running the length of the frontage. Equally distinctive of Bruges are the godshuizen, almshouses for the elderly and infirm paid for by the guilds or in some cases prosperous burghers. Most are groups of whitewashed brick houses with a communal entrance gate and janitor's window. Examples can be seen in e.g. Gloeribusstraat, Moerstraat, Zwarte Leertouwersstraat, Sint-Katelijnstraat and Nieuwe Gentweg.

The Folklore Museum, the Kant Centre (Lace Centre) and the Pelicaanhuis are also former godshuizen.

The loveliness of Bruges today is the result of a massive program of restoration. The first and most pressing problem was to deal with the sewage and other effluent which flowed untreated into the canals, creating a smell obnoxious enough to spoil any stay.

Thanks to the construction of a proper sewage system and efficient purification plant the canals are now clean and free of smell. The task of saving the houses from crumbling into ruin also called for radical measures. Most of the 8,000 buildings in the city center were taken into civic ownership, responsibility for their restoration being placed on the shoulders of the municipal authorities. Few houses now remain in private hands, the vast majority being leased to their occupants.

Because the center of Bruges is comparatively small, even those with only a day to spend looking around can expect to take away a good idea of all the major sights. Essential viewing includes the Markt with the Belfry, the Burg and Stadhuis, Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk, the Memling Museum, the picturesque Minnewater, and the Béguinage. A trip on the grachten is a never-to- be-forgotten experience.

Having two days available for sightseeing allows the pleasures of the city to be complemented by those of its museums, with visits to, for example, the Gruuthusemuseum, the Groeninge Museum, the Chapel of the Holy Blood, or any of several more.