The charming little Flemish town of Damme lies about 7km/4mi northeast of Bruges. Up until the silting of the Zwin inlet it served as the customs point and outer port of Bruges, in which capacity it enjoyed great importance and prosperity. Its heyday only lasted about 200 years but several significant buildings still remain from this period which give the town a contented atmosphere and have kept the image of a medieval Flemish town alive. In addition its highly-praised and excellent restaurants make Damme a popular destination for many gourmets.
In the second half of the 13th C. the "Vader der Dietsche Dichters" (Father of Dutch poets) Jacob van Maerlant lived in Damme where he wrote his most significant works.
However, the town was immortalized as the home town of Thyl Ullenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak, the famous characters in the novel by Charles De Coster.
About 850 years ago, when the Zwin, a wide inlet, penetrated far into the coastal plain, Bruges began to gain importance as a port. A terminal dike was built up at the end of the Zwin on which a small town, which is now Damme, developed. It became the outer port of Bruges and received its town charter in 1180 but was burnt down in 1213 together with its fleet of 400 ships by the troops of the French king. Undeterred the citizens of Damme set about rebuilding so that it retained its function as port and commercial center with important nations and trading companies being represented here until the beginning of the 15th C.; in its heyday Damme was the chief trade center and the most important market in Europe for Swedish herring.
Silting up of Bruges harbor was already noticeable by the end of the 13th C., finally reaching the harbor basin at Damme. A final high point before its eventual decline was the marriage of Charles the Bold with Margaretha of York.
In 1846 work commenced on the branch canal for the Leie (Afleidingkanaal van de Leie), also known as Schipdonkkanaal. It leads north of Damme in a northwest direction to Zeebrugge.
Road 374 crosses the canal at Oostkerke where there is a small guest house with a terrace. The two straight courses of the canal flowing past with the apparently endless rows of poplars provide a wonderful scene of peace and tranquillity.
To the right of the town hall stands the "De Grote Sterre" (Great Star) House, a 15th C. patrician's house and later seat of the Spanish governor. It is at present undergoing refurbishment so that the Ullenspiegel Museum inside is also at present not accessible.
The central point of Damme is the Grote Markt surrounded by some interesting buildings. A monument to Jacob van Maerlant stands in the center of the square.
In the Burgstraat the Museum Delporte was opened in 1990 in the pretty whitewashed old schoolhouse. Modern paintings and sculptures by the Belgian artist Charles Delporte are on display.
Charles Deporte is both painter and sculptor, known primarily for his portraits. He uses a variety of material in his work. Typical of his sculpture are heads looking into the light.
Not far from the Grote Markt in the Kerkstraat, Damme's main street, is the Sint-Janshospitaal.
It was founded in 1249 by Margaretha of Constantinople and has been a home for the elderly since the 19th C. Part of it, however, serves as a museum with exhibitions of paintings, enamel, silver and books from the monastery library.
Hours:
April 1 to September 30: 11am-12pm, 2pm-4:30pm; Sun:11am-12pm, 2pm-6pm; Mon:11am-12pm, 2pm-4:30pm; Fri:11am-12pm, 2pm-4:30pm; Sat:11am-12pm, 2pm-6pm
Tips: Open public holidays Apr to Oct with the same hours as on Sunday.
The magnificent Gothic town hall (Stadhuis) built by Gottfried von Bosschere in 1464-1468 has six statues of Flemish counts and countesses decorating its facade: Philip of Alsace, Johanna and Margaretha of Constantinople, Philipp of Thiette, Charles the Bold and Margaretha of York. The entrance loggia was added in 1860. The interior houses original doorways carved with historic scenes.
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Damme
