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Welcome to the World Heritage City of Bruges

In this guide you will discover, experience and enjoy Bruges in all its many different facets. There are five separate chapters. In chapter 1, you will learn everything you need to know to prepare for your visit to Bruges. There is a list of the ten ‘mustsee’ sights, a brief summary of the city’s rich past, a list of the best restaurants, useful tips for fun souvenirs and a mass of practical information, including details of the different options for getting around Bruges and a clear explanation about how best to use the ‘Bruges City Card’. This card will allow you to visit many of Bruges’ most important sites of interest for free or at a significantly reduced price. The three inspiring walking routes included in chapter 2 will take you to all the most beautiful spots in town. The detailed map of the city – which you can simply fold out of the back cover of this guide – will make sure that you don’t lose your way. The map also shows the licensed places to stay in Bruges, offering a range of accommodation options that runs from charming guest rooms and holiday homes right through to star-rated hotels.

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Chapter 3 tells you all about the cultural life of Bruges: a summary of annual events and a full overview of the city’s museums, sites of interest, and all its historic, cultural and religious buildings. Bruges’ beautiful squares and enchanting canals are the regular backdrop for topclass cultural events. And few cities have such a rich and diverse variety of museums, which contain gems dating from the Flemish Primitives of medieval times to the finest modern art of today. Put simply, Bruges is always an experience – whether your interest is art, chocolate, diamonds or chips! In Bruges you can dine at a different star-rated restaurant each day, or perhaps you would prefer lunch at a trendy bistro before wandering through the winding cobbled streets of the city? As far as food and drink is concerned, in Bruges you can find the best of all worlds. For centuries the local people have known all the best places to go. These are the places, full of charm and character, which you can read about in chapter 4. Five ‘new arrivals’ to the city will also tell you about their favourite places. If you are staying a bit longer in the region, you may want to explore beyond the city boundaries. Chapter 5 suggests a number of excursions to the Bruges Wet’ and Woodland, the coast and the Westhoek. The choice is yours!

FOREWORD

There are places that somehow manage to get under your skin or work their way into your heart, even though you don’t really know them all that well. Bruges is that kind of place. A warm and friendly place, a place made for people. A city whose history made it great, resulting in a well-deserved classification as a Unesco World Heritage site.

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The highlights of Bruges

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BRUGES

Rozenhoedkaai: a living picture postcard

The Rozenhoedkaai links the Belfry to the city’s network of canals (‘reien’). So perhaps it was inevitable that the quay should become one of the most photogenic locations in all of Bruges. In fact, this spot is so special that it is almost impossible not to take a photograph: a living postcard that you can be a part of!

A quiet moment in the Beguinage Some places are so beautiful that you will have no choice but to feel awe. The Beguinage is such a beauty spot. When you amble through its quiet inner court, its purity will leave you speechless. Therefore take your time and while away along the romantic Minnewater, where you will fully enjoy the age-old view. (Also see page 76)

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Burg and City Hall: medieval opulence The Burg is one of the city’s most beautiful squares. For more than six centuries, Bruges has been governed from its 14th-century City Hall, one of the oldest and most venerable in the Low Countries. All this time this remarkable historic building has dominated this majestic square. Nowhere else will you be able to experience the city’s wealth and affluence so strongly. (Also see page 89) 23

The Flemish Primitives: world famous art from Bruges Admire the unique and world-famous collection of pictures by the Flemish Primitives in the very city where they were painted. Or do you prefer the groundbreaking contemporary art scene, or perhaps poignant and romantic folklore or majestic town palaces? The Bruges Museums will happily serve all your needs. (Also see pages 81-82, 87)

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BRUGES

Wandering through the old Hansa Quarter From the 13th to the 15th century, Bruges was an important trading centre at the crossroads between the Hansa cities of Scandinavia, England and Germany (known collectively in those days as the ‘Easterners’) and the most important commercial regions in France, Spain and Italy. The Spanish traders established themselves at Spaanse Loskaai (Spanish Unloading Quay), while the Easterners set up shops on the Oosterlingenplein (Easterners’ Square). Places where you can still 4 sometimes feel the atmosphere of days long gone by.

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Bruges may be, quite rightly, very proud of her World Heritage status, but the city is happily embracing the future too! This walk takes you along world-famous panoramic views, sky-high monuments and centuries-old squares invigorated by contemporary constructions. One foot planted in the Middle Ages, the other one firmly planted in the present. This walk is an absolute must for first-time visitors who would like to explore the very heart of the city straight away. Keep your camera at the ready!

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B R U G E S M U S E U M S A N D P L AC E S O F I N T E R E S T

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Bruges museums and places of interest

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Some places are so special, so breathtaking or so unique that you simply have to see them. Bruges is filled to the brim with wonderful witnesses of a prosperous past. Although the Flemish Primitives are undoubtedly Bruges’ showpiece attraction, museum devotees in search of much more will not be disappointed. Indeed, the Bruges range of attractions is truly magnificent. From modern plastic art by way of Michelangelo’s world-famous Madonna and Child to a sumptuous Burgundian palace. It’s all there for you to discover!

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This museum presents the unwritten history of Bruges. Its motto: feel your past beneath your feet. Discover the history of the city through different kinds of search and hands-on activities. A fascinating mix of archaeological finds, riddles, replicas and reconstructions shed light on daily life in times gone by, from the home to the workplace and from birth till death. OPENING TIMES > Tuesday to Sunday, 9.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m.5.00 p.m.; last admission: 12.00 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. (open on Easter Monday and Whit Monday) ADDITIONAL CLOSING DATES >

1/1, 29/5 (afternoon) and 25/12 PRICE > € 4.00; 65+ and youngsters aged 12 to 25: € 3.00; children under 12: free; Brugge City Card: free INFORMATION > Mariastraat 36A, www.museabrugge.be CITY CARD

02 Arentshuis

In this elegant 18th-century town house with its picturesque garden the work of the versatile British artist Frank Brangwyn (1867-1956) is on display on the top floor. Brangwyn was both a graphic artist and a painter, as well as a designer of carpets, furniture and ceramics. The ground floor is the setting for temporary plastic art exhibitions. OPENING TIMES > Tuesday to Sunday, 9.30 a.m.-5.00 p.m.; last admission: 4.30 p.m. (open on Easter Monday and Whit Monday)

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ADDITIONAL CLOSING DATES >

1/1, 29/5 (afternoon) and 25/12 PRICE > € 4.00; 65+and youngsters aged 12 to 25: € 3.00; children under 12: free; Brugge City Card: free; combination ticket with Groeninge Museum possible (see page 82) INFORMATION > Dijver 16, www.museabrugge.be CITY CARD

Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed (Basilica of the Holy Blood) This double chapel consists of the Romanesque Basilica of Saint Basil (11391149) on the ground floor and the Basilica on the first floor, rebuilt in Gothic revival style in the 19th century. The Relic of the Holy Blood is kept in the Basilica.

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01 Archeologiemuseum (Archaeological Museum) CITY CARD

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Working with the best view over Bruges, World Heritage City Baroque in the air Frank Deleu, mad about music, knew how to make use of his passion. He is Bruges’ carilloneur and he was a producer at Klara, the classical radio broadcasting station. As he is also an enthusiastic bon vivant who likes to wander through the city and her glorious past, it is abundantly clear that he is a unique personality who knows everything about Bruges’ immaterial heritage and the history of her most famous tower.

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Name: Frank Deleu Nationality: Belgian Date of birth: 23 August 1952 Lives in Bruges since 1984. The city’s carilloneur, the man with the loftiest place of work in the historic city centre. 101

Frank Deleu looks down on Bruges; literally, that is. At least three times a week, the city’s carilloneur climbs the three hundred and sixty-six steps of the belfry to reach his place of work. A long, ‘uphill’ walk that takes him eight minutes (providing visitors don’t hold him up) and eventually brings him to his unique percussion instrument. The 47 bells date mainly from the 18th century and have recently been restored. But in spite of his lonely place of work, the city bell-ringer is anything but a loner. ‘It’s just part and parcel of my job to play an instrument high and dry above the crowds. I don’t do it for the applause, of course, I wouldn’t hear it anyway. It’s more of a passion that has grown on me.’ This iconic building – in medieval Flanders the belfries were regarded as a symbol of civic liberty – may have lost its original function of telling local people the time, but the carillon remains immensely popular with natives and visi-

tors alike. In summer the evening recitals attract large crowds to the belfry’s courtyard. Others prefer to listen to the sound of the bells at their own favourite spots in the city. The narrow Breidelstraat is one such spot, with its nearperfect acoustics, while listeners on the Burg also sitting on the front row, musically speaking! Many writers have also sung the praises of the carillon of Bruges. Some of them were world-famous, such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Charles Baudelaire and Jules Verne. Le carilloneur de Bruges even inspired three operas. And during the mid-19th century many English visitors came especially to Bruges, then the poorest city in the country, just to listen to the bells.

‘Klankentoren’

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IDENTIKIT

Each day Frank Deleu is filled with admiration for the beauty that Bruges has managed to preserve, the concentra-

’Not only has Bruges been perfectly preserved in time, the streets are also kept very tidy.’

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Bruges’ wet- and woodlands Lissewege

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Time in Lissewege seems to move just that tad slower. With its picturesque canal, whitewashed polder houses and extensive fields and meadows this polder village is a classic example of how every Flemish village once looked: lively, charming and a touch nostalgic.

Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Bezoekingskerk (Our Lady of the Visitation Church) Lissewege This impressive brick church was erected in an early Gothic style in the 13th century. The remarkable interior counts amongst its treasures a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary (1625), a striking organ-case and an equally stunning rood loft and pulpit (1652). A truly great attraction is the monumental church

tower. The top offers a magnificent panoramic view of the polders. OPENING TIMES > Church: daily, 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.; during the period 1/6 until 30/9, 9.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m. Tower: during the period 1/7 until 31/8, daily, 2.30 p.m. - 5.30 p.m. PRICE > Church: free; tower: € 1.00; children under 12: € 0.50 INFORMATION > ‘Onder de Toren’, Lissewege, tel. +32 (0)50 54 45 44 (church), +32 (0)487 49 92 14 (tower), www.lissewege.be; public transport: train Bruges-Zeebrugge

Bezoekerscentrum Lissewege (Visitor Centre) Lissewege The visitor centre traces the one thousand-year-old history of this white village by way of unique photos, maps,

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models, paintings and a collection of archaeological finds from the erstwhile Cistercian Abbey of Ter Doest. At the ‘Heiligenmuseum’ (Museum of Saints) a unique collection of over 120 antique statues of patron saints is on display. OPENING TIMES > During the Easter holidays (5/4 to 21/4) and during the period 15/6 to15/9: daily, 2.00 p.m.-5.30 p.m.; Whit weekend and Ascension weekend, 20/9, 21/9, 27/9 and 28/9, 2.00 p.m.-5.30 p.m. PRICE > Museum of Saints: € 1.50; museum + coffee/tea: € 3.00; children under 12: € 1.00 INFORMATION > Oude Pastoriestraat 5, Lissewege, tel. +32 (0)50 55 29 55, www. lissewege. be; public transport: train Bruges-Zeebrugge

Abdijschuur Ter Doest (Abbey Barn) Lissewege The commanding early Gothic abbey barn (13th century) of this former 12th century Cistercian abbey was completely restored early 2000. The dovecote (1651) and monumental gatehouse (1662) have also withstood the ravages of time brilliantly. OPENING TIMES > Daily 10.00 a.m.5.00 p.m. PRICE > Free INFORMATION > Ter Doeststraat 4, Lissewege, www.lissewege.be; public transport: train Bruges-Zeebrugge, from Lissewege station it is a 15-20 minute walk to the barn

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Boudewijn Seapark Bruges CITY CARD

Welcome to this fun-packed family amusement park, with numerous attractions and animal spectaculars. In the recently renovated dolphinarium, the park’s famous dolphins steal the show with their amazing leaps during the Dolphin Bay Adventure. In the sea lion theatre Captain Zeppo and sea lion Robby

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