BRUGES

41 km west of exit Gent (north: exit the A14 after Antwerp and drive westward on roads 49 and 9 to Bruges; south: exit the A14 at Aalbek and drive northward on A17 to Bruges) /42 km/

Bruges, one of the most well preserved medieval cities in Europe is indeed worth a detour. There are not many other towns that can compete in homogeneity, charm and beauty with this city.

There are two reasons why Bruges does not strictly qualify for a mention here: the first is the large size of the town; the second its long distance from the motorway. But Bruges is a delightful experience and the access to it is actually rather quick and easy. From the motorway exits you drive on to some other motorways which will take you more or less straight into the town itself – well, underneath it, to be precise: it has a gigantic underground parking house. Take the lift up and, hey presto, you’ll find yourself right in the centre of Bruges! You are in a time warp, transported back to the 15th century, the era when Bruges stood at its peak, but also fell into its Sleeping Beauty slumber, which lasted for many centuries. And the very fact that Bruges fell into oblivion for such a long time is precisely what enables us to experience a town that seems taken straight out of a history book.

Historical retrospect

According to legend, this is how it all began: the beautiful princess Judith, daughter of Charles the Baldhead, was abducted from a nunnery in Senlis by a man called Baldwin Ironarm. Needless to say, Judith’s father was furious but, as a precautionary measure against invading Vikings, he granted Baldwin a district in northern Gaul in what today is Flanders. There Baldwin had a strong fortress built in 865, strategically placed by the river Reie with direct access to the North Sea via the arm of the sea, Zwijn. An old Roman bridge, “brug” in Flemish, already on the site, may have given this place its name – unless the Viking word for jetty, “bryggja”, had some influence in naming the town?

A key role among Hanseatic towns

Around the fortress and bridge a thriving town soon grew with a harbour and market square where Baldwin, now made count of Flanders, and his successors encouraged trade and seafaring. In the 13th century Bruges had reached a prime position among the trading cities of Europe and during the following centuries it played a key role in the Hanseatic League. Economic relations were established with the neighbouring countries Germany, England and France but also with more distant lands such as Italy, Russia and Persia. No fewer than 17 nations were represented in the city and hundreds of ships were anchored in the harbour, laden with goods from all parts of the world known to man back then. But the main trade was in wool imported from England, prepared and woven by the skilful Flemish weavers.

Luxury and wealth

The merchants of Bruges steadily got wealthier, and the wives of the burghers were strikingly elegant. So much so that the French queen Joanne, during a visit to the town in 1301, exclaimed: “I thought I was the only queen, but here I see hundreds all around me!” This grandeur vexed not only the queen but also the many workmen of the town. We must not forget that Flanders was a French vassal state, where the nobility favoured French dominion while the ordinary people wanted to cast off this yoke. Thus, a year later, a terrible massacre was perpetrated on all (notably the aristocracy and French soldiers) who could not pronounce the words “schild en vriend” (shield and friend) correctly. This, together with defeat in the battle of the Golden Spurs was the turning point. The rich merchants and noblemen started to loose control over the trade and the craftsmen’s guilds gained more and more power.

The origin town of the bourse

As trade was accelerating a need for a currency exchange soon arose and the cunning innkeeper Joris van der Beurze realised this. While plying his merchant customers with food and drink, he also served them titbits of the “banking favours” of the day. Proud Bruges citizens claim that this resulted in the world’s first raw material and currency exchange and that today’s French word “bourse” for stock exchange can be traced back to the name Beurze. This may be true – but one might also point out that the Latin word for wallet or purse, “bursa”, bears a striking similarity to “bourse”.

Rise and decline

At the end of the 14th century Bruges was incorporated into the realm of Burgundy through marriage and the town prospered as never before. Its cultural zenith was during the long reign of Philippe the Good (1419-1467), when a host of illustrious painters, sculptors and poets convened in the ducal palace. However, this golden age in the town’s history was also the beginning of the end of its wealth. Many causes contributed to this, mainly the fact that the Zwijn bay began to silt up. The merchant fleet could no longer get into Bruges and had to seek other ports. The town was abandoned and fell into decay. There were plans early on to excavate a canal leading to the North Sea but these were not realised until the 20th century, since when a whole industry has grown up around the outskirts of the town.

Today the main source of income, unsurprisingly, comes from tourism. This is after all the town where, according to legend, the old stone lions come to life every New Year’s night. They rise up from their plinths to roam the town, making sure that nothing has changed during the past year. When they are satisfied, they return and assume their roles as statues again. So today we can stroll at leisure down the cobbled streets along the many peaceful canals with their picturesque bridges, as if time has stood still. We can soak up the atmosphere and admire the old medieval houses, churches and palaces.

The heart of the town is obviously Grote Markt with buildings that are more or less unchanged since the Middle Ages. Here is also the 83 metres high bell tower from the 13th century with 47 bells that chime at 15 minute intervals throughout the day. And if there is a concert about to be performed they ring out loud enough to be heard for miles around. And you can also see for miles around if you climb up the 366 steps to the top of the tower.

Burgplaats – a market place worth seeing

If you turn into Breidelstraat from the Markt it will take you to the Burg, the site of old Ironarm’s fortress. There are only a few remains left of the fortress, but Burgplaats is a truly beautiful square surrounded by notable buildings. Here we have the City Hall, the building, which was began in 1376, with a façade graced with no fewer than 48 sculpted likenesses of Flemish counts and countesses. To the right of the City Hall rises the Basilica of the Holy Blood, a shrine with a casket containing a few drops of the blood of Christ, brought back by the crusaders in the 12th century, which is when the church itself was built. Across the square from the church is the Palace of Justice, a magnificent Baroque building from the 18th century.

Paradise of art

Bruges possesses many art treasures and is an El Dorado for art lovers. Some of the finest museums are clustered around the Church of Our Lady, which has its own special gem, Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child. The Hospital of St Jan houses the famous Memling Museum and in the Gruuthuse palace you can study the living conditions of a wealthy nobleman in the 15th century. “Gruute” was used as flavouring in the brewing of beer and the Heren van der Gruuthuse had the privilege of collecting tax on this particular herb. Large sums of money flowed into the coffers of this family, who lived in preposterous luxury, made obvious to the visitor. Here is also the Groeninge Museum with Flemish art by famous painters such as Van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Memling and Gerard David. At a stone’s throw from the Church of Our Lady is another church, the Cathedral of St Salvator from the 12th and 13th centuries. This, too, houses a little museum with works by the old Dutch masters.

Peaceful Begijn homesteads

In the vicinity of Minnewater, The Lake of Love, which is what we today call the medieval harbour, is Begijnhof. Begijn homesteads, little villages within the confines of the town, started cropping up in the 13th century in Belgium, as the lonely “grass widows” of the crusaders flocked together to live in a commune with each other. There they stayed until such a time as their husbands returned, if that day ever came. In later times these villages have served as retirement homes for widows, but in Bruges the Begijnhof is inhabited by Benedictine nuns. There are Begijn homes in many Belgian towns, creating a green oasis in the townscape with their neat little houses and well kept flowerbeds.

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