Bruges - History, Sights, Famous inhabitants, Miscellaneous, Transport

51°13N 3°14E, pop (2000e) 119 600. Port and capital town of Brugge district, West Flanders province, NW Belgium; 12 km/7 mi S of Zeebrugge; known as ‘the Venice of the north’; chief market town of the Hanseatic League and a major centre of the woollen and cloth trade; connected by canals to several cities and the North Sea; railway; port handles crude oil, coal, iron ore, general cargo, fish; traditional centre for lace; steel, cotton, furniture, brewing, paints, light engineering; one of the best-preserved mediaeval European cities; world heritage site. Gothic town hall (1376–1420), Chapel of the Holy Blood, Church of Our Lady (12th–13th-c), 13th–14th-c market hall, with a 13th–15th-c belfry; Procession of the Holy Blood (every Ascension Day), Pageant of the Golden Tree (every 5th year).

Bruges
Province:	West Flanders
District:	Bruges
Area:	138.40 km²
Population:	117,224 (2006)
Population density:	847 /km²

Bruges (Dutch: Brugge (a name probably signifying landing stage)) is the historic capital of the province of West Flanders, Flanders being one of the three regions of Belgium.

The municipality comprises the city of Bruges proper and the towns of Assebroek, Dudzele, Koolkerke, Lissewege, Sint-Andries, Sint-Jozef, Sint-Kruis, Sint-Michiels, Sint-Pieters, Zeebrugge, and Zwankendamme.

History

Origins

Very few traces of human activity date from the Pre-Roman Gaul era.

Golden Age (12th to 15th century)

Bruges got its city charter on July 27, 1128 and built itself new walls and canals. The new sea arm stretched all the way to Damme, a city that became the commercial outpost for Bruges.

With the reawakening of town life in the twelfth century, a wool market, a woollens weaving industry, and the market for cloth all profited from the shelter of city walls, where surpluses could be safely accumulated under the patronage of the counts of Flanders. Bruges was already included in the circuit of the Flemish cloth fairs at the beginning of the thirteenth century. In 1277, the first merchant fleet from Genoa appeared in the port of Bruges, first of the merchant colony that made Bruges the main link to the trade of the Mediterranean. This development opened not only the trade in spices from the Levant, but also advanced commercial and financial techniques and a flood of capital that soon took over the banking of Bruges.

In the 15th century, Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy set up court in Bruges, as well as Brussels and Lille, attracting a number of artists, bankers, and other prominent personalities from all over Europe.

16th century until now

Starting around 1500, the Zwin channel, which had given the city its prosperity, also started silting. International tourism has boomed and new efforts have resulted in Bruges being designated 'cultural capital of Europe' in 2002.

Sights

Like Ghent, but on a more concentrated scale, it has most of its medieval architecture intact.

Bruges is also famous for its 13th-century Belfort, housing a municipal Carillion comprising 47 bells.

Other famous buildings in Bruges include the Beguinage, the Heilig Bloed Basiliek (the Basilica of the Holy Blood), the modern Concert Hall and the St-John Hospital. The historic centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

Bruges also has a very fine collection of medieval and early modern art, including the world-famous collection of Flemish Primitives. Various masters, such as Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck, lived and worked in Bruges.

Famous inhabitants

See also: Notable people from Bruges

The following people were born in Bruges:

Philip I of Castile, first Habsburg ruler in Spain (1478-1506) Adrian Willaert, composer of the Renaissance, (birth in Bruges uncertain, c. 1490-1562) Simon Stevin, mathematician and engineer (1548-1620) Franciscus Gomarus, Calvinist theologian (1563-1641) Guido Gezelle, poet and priest (1830-1899)

In the 15th century, the city became the magnet for a number of prominent personalities:

Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy set up court in Bruges, Brussels, and Lille in the 15th century William Caxton, English merchant, diplomat, writer, and printer Petrus Christus, Flemish painter Gerard David, Flemish painter Hans Memling, Flemish painter Jan van Eyck, Flemish painter Juan Luís Vives, Spanish scholar and humanist

The fictional supervillain, Doctor Evil, from the Austin Powers movie series, is also supposed to be from Bruges.

Miscellaneous

Bruges is known for its lace Several beers are named for Bruges, such as Brugse Tripel, Brugs Blond, Brugs Witbier and Straffe Hendrik.

Transport

Train

Tourists are encouraged to reach Brugge by train, Bruges' railway station provides at least hourly trains to all other major cities of Belgium.

Air

Although the nearest regional Airport is Ostend, it's recommended to fly to Brussels Airport and take a train from there.

Driving

Driving within the 'egg', the historical center enclosed by the main circle of canals in Bruges, is discouraged by traffic management schemes, including a confusing network of one way streets.

Users of the large carpark next to the station receive free bus tickets to the town centre, which is only a short walk (5-10 minutes) from the station.

All car drivers are required by law to yield to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Cycling

Although a few streets are restricted, no part of Bruges is truly carfree.

Even though cars are required yield to pedestrians and cyclists, some drivers are aggressive towards cyclists.

Nethertheless, in common with many cities in the region, there are thousands of cyclists in Bruges. Bruges is also a football town represented by two teams at the top level (Jupiler League): Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge K.S.V..