Is anyone going to Bruges, Belgium?

[Lair Bear]

Bruges is a beautiful, medival city that is a short ride from the port Zeebrugge. If you are interested in seeing this place on your own, there is a great self guided walking tour on the web. No commercials, no sales pitch, just a description of what to see, how to go and lots of historical details. It even has an interactive map of the route that starts at the train station, takes in the canals, the Burg, the Markt and wonderful stops inbetween.

If interested go to http://www.*****.com/Brugge%205.html

[Bruin Steve]

Bruges is a beautiful, medival city that is a short ride from the port Zeebrugge. If you are interested in seeing this place on your own, there is a great self guided walking tour on the web. No commercials, no sales pitch, just a description of what to see, how to go and lots of historical details. It even has an interactive map of the route that starts at the train station, takes in the canals, the Burg, the Markt and wonderful stops inbetween.

If interested go to http://www.*****.com/Brugge%205.html

 

Great site Lair Bear...

And I'll second the recommendation of visiting Bruges...It's my favorite little city in Europe. Of course, I may be somewhat partial being that my family is Belgian...Last time I visited Bruges, of course, I didn't need a walking tour plan...My cousin Albert merely took us around the city. For those of you without relatives in Bruges, this tour looks pretty comprehensive...

 

In my office, I have several photographs from my travels on the walls--The Arc d' Triomphe, Verseilles, Chenonceau, The Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona in Rome, among others...But, inevitably, there is one single photo that everyone stops at and remarks "Beautiful! Where is THAT?" And I tell them...that's Bruges, Belgium...but the truly astounding thing is that it's not a photo of anything special--just an ordinary "street scene"--a canal, backs of brick houses, three small boats...and taken in the dead of winter...I could have chosen any of dozens of similar photos of nondescript streets and canals. That is the kind of a joy Bruges is...

 

What one needs to know about Bruges is that it was a major trading center of the middle ages/Renaissance...a sea port into which goods came from all over europe and the world...But, back in the early 1700s, the North Seas receded, leaving Bruges about 10 miles inland...and things sort of stopped...The city became frozen in time in the late 1600s, early 1700s...Things opicked up again in the 20th Century when all of the oil pipelines to bring oil off the North Sea and off tankers from the Middles East were built from Zeebrugge...Belgium became one of the wealthiest little countries in the world and Bruges became a top destination...But, the city has a rule--NO MODERN BUILDINGS...Everything built in Bruges has to retain the architectural style of the 17th Century...

 

And the layout of the city is incredible as well--a criss-crossing of canals and streets and bridges...

 

Do not miss it if you are in the area...

[pacmom]

I will definitely bookmark the site for reference for our trip in May--Rome-Stockholm. We have a day in Brugge--can't wait to see it. Thanks. Pat

[Missus Makkem]

Bruges is a beautiful, medival city that is a short ride from the port Zeebrugge. If you are interested in seeing this place on your own, there is a great self guided walking tour on the web. No commercials, no sales pitch, just a description of what to see, how to go and lots of historical details. It even has an interactive map of the route that starts at the train station, takes in the canals, the Burg, the Markt and wonderful stops inbetween.

If interested go to http://www.*****.com/Brugge%205.html

 

 

You can take the local train from Zeebrugge Dorp,about 20 min walk from the ship 5 euros return, 20 mins journey,check the times on their web site,usually 30 mins past the hour to Brugge, on the hour return

[Bill S]

Bruges is our favorite city in Europe. Touristy to be sure, but nevertheless charming.

Here are my two favorite "post card view" pictures, one early one morning and the other one at night.