Bruges is a charming city in Belgium, where you will probably believe you are in a fairy tale. Founded in the 11th century around a fortress, it is the capital of the province of West Flanders, located in the extreme north-west of the country, 90 kilometers from Brussels (the largest metropolis in Belgium and the headquarters of the European Union). It has a population of 117 thousand inhabitants.
Its name comes from the ancient Norwegian “bryggia”, which means bridges, docks or berths. In Dutch language, the word “brug” also means bridge and this city has this name due to the large number of existing viaducts there.
The greatest attraction of this town can be found in its historic center, declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 2000.
While it is true that much of this space has been rebuilt, this urban center is one of the most attractive in Europe, as it preserves its medieval architectural structures dating from the Middle Ages and Neo-Gothic period between the 5th and 15th centuries of our era.
With urban similarities to Stockholm, Sweden and Amsterdam, and The Netherlands; this city is called the “Venice of the north”, name given because of the multiple channels that cross the city and make it one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Incredible as it may seem, by 1050 the constant sedimentation of the terrain caused Bruges to lose its access to the North Sea when the Zwyn River dried up and the beautiful of the current geography disappeared. Finally, and fortunately, a great storm in 1134 caused the city to recover a natural water channel, which allowed the emerging wool industry to grow rapidly.
The economic exchange enabled the city to enter the Hanseatic League, a commercial confederation involving the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia, created in 1358, and that attracted a greater benefit to the place, which in few years, became one of the richest of the old continent.
With more than three million visitors per year, Bruges is the most visited suburb of Belgium after Brussels. Additionally, in 2002 it was declared the “European Capital of Culture”, together with Salamanca, Spain.
This title is conferred annually by the Council and the European Parliament to one or two cities of the continent, which for one year, have the possibility of exposing their development and cultural life.
If you haven’t been there before, you should. Beautiful, charming and quiet, Bruges is an incredible place for those who visit it. This small Belgian town is the ideal place to disconnect from everyday life.
ALFA