BRUGES, BELGIUM

2001
Bruges - or as the locals say, "Brugge" (BREW-geh) - is a charming, accessible and thoroughly enjoyable town about an hour west of Brussels. The day we arrived, the sky was threatening rain and it was cold. But the town had so much warmth about it that we didn't mind the elements.
Bruges gets its name from the fact that it is an island surrounded by rivers. Thus the city had many bridges, which is what its name refers to. Bruges was a prosperous commercial center for many centuries and this is reflected in its beautiful buildings - in this case seen from a canal trip by boat.
Bruges is best known probably for its Belgian Lace, and shops abound offering the most beautiful handwork.

 
This is the city's central square which was being festooned with flags and bleacher-like seating for a big concert a couple of days after we left. We enjoyed another outdoor lunch at a cafe on the square.

 

Diane posed for a moment in front of the stunningly beautiful Provincial Palace. The people of Bruges speak Flemish as their native language, unlike the general population in Brussels, who speak French. But most of the merchants and other people we met spoke English very easily and so that made visiting Bruges a real pleasure. 
It is hard to express how beautiful Bruges is or how much fun we had there. We would definitely someday like to return!

 

| Bruges | Brussels | Cologne | Wolfsburg | Munich | Innsbruck | Zurich | Strassbourg |