Bruges 2023 Guide

Jean revisits Bruges, the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium near the cruise port of Zeebrugge. From there she takes the train on a two-for-one ticket! Arriving in Bruges 12 minutes later she cuts through the back doubles to Markt square. There she shows Historium, the view from the balcony, and climbs the 83m tower, a 13th-century belfry with a 47-bell carillon and shows the panoramic views. There is so much more from the Timescope, to the canal boat ride, to handmade shoes and the church of St Anna (Jesus's grandmother) which is worth seeing whatever your beliefs as the art is amazing.

Bruges City Hall is one of the oldest city halls in the whole of the Low Countries region. It is in Burg Square and dates back to the 1420s. The vaulted domes of the interiors and the murals painted by Albrecht De Vriendt are worth a look. The Church of the Spilled Blood is also known as the Basilica of the Holy Blood. It is in the corner of De Burg square, The Romanesque exteriors with filigreed windows and gold statues hide inside an ornate interior, ignored in favour of a cloth stained with the blood of Jesus Christ brought to Bruges after the Crusades in the 12th century. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote The Belfry of Bruges, “In the marketplace of Bruges stands the belfry old and brown; Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilt, still, it watches o'er the town.” That is because it burned down in 1280, 1491, and 1781. Three times.... so, forget that it was built in 1220, with additions in 1240.

The interior is not in our film, but the exterior of the Church of Our Lady Bruges is seen from the canal boat. Said to have the most striking architectural feature in Bruges, it also has the marble sculpture of Madonna and child by Michelangelo – the most prestigious piece of art in town. There are also paintings by Sir Anthony van Dyck and altarpiece triptychs. We will get to this next time. It goes to show how much there is to see in this small town. If you have time, Saint John’s Hospital (Hospitalmuseum) which was built in 1188 and pointed out from the canal tour, is now an art gallery. Originally a hospital for pilgrims run by nuns and monks from the 9th to 19th centuries, it now displays the works of Flemish artists.