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Brugge is a Delight!What can you not love about Brugge?By Susan Fogwell
As we made a beeline for the line of waiting taxis, I thought how apropos it was to be in Belgium on Valentines Day. After all, the small country is world famous for their decadent, rich chocolate and fine handmade lace. A brief five-minute ride later and we were in the heart of the small Flemish city. In perfect English, the taxi driver asked, “Is this your first time to Brugge?” (In Flemish and Dutch, it’s pronounced Broo-gah. In French and English, it’s spelled Bruges and pronounced Broozh.) I answered, “Yes.” He responded with the standard, “You’ll absolutely love it.” Upon my first sighting of the gothic town, I instantly fell in love with it. Everywhere I looked colorful buildings replete with heavenly chocolate shops and toasty restaurants pervaded the town. Simple pink and red hearts hung from teashop windows where inviting fireplaces glowed from within.
After the two-hour walking tour, we made our way back to Market Square. A revolving line of horses converges in the center of the square, where a buggy will whisk you off, through the cobblestone streets of Brugge. This is another a fun, relaxing thirty minutes where the driver points out interesting sites along with history tidbits. The horse rests for ten-minutes at the peaceful Begijnhof -- where women spent their lives in piety without having to take the vows that a nun would. Just enough time is allotted to determine whether you choose to return on your own to explore the grounds further and to take a casual tour of the small museum. It’s time well spent. A full two days and two nights is the suggested amount of time required to see all of the sites in Brugge. Ideally, the best itinerary is to combine Brugge with other European destinations. Whether it’s Holland, France or perhaps Germany, they are all within close proximity. |
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TM
I
boarded a train with my husband, John, at Centraal Station in Amsterdam -- for
the three-hour journey to Brugge, Belgium. The accessibility in reaching Brugge
via train makes it a fun and delightful destination. With a quick change of
trains in Antwerp, we were on a comfortable train slicing through flat Belgian
farmland. Light snow covered the landscape dotted with horses with thick winter
coats. As we got closer to our destination, villages comprised of gabled
buildings with cobbled narrow streets passed by our window. It wasn’t long
before the train stopped in Brugge, which is considered one of the
best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The day-tripper popular city is the
capital of the West Flanders Province, and in 2000, Brugge, was added to the
long list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 
The
taxi pulled up in front of the Hotel Heritage -- a small, elegant hotel, which,
at one time was a Georgian mansion. In 1993, it became a hotel. The warm
surroundings made me feel instantly at home. Isabelle, who was stationed at the
front desk, promptly checked us in and asked, “Is there something specific you
would like for dinner?” I answered, “Yes, mussels. A couple of friends, who had
visited Brugge, raved about dining on mussels and Flemish fries. As they say,
when in Rome, do as the Romans do. The authoritave Isabelle suggested a few
restaurants and offered to make a reservation for later in the evening. She
continued, “Tomorrow at 2:30 sharp is a two-hour English speaking walking tour.
It starts in Burg Square and is included in your stay.” 
The
best way to absorb Brugge is by getting lost on the cobblestone back streets --
away from the tourist-trodden shops. Grabbing two umbrellas on our way out the
door, we set out to explore the gothic town that grew wealthy on the cloth trade
in the 11th century. At one time, Brugge was a focus for international trade.
High quality English wool was turned into clothing and exported all over the
known world. Unbelievably, by the 14th century, the population had grown to the
size of London. With a population of 35,000, it was one of the biggest cities in
the world. 
Moving
forward to the 15th century, Brugge was the favored residence to the Dukes of
Burgundy – while England and France trudged through the 100-year-long-war. It
was also home to the artists, Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. Nevertheless, by
the 16th century, Brugge’s Golden Age abruptly ended. The economy had collapsed,
the Burgandian court left town, and Brugge became known as the mysterious and
dead city. Occupied by the Germans in Word Wars II, the city remained dormant
until the 1960s, when tourists discovered it. Today, it prospers on mass
tourism. Springtime is bursting with vivid colors. Daffodils and tulips are in
abundance; comfortable temperatures with longer days are perfect for bicycle
rides to nearby Damme and boat rides under arched bridges.
Market
Square is home to one of the city’s most distinctive medieval landmarks -- the
Belfort. Since 1300, this 353 ft. bell tower has stood over the square. To
survey the town’s storybook rooftops and outskirts, climb the 366 steps to the
top. On a clear day, the coastal towns along the North Sea can be seen in the
distance. Two of the most visited sites in Brugge are the Groeninge Museum,
which has one of the best collections of Flemish art in the world, and the
Memling Museum, which is in a former hospital where several of Memling’s
masterpieces are among surgical instruments from medieval times. 
The
in-depth walking tour took us around to all of the museums. We walked into Burg
Square a few minutes early and ran smack into our tour guide. The voucher in my
hand gave me away and the guide introduced himself as Andrew. He said, “I’m out
here looking for people with vouchers, so I can show them into the Town Hall
where the tour begins.” In the entrance hall, he explained, “I’ve been a guide
for over forty years in Brugge and I was married, here, in the Town Hall fifty
years ago.” That was impressive enough, but then he continued. “I speak seven
languages, fluently, but the tour is only in English.” That statement was
equally impressive. Andrew along with most of the Flemish effortlessly shift
from one language to another. Not only was Andrew fluent, but he amused himself
with using American slang picked up from Hollywood movies. 
There
were a total of eight British couples and one other American couple.
Understandably, the tour caters to English speaking tourists. Brugge is a
heavyweight sightseeing destination for the British. (It’s easily reached via
the London-Brussels-Cologne railway network.) Andrew’s wealth of Northern
European history was sprinkled with lively jokes about the French. A few jokes
about the Dutch and Scottish added to his candid thoughts, which had everybody
laughing.