Brugge is known as the Venice of the North. The cities well preserved medieval architecture makes it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are lots of museums in the city such as the Groeninge museum which has six centuries of different styles of paintings including work by the Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck. The memling museum has a wooden shrine of st. Ursula and the only work by Michelangelo that left the Italy can be seen in the church of Our Lady. A canal and a carriage ride are parts of Brugge that are not to be missed. There are also more than 350 Belgian beers available not to mention the famous chocolate or famous lace. The beauty of its buildings gives Bruges a high place among European cities. More than fifty bridges cross the various canals and rows of hoses along side it give the viewer some beautiful pictures and images.
Bruges is called 'the Venice of the North'. This medieval city is one of Belgium's priced possessions. Brugge was founded in the 9th century by the Vikings who settled on the little river 'de Reie'. The name Brugge is said to come from the Scandinavian word meaning harbor. As the city is closely situated by the North Sea it quickly became an important port. Brugge became a city in the 11th century. In the 14th century Brugge became a big place in commercial transport to the Rhineland. As early as the 13th century people have been coming to the city to but famous Flemish Cloth so it was always an important international trading center. The decrease in Brugges wealth began in the 15th century and continued for several centuries. In the 1800s Brugge was the poorest city in Belgium. However all was to soon change and the 20th century brought with it a whole new city. The medieval city that once existed came to life once more and with it came a flock of tourists. The new harbor called Zeebrugge brought new developments and new industries to the region.
Today's Bruges has a population of about 45.000 people (the old center) or 120.000 people (center together with the suburbs). It is also the capital of the Belgian province of West-Flanders. A lot of people take day-trips from Brussels to Bruges, but there is too much to see here to fill only 1 day. Whether its summer or winter brugge is one of the most beautiful cities and if it snows in December or January it is an image you won't forget easily. Brugge is unique as it is one of the best preserved medieval cities but also the 19th century neo-gothic style is very much still present.
The chapel of the Holy Blood is a double chapel which can be visited on the 'Burg' square in Bruges. It was first constructed in the 12th century. You can enter the church on the first floor where the holy blood is kept. The guild chapel represents the Flemish Courts. The lower part of the guild is called the Basilius chapel. It has preserved its original Romanesque style from the 12th-13th century. The passage between the main nave and the side chapel is decorated with a tympanum, which is a sculptured stone in half-relief, probably representing the baptism of St. Basilius.
The church on the first floor is the chapel of the Holy Blood. The original stained-glass windows have been removed after the French Revolution. Some of the original windows are now in the Victoria and Albert museum in London. The silver altar is the place where the relic is preserved during the week. The relic is open to the public every Friday and every day from the 3rd to the 17th of May. Outside is the Holy Blood museum, which contains the shrine for the Holy Blood.
Global Hotels are a fully owned and operated Irish travel company. Among the other locations in Belgium they offer are:Hotels in Antwerp and Hotels in Brussels.
Copyright @ Global Travel Solutiosn
[
Brugge hotels in Brugge] - [Site Map] - [
Secure
Server ] - [
Privacy
Policy ] - [
Disclaimer
]
|
