Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
March 2008 : Bruges / Brugge
Some 100km north-west of Brussels, in Flanders, lies the beautiful, medieval city of Brugge. I suppose it's just one of life's little oddities that it is better known in the English-speaking world by its French name, Bruges, than by the straightforward, genuine article. Whichever name you prefer, it is indisputably one of northern Europe's prettiest towns, with its network of canals, attractive buildings and relative lack of traffic. I set out on this trip in the midst of what the media were billing as the Great Winter Storm of 2008. Despite the less than promising outlook, I managed to have a thoroughly enjoyable short break.
Two main squares
Perhaps confusingly, the city has two main squares, Burg and Markt. Unless stated otherwise in the caption (hover the mouse to get it!), pictures are of the latter.
Churches
Other views
By night
Thanks to some very nicely done floodlighting, it is also an exceptionally attractive city to explore after dark.
As with Belgium in general, Brugge is famous for its chocolate, with a bewildering array of shops specialising in the delicacy. Even so, it appears that a specific festival was called for in the first quarter of 2008.
Based at : Crowne Plaza