Bruges

During this past week, I made my first visit to the north west Belgian city of Bruges.

Courtesy of P&O Ferries from Hull to Zeebrugge, we were than transferred within thirty minutes to the southern edge of the city and the pleasant park that houses the Minnewater Lake - a name which translates into English as the Lake of Love. This is actually an artificial lake which was created in medieval times to help with flood control.







Earlier this year I visited the Begjinhof in Amsterdam, a secluded inner court that had once been a beguinage. Unlike the Amsterdam Begjinhof which is located in the city centre, the Bruges version is situated in a more tranquil area on the edge of Minnewater Park.Originally it was the home of Beguines, a group of pious women who had not actually taken religious vows, but since 1927 it has served as a Benedictine convent. 






The impressive white gateway to the complex was constructed in 1776 and inside there are attractive white painted houses, some of which date from the 16th century.


I was already becoming impressed by the architecture as we walked towards the city centre. There appeared to be impressive sights wherever we turned and in whichever direction we looked.



Exploring the maze of cobbled streets was a delight but occasionally we were distracted from the attractive buildings by the signs and the window displays.

Decisions had to be made. Should we buy chocolate or beer?

After all, Belgium is renowned for both.









Like Amsterdam, Bruges is famous for its canals and is often referred to as the Venice of the North.












Strolling alongside the canals provided countless opportunities for photographs - even for a mere snap-taker like me. We were pleased to be blessed with lovely weather, sunshine and clear blue skies, but they presented their own problems when taking photos because of the very strong shadows cast by the buildings and trees. Nevertheless, we were grateful to be seeing the city in such a wonderful light.






The main market square is home at this time of year to traditional Christmas market stalls and an ice skating rink. However, my attention was drawn more to the beautiful and varied buildings on the perimeter of the square.













There are of course many ways to explore this fine city with some opting for the horse drawn carriages that operated out of the market square. Consequently the sound of hooves clattering on cobbles became a regular sound as we strolled through the streets. The other pervasive sound was that of church bells which all added to the festive atmosphere.










As you can probably tell, I was very impressed by this city and I hope to visit again perhaps at a different time of year when no doubt I will see things in a different light but hopefully it will be just as enjoyable.