Back To Beautiful Brugge

Brugge is one of those cities that you just have to see. It's one of the prettiest in all of Europe. With time growing short, we took the Moms over there to check it out. We started our tour on the bridge of the Lake of Love, in front of the Poedertoren (gun powder tower).

We then followed the canal into the city to visit the ducks and swans. That's the Princely Binguinage on the left in the background. Legend says that Maximilian of Austria forced the inhabitants of Brugge to keep swans until the end of time, as a punishment for the murder of bailiff Peter Lanckhals (long-neck) in 1488.

There are several ways to see the sights of Brugge. My favorite is just walking around, but others prefer a horse drawn carriage. The place to hop on one of these is the Wijngaardplaats. You'll recognize it by the horse fountain (and all the horse carriages).

St. John's Hospital dates back to 1181, and it was where the Augustine nuns and brothers of St. John tended to the sick and sheltered the poor.

A "must see" place in the city is the Church of Our Lady. It houses Michelangelo's Madonna, as well as other amazing artifacts. The statue was donated to the Church in 1514, by Jan Mascroen.

The Gruuthuse Museum is housed in the Palace of Gruuthuse, built between 1465 and 1470. It's a beautiful building.

The canal in front of the Dijver is so beautiful, you just have to pose by it.

I'm sure our friends and family in the South have noticed the jackets in all of our pictures. It's just been so chilly here. I'm sorry about all the heat you've been getting. I feel real bad about that. No, really. I do.

Another stop on our tour is the wall of beer. On this wall, you will find a bottle of each beer brewed in Belgium. You'll also find some great quotes by famous people.

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin 1706

He was a wise man who invented beer. ~ Plato 428 BC

Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and the solution to all of life's problems. ~ Homer Simpson 1987

There are lots and lots of great shops to check out. Did you know that Brugge is famous for it's lace?

The Town Hall was built in the Gothic style between 1376 and 1400. You'll find it in the Market Square.

The Market Square is home to lots of famous buildings. This is the Belfry. It's 83 meters tall, and symbolizes the power and love of freedom of the burghers of medieval Brugges.

When you see a picture of Brugge, most likely it will be of these buildings.

What a lovely group of tourists standing in front of the monument to Jan Breydel and Pieter do Coninck.

We decided to take a boat tour of lovely Brugge, and we were not disappointed. From a boat, you get a real feeling for this canal based city. The tour guides are fantastic, and have lots of interesting stories to share.

Plus, you get to view the landmarks from a completely different angle. It's gorgeous. And very relaxing. Did you know that Brugge is referred to as the Venice of the North?

Here is another view of the entrance to the Princely Binguinage. The gate was built in 1776, but the buildings were built in the 13th century. There are no more benguinages. The nuns belong to the order of the Benedictines, established here in 1927.

The building in the center of this picture is a restaurant. The entire building is only two doors (or windows) wide. I'd love to eat in there, just to see how it looks inside.

There is a very famous inhabitant in Brugge. He's a golden lab who spends his days relaxing on a pillow in a window on the canal. He is probably one of the most photographed dogs in the world, and even appeared in the movie In Brugge. I'm afraid that he doesn't give autographs. He said that would be tacky.

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Here's something else you might have seen in the movie In Brugge. This is the hotel that the bad guys stayed in.

Passing another tour boat.

30 minutes later and we were back at the start of our boating adventure.

It was a lovely day in a beautiful city, but it was also getting late, so we started our stroll back to the train station.

It's always sad to say good-bye to Brugge, but I know I'll be back. She's one of those cities that you love to return to.

I hope your day was just as magical as ours. From Brugge, with love.

A Day In Brugge...Is Paradise

One of the most relaxing ways to travel through Europe is by the train. Tickets in Belgium are pretty reasonable, as well, so that's always bonus. With the end of the school year quickly approaching, some friends and I decided to squeeze in a quick day trip to Brugge.

We hopped aboard the train and settled in for a scenic ride. It took a few hours to get there (and one quick train change around half way there), but soon enough, we arrived.

When I first told the family that we were moving to Belgium, my Dad sent me a copy of the movie In Brugge. He told me to turn off the sound and just watch it, so I could see some of the amazing sites waiting for me to explore. If you've ever seen the movie, you'll understand the "no sound" part. Just about every other word is the "F Bomb", but if you can overlook that part, it's a very funny movie, and they do show a LOT of the city of Brugge. Don't pay any mind to cranky old Ray. (Let's face it, the last place he wants to be is Brugge, and he considers it the end of the earth.) Brugge is, in reality, a little slice of Heaven.

This is the Minnewater Pond, and that building on the left is the Lock-Keepers House. I would love to be the Lock Keeper in Brugge. Maybe that's what we'll do after the hubby retires. :0)

If you've seen In Brugge, you'll recognize this.

There are beautiful buildings just about every where you turn.

This is another view of the Lock-Keepers house.



This is the Minnewater Pond.

There are lots of ways to enjoy this beautiful city. You can walk, take a boat tour, or hop on a horse drawn carraige.
Any way you view it, you'll think you've stepped into a Fairy Tale. This bridge leads into the Princely Binguinage on the left. The houses here date back to the 17th century.
This fountain is to provide a nice, cool drink of water to the carraige horses that escort the tourists through town. It's located in the Wijngaardplaats.

St. John's Hospital dates back to atleast 1181. Augustine nuns and the brothers of St. John tended to the sick here, and provided shelter to poor travelers.

The Church of Our Lady was built in stages, starting at the 14th century and continuing through the 16th century.

The brick tower was built in 1440, and it 122 meters high.

Inside this church, you'll find Michelangelo's Madonna and Child (1504-1505).

It was originally intended for an alter in the Cathedral of Sienna, but the Mouscron family of Brugge bought it and gave it to Our Lady's Church. It's one of the few works by Michelangelo that is outside of Italy.

This is the tomb of Charles the Bold. He died in the Battle of Nancy in 1477.

Beside him is the tomb of his daughter, Mary. She died at the age of 25, as a result of a riding accident during a hunt. She was the last of the Burgundian line to rule Flanders.

When walking around European cities, don't forget to look up.

The Dijver is a beautiful place to sit, relax, and have a drink. The view is one of the best around.

You can even see the Church of Our lady in the distance.

Winding through the city streets, you get your first glimpse of the Belfry.

Don't forget to stop off in this little side street to admire the wall of beer. There is a bottle of beer (and it's matching glass) representing every beer they make in Belgium. This guy on the right didn't want to leave.

This sign reminded me of Tink and Ashley. See? There's something for everyone here.

The Belfry, or Halls Tower, stands in the Market Square. It's 83 meters tall and dates back to the 13th century. If you have lots of energy and time, you can climb the 366 steps to the top and admire a panoramic view of the city. We didn't have time today, but I'll definitely do it on my next visit. (Yes, I'll be back!) There are 57 bells in the tower, and they can be hand operated by the Carillonneur, or mechanically.

Wednesday is Market Day in Brugge. The square was lined with vendors, selling their wares, as well as the occassional street performer. This guy was lots of fun to watch. He really got the audience involved in the act.

The Government Palace and the Post office are also located on the Market square.

In the center of the square is the monument to Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck. They were important men in the Battle of Garden Spurs.

Not too far from the Market Square is the Burgh. It used to be the center of Brugge. Here, you'll find the Gothic Town Hall. It was built between 1376 and 1400.

To the right of the Town Hall is the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Unfortunately, it wasn't open during the time we were in that area. There is a small vial of Holy Blood (brought back from the second crusade) inside the Basilica, and has been kept there in a golden shrine since 1617.

Just another quick peek at the Town Hall.

Soon, it was time to make our way back to the train station.

It was a wonderful day in the gorgeous city of Brugge. There's nothing better than exploring with a great group of friends. If you ever find yourself in Belgium, make sure you take the time to check out Brugge. Like I said , it's paradise.