Side Trips

Damme

7km (4 1/2 miles) E of Bruges

This pretty and historic village was once the city's outer harbor, where seagoing ships loaded and unloaded their cargoes, until the Zwin inlet silted up in 1520. The marriage of Charles the Bold and Margaret of York was celebrated here in 1468 -- which indicates the importance of Damme at the time. Today visitors come to see the picturesque Markt, which holds a statue of native Jacob van Maerlant, the "father of Flemish poetry," and the beautiful canalside scenery en route from Bruges. It's easily possible to make a day trip to Damme, including lunch at one of the town's restaurants.

Getting There -- Getting to Damme is half the delight. One of the nicest ways is to take the small stern-wheel paddle steamer Lamme Goedzaak. Departures are from the Noorweegse Kaai in the north of Bruges, five times daily from April to September. The delightful half-hour trip along the poplar-lined canal takes you past a landscape straight out of an old Flemish painting. Round-trip tickets are 6.50€ ($8.15) for adults, 5.50€ ($6.90) for seniors, 4.50€ ($5.65) for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 3. For schedules and booking, contact Rederij Damme-Brugge (tel. 050/35-33-19).

You can also take one of the minibuses of the Sightseeing Line (tel. 050/35-50-24; www.citytour.be). The 2-hour tours run from April to September, at 2pm and 4pm from the Markt, returning from Damme on the paddle steamer Lamme Goedzaak. Round-trip tickets are 17€ ($21) for adults and 8.25€ ($10) for children.

Public transportation buses depart six times daily in July and August, and three times daily from September to June, Monday to Saturday, from the rail station and the Markt in Bruges to Damme Town Hall.

You can also drive, bike, or even walk from Bruges to Damme, along Daamse Vaart Zuid from Dampoort in Bruges.

Visitor Information -- Toerisme Damme is located at Jacob van Maerlantstraat 3, 8340 Damme (tel. 050/35-33-19; fax 050/37-00-21; www.vvvdamme.be), facing the Stadhuis (Town Hall) in the Markt.

Seeing the Sights--The Gothic Town Hall (Stadhuis) in the Markt dates from 1464 to 1468. On its facade are statues of Charles the Bold and Margaret of York, among other historic notables. In front of it stands a statue of the poet Jacob van Maerlant (1230-96), who wrote his most important works in Damme.

Across from the Town Hall, at Jacob van Maerlantstraat 3, is the 15th-century mansion called De Groote Sterre. This was the Spanish governor's residence in the 17th century and is now occupied by the Damme Tourist Office, the Uilenspiegel Museum, and the Van Hinsberg Forge and Foundry Museum. Uilenspiegel is a 14th-century German folk-tale character who came to Damme by a roundabout route and has been adopted by the village. The museums are open from May to September, Monday to Friday 9am to noon and 2 to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm; October to April, Monday to Friday 9am to noon and daily from 2 to 5pm. At Jacob van Maerlantstraat 13, is a 15th-century mansion, the Saint-Jean d'Angély House [ST], where in 1468 Charles the Bold married Margaret of York.

In Kerkstraat, which runs south from the Markt, the Gothic St. John's Hospital (Sint-Janshospitaal) at no. 33 is a hospital for the poor, endowed in 1249 by Countess Margaret of Constantinople, and the Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk), dating from around 1340.

Across the bridge over the Bruges-Sluis Canal, at Dammesteenweg 1, is the 18th-century whitewashed De Christoffelhoeve (St. Christopher's Farm). Note the ornamental gate and the monumental barn with its mansard roof. A little way to the west along Daamse Vaart West is the Schellemolen, a windmill built in 1867.

Beside the jetty where the Lamme Goedzak ties up is a modern sculpture group featuring the legend of Tijl Uilenspiegel.

Where to Dine--Damme has several excellent restaurants on or near its main street, Kerkstraat, that are worth the short drive or canal-boat trip. Among them are Gasthof Maerlant, Kerkstraat 21 (tel. 050/35-29-52), which serves a "market menu" for 25€ ($31); Restaurant De Lieve, Jacob van Maerlantstraat 10 (tel. 050/35-66-30), which specializes in seasonal cuisine, with menus from 25€ to 40€ ($31-$50); and the atmospheric Restaurant Pallieter, Kerkstraat 12 (tel. 050/35-46-75), which has a specialty of saddle of lamb Dijonnaise, and offers menus ranging up to 35€ ($44).