Attractions

A leading contender for the title of Europe's most romantic small city, Bruges is really one big attraction -- a fairy-tale mixture of gabled houses, meandering canals, magnificent squares, and narrow cobblestone streets. Perhaps the most astonishing thing is the consistently warm welcome its residents provide to the swarms of visitors. The basis for this is more than mere economics -- those who live in Bruges love their city and appreciate that others want to experience it.

Tranquil Escapes -- Through the centuries, since it was founded in 1245 by the Countess Margaret of Constantinople, the Prinselijk Begijnhof ten Wijngaarde (Princely Beguinage of the Vineyard), Wijngaardstraat (tel. 050/33-00-11), at the Lake of Love, has been one of the most tranquil spots in Bruges, and so it remains today. Begijns were religious women, similar to nuns, who accepted vows of chastity and obedience, but drew the line at poverty, preferring to earn a living by looking after the sick and making lace. They provided an option for women to live without a husband and children, but without becoming a nun -- there was little in the way of alternatives at the time.

The begijns are no more, but the Begijnhof is occupied by Benedictine nuns who try to keep the begijns' traditions alive. This beautiful little cluster of 17th-century whitewashed houses surrounding a lawn with poplar trees and flowers makes a marvelous escape from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. One of the houses, the Begijnhuisje (Beguine's House), has been made over into a museum and can be visited, as can the convent church during a service. The Begijnhof courtyard is always open and admission is free. The Beguine's House is open from March to November Monday to Saturday from 10am to noon and 1:45 to 5:30pm, Sunday from 10:45am to noon and 1:45 to 5:30pm; from December to February, hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 11am to noon and 1:45 to 4:15pm, Wednesday and Thursday from 1:45 to 4:15pm, Saturday from 10am to noon and 1:45 to 5:30pm, and Sunday from 10:45am to noon and 1:45 to 5:30pm. Admission is 2€ ($3.20) for adults, 1.50€ ($2.40) for seniors, and 1€ ($1.60) for students and children.

A fine example of the godshuizen (houses of God, or almshouses), built by the rich in Bruges from the 13th century onward as refuges for widows and the poor, is the Godshuis de Vos (De Vos Almshouse), from 1713, at the corner of Noordstraat and Wijngaardstraat, near the Begijnhof. The moneybags weren't being entirely altruistic, since the residents had to pray for their benefactors' souls twice a day in the chapel that was an integral part of an almshouse's facilities. The pretty courtyard garden here is surrounded by a chapel and eight original houses, now converted to six, which are owned by the city and occupied by seniors.

City Gates -- The now-vanished city wall once boasted nine powerfully fortified gates dating from the 14th century. The four that survive are (clockwise from the rail station) the imposing Smedenpoort; Ezelpoort, which is famed for the many swans that grace the moat beside it; Kruispoort, which looks more like a castle with a drawbridge; and Gentpoort, now reduced in status to a traffic obstacle. Only one defensive tower remains, the Poertoren, which was used as a gunpowder store and overlooks the Lake of Love.

Windmills -- The park that marks the line of the city walls between Kruispoort and Dampoort in the northeast is occupied by a row of very photogenic windmills. They are (from south to north) the Bonne Chière Mill, built in 1888 at Olsene in East Flanders and moved here in 1911; Sint-Janshuismolen, built in 1770 and open free to the public from April to September daily from 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm; Nieuwe Papegaai Mill, an oil mill rebuilt here in 1970; and Coeleweymolen, dating from 1765, rebuilt here in 1996 and open free to the public from June to September daily from 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm.

Strolling the Back Streets -- You don't need to visit the top 10 highlights to enjoy Bruges. Shut your guidebook, put away the street map, and just wander, taking time out to make your own discoveries. Bruges's inhabitants live their everyday lives in absurdly beautiful surroundings and aren't always engaged in putting on a show for the tourists.

Folklore Events in Bruges -- One of the most popular and colorful folklore events in Belgium is Bruges's Heilig-Bloedprocessie (Procession of the Holy Blood), which dates back to at least 1291 and takes place every year on Ascension Day. During the procession, the bishop of Bruges proceeds through the city streets carrying the golden shrine containing the Relic of the Holy Blood. Residents wearing Burgundian-era and biblical costumes follow the relic, acting out biblical and historical scenes along the way.

Every 3 years, the canals of Bruges are the subject and location of a festival called the Reiefeest. This evening event is a combination of historical tableaux, dancing, open-air concerts, and lots of eating and drinking. It takes place on 6 nonconsecutive days in August. The next Reiefeest is due in 2010.

The Praalstoet van de Gouden Boom (Golden Tree Pageant) recalls the great procession and tournament held on the Markt to celebrate the 1468 marriage of the duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, to Margaret of York. It takes place every 5 years in the last half of August, and the next one will be in 2012.