Bruges
or Brugge is
called : 'the Venice of the North'. This splendid medieval city is
one of Belgium's crown jewels. In no other European city the feel
and the look of medieval times are so present as here in this city
close to the North Sea.
Today's
it has a population of about
45.000
people (the medieval center) or 120.000 people (center together with
the suburbs). These numbers clearly show that Brugge is not a tiny
miniature city. It ranks, even today, among the important cities
of Belgium and Europe. A lot of people take day-trips from Brussels, but there is to much to see here to fill only 1 day.
The best way to visit Bruges is to spend at least one night in one
of the many beautiful and cozy hotels, one of these hotels is the
Hotel
Olympia, an easy to find homelike and friendly
hotel with no parking
problems and only minutes walking from the historic centre.
Later in
the evening, when all the tourists have gone, the city finds back
its charm and quiet of old times. When one is lucky with the weather,
a stroll through the tiny medieval streets can be an enchanting
experience. Bruges
is always beautiful, in the
summertime as well as in the wintertime. Lucky visitors will never
forget Bruges after they have seen it on a snowy December or January
day.
Bruges is unique, in the sense that
here the town authorities have done the utmost to preserve the medieval-looking
image of the city. Of course, not every stone has come
to us straight from the Middle-Ages. The 19th century neo-gothic
style is more present than one should think. Because of these 19th
century renovations, some critics have put Brugge down as a 'fake'
medieval city. Nevertheless, the combination of old, not so old
and new fascinates everyone who first sets foot in this city.
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