How many of you have heard of or visited the city of Bruges in Belgium? Not many people have, so I am here to introduce you to the most amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site that I have ever seen….
When you visit Bruges, it is impossible to go without seeing a beautiful canal. The canals run all around the city, so if you would like to see a city by boat, Bruges is the place to do this. The most photographed canal, and spot, in Bruges is called Rozenhoedkaai. It is beautiful at all times of the day and feels as though you have just stepped into a postcard. If you are lucky, you may spot some swans to add to the picturesque view!
The city is also full of little shops that sell famous Belgian chocolates, delicious Belgian waffles, and handmade lace. There are even maps around the city made entirely out of lace! They are very beautiful and I wish I knew how to make it.
In the Church of Our Lady, one can visit the only statue carved by Michelangelo outside of Italy. It’s called “Madonna and Child” and is an amazing carving. It was originally going to be brought to Siena in Italy, but was bought by a cloth merchant who donated to to this church. If I came into possession of a Michelangelo statue, after taking a billion pictures of and with it, I would probably donate it to our church as well.
Bruges is also full of fun little things as well. For example, there is a street called Blinde Ezelstraat, or the street of the Blind Donkey. It was called this after a donkey who drove a mill. To stop the animal from being depressed about the fact that its only purpose in life was to walk in a circle, they put a blindfold on it!
If you look enough in a square called Huidenvettersplein (Tanners Market), one can find a carving in a wall of a little man wrinkling his nose. Since the square smelled from the tanners and was close to a fish market, the place would have smelled pretty bad!
Outside of the Church of Our Lady, one can find a few iron crosses stuck in the lawn. But what are they there for? They are actually the steeples of churches! During World War 1, the steeples were taken off the churches around the city to disorient spies and they have never been put back.
I liked visiting Bruges because it was a beautiful city, but also an adventure as we were exploring somewhere we had never been to or heard about. In my opinion, if you ever decide to visit Belgium, visit Bruges. It will be your best vacation destination ever!
Comments
15 responses to “The Venice of the North”
I was in Bruges last year on my river boat cruise. I agree with you it is a beautiful city. I had my picture taken at one of the bridges on the canal and it looks very similar to your picture. The square where you are standing in the last pic we were told that the buildings are sinking and they showed us the difference in the top and bottom distance of the buildings. So sad.
Hi Karen,
I wasn’t told that Bruges was sinking! I hope it will still be there if I go back. It is so lovely, and I am glad that we both got the chance to experience it.
Mikhaila , I am thoroughly enjoying seeing these places through your eyes and with the added bonus of the research that you have done, they have become even more interesting.
Herta
Hello Herta,
I enjoy researching things about the different places we visit because I think it makes the experience even better. I like being able to teach people new things about different places in the world.
We just watched the movie “The Monuments Men” with Owen and the statue of “Madonna and Child” is key to the plot of the movie. It is so nice to hear that you were able to see it for real because of the soldiers portrayed in the movie. They preserved history for all of us!
Hi Teta Colleen,
While we were on a tour, our tour guide recommended seeing that movie, and I am curious to see what it’s about. I think I will enjoy the movie even more since I have seen one of the main statues.
Hi, Mikhaila, just loved your posting. It brought back memories, I have a photo that is similar to the one you show. I was only there for two days and did not know much of the history and enjoyed your information very much. Thank you
Hello Oma,
I’m glad to hear that my pictures brought back memories. We weren’t there for very long and I think I would have liked to have spent more time there.
I too have been to Bruges as well – in 1978!! I agree with the picture postcard canals – beautiful city. I bought a lace tablecloth when there!!
Hi Teta Gail,
How much has the city changed since you were in Bruges? The lace there is very beautiful and it would be nice to be able to know how to make it myself!
Mikhaila,
You are so right, your pictures show how beautiful the city looks! Thank you for all the history. love, Baba
Hello Baba,
It isn’t very hard to get good pictures of Bruges since it is so beautiful. The history is so interesting and I am glad to have had the chance to visit the city.
Mikhaila, you should be very proud of yourself. I almost feel like I’m with you as you share your observations and the accompanying pics in your posts. Keep on blogging girl. Love it!!!!
Hi Marina,
One of our main goals is to take people along with us through our blog and inspire them to travel. The blog is our way of documenting everything that is happening so that we never forget.
Hi Mikhaila – I didn’t know much about Bruges at all. Thanks to your great descriptions and lovely photos – I would definitely like to visit one day! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Teta Jill