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Bruges

Bruges () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium|province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country. The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is egg-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 193.7 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge ("Seabruges" in literal translation). The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008), Statistics Belgium; ''Population de droit par commune au 1 janvier 2008'' ('''excel-file''') Population of all municipalities in Belgium, as of 1 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-10-19. of which around 20,000 live in the historic centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km² and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008.Statistics Belgium; ''De Belgische Stadsgewesten 2001'' ('''pdf-file''') Definitions of metropolitan areas in Belgium. The metropolitan area of Bruges is divided into three levels. First, the central agglomeration (''agglomeratie''), which in this case is Bruges municipality, with 117,073 inhabitants (2008-01-01). Adding the closest surroundings (''banlieue'') gives a total of 166,502. And, including the outer commuter zone (''forensenwoonzone'') the population is 255,844. Retrieved on 2008-10-19. Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North". Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its Bruges#Port|port, and is also home to the College of Europe.

History

Origins

Very few traces of human activity date from the Gaul|Pre-Roman Gaul era. The first fortifications were built after Julius Caesar's conquest of the Menapii in the first century BC, to protect the coastal area against pirates. The Franks took over the whole region from the Gallo Romans around the 4th century and administered it as the ''Pagus Flandrensis''. The Viking incursions of the ninth century prompted Baldwin I, Count of Flanders to reinforce the Roman fortifications; trade soon resumed with England and Scandinavia. It is at around this time that coins appeared for the first time bearing the name ''Bryggia''. This name may stem from the Old Norse '''', meaning "landing stage" or "port",Bruges - A brief historical background. and may have the same origin as Norway’s Bryggen.

Golden Age (12th to 15th century)

Bruges got its city charter on July 27, 1128 and built itself new walls and canals. Since about 1050, gradual silting had caused the city to lose its direct access to the sea. A storm in 1134, however, re-established this access, through the creation of a natural channel at the Zwin. The new sea arm stretched all the way to Damme, a city that became the commercial outpost for Bruges. With the reawakening of town life in the twelfth century, a wool market, a woollens weaving industry, and the market for cloth all profited from the shelter of city walls, where surpluses could be safely accumulated under the patronage of the Count of Flanders|counts of Flanders. Bruges was already included in the circuit of the Flemish cloth fairs at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The city's entrepreneurs reached out to make economic colonies of England and Scotland's wool-producing districts. English contacts brought Normandy grain and Gascon wines. Hanseatic ships filled the harbor, which had to be expanded beyond Damme to Sluys to accommodate the new Cog (ship)|cog-ships. In 1277, the first merchant fleet from Genoa appeared in the port of Bruges, first of the merchant colony that made Bruges the main link to the trade of the Mediterranean. This development opened not only the trade in spices from the Levant, but also advanced commercial and financial techniques and a flood of capital that soon took over the banking of Bruges. The Bourse opened in 1309 and developed into the most sophisticated money market of the Low Countries in the fourteenth century. By the time Venetian galleys first appeared, in 1314, they were latecomers. Braudel, Fernand, ''The Perspective of the World'', in Vol.III ''Civilization and Capitalism'', 1984 Such wealth gave rise to social upheavals, which were for the most part harshly contained. In 1302, however, the population joined forces with the Count of Flanders against the France|French, culminating in the victory at the Battle of the Golden Spurs, fought near Kortrijk on July 11. The statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, the leaders of the uprising, can still be seen on the Big Market square. In the 15th century, Philip III, duke of Burgundy|Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy set up court in Bruges, as well as Brussels and Lille, attracting a number of artists, bankers, and other prominent personalities from all over Europe. The new Flemish-school, oil-painting techniques gained world renown. The first book in English ever printed was published in Bruges by William Caxton. This is also the time when Edward IV of England|Edward IV and Richard III of England spent time in exile here. The population swelled to more than 40,000 inhabitants.

16th century until now

Starting around 1500, the Zwin channel, which had given the city its prosperity, also started silting. The city soon fell behind Antwerp as the economic flagship of the Low Countries. During the 17th century, the lace industry took off and various efforts to bring back the glorious past were made. During the 1650s the city was the base for the court of Charles II of England and his court in exile Charles, Prince of Wales, (later Charles II), 1630-85. The maritime infrastructure was modernized, and new connections with the sea were built, but without much success. Bruges became impoverished and gradually disappeared from the picture. The symbolist novelist George Rodenbach even made the sleepy city into a character in his novel ''Bruges-la-Morte'' meaning "Bruges-the-dead", which was adapted into Erich Wolfgang Korngold's opera, '''Die tote Stadt'' (The Dead City). In the last half of the 19th century Bruges became one of the world's first tourist destinations attracting wealthy British and French tourists. Only in the second half of the twentieth century has the city started to reclaim some of its past glory. The port of Bruges-Zeebrugge|port of Zeebrugge was built in 1907. The Germans used it for their U-boats in World War I. It was greatly expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s and has become one of Europe's most important and modern ports. International tourism has boomed and new efforts have resulted in Bruges being designated 'European Capital of Culture' in 2002.

Geography

The Municipalities in Belgium|municipality comprises:

Museums

Municipal museums

=
- Artistic works from the 15th to 21st century:
    - Groeningemuseum
    - Arents House (contains a Frank Brangwyn museum and a museum for ever-changing exhibitions of expressive art)
    - Forum+ (part of the ''Concertgebouw''; has exhibitions of contemporary art)
- The ''Bruggemuseum'' ("Bruges Museum") (general name for 11 different museums in the city):
    - Gruuthusemuseum
    - Church of Our Lady, Bruges|Welcome Church of Our Lady
    - Archaeological Museum
    - Gentpoort
    - Belfry of Bruges|Belfry
    - City Hall
    - Liberty of Bruges
    - Museum of Folklore
    - Guido Gezelle Museum
    - Koelewei (Cool Meadow) Mill
    - Sint-Janshuis (St. John’s House) Mill
- Hospitalmuseums:
    - Old St John’s Hospital (Hans Memling)
    - Our Lady of the Potteries =

Non-municipal museums

=
- Beguine's House
- Brewery museum
- Hof Bladelin
- Basilica of the Holy Blood
- Choco-Story (chocolate museum)
- Lumina Domestica (lamp museum)
- Museum-Gallery Xpo: Salvador Dalí
- Diamond Museum
- English Convent
- Frietmuseum (museum dedicated to Belgian Fries)
- Jerusalem Church
- Lace centre
- St. George’s Archers Guild
- Saint-Salvator Cathedral
- St. Sebastian’s Archers’ Guild
- St. Trudo Abbey
- Public Observatory Beisbroek
- Ter Doest Abbey (in Lissewege)
- Bogardenkapel (exhibition room)
- De Bond (creation and exhibition rooms)
- Jan Garemijnzaal (exhibition room)

Transport

Road

Bruges has excellent road connections from all directions (European route E40|E40, A10 road (Belgium)|A10, European route E403|E403, N31 road (Belgium)|N31, European route E34|E34). Driving within the 'egg', the historical centre enclosed by the main circle of canals in Bruges, is discouraged by traffic management schemes, including a network of one way streets. The system encourages the use of set routes leading to central car parks and direct exit routes. The car parks are convenient for the central commercial and tourist areas; they are inexpensive.

Railway

Brugge main railway station|Bruges' main railway station is the focus of lines to the Belgian coast. It also provides at least hourly trains to all other major cities in Belgium, as well as to Lille, France. Further there are several regional and local trains. The main station is also a stop for the Thalys train Paris–Brussels–Ostend. Bus links to the centre are frequent, though the railway station is just a 10 minute walk from the main shopping streets and a 20 minute walk from the Market Square. Plans for a north–south light rail connection through Bruges, from Zeebrugge to Lichtervelde, and a light rail connection between Bruges and Ostend are under construction.

Air

The national Brussels Airport, one hour away by train or car, offers the best connectivity. The nearest airport is the Ostend-Bruges International Airport in Ostend (around 30 km from the city centre of Bruges), but it offers limited passenger transport and connections.

Public city transport

Bruges has an extensive web of bus lines, operated by ''De Lijn'', providing access to the city centre and the suburbs (city lines, ) and to many towns and villages in the region around the city (regional lines, ). In support of the municipal :Category:Road traffic management|traffic management (see "Road" above), free public transport is available for those who park their cars in the main railway station car park.

Cycling

Although a few streets are restricted, no part of Bruges is car free. Cars are required to yield to pedestrians and cyclists. Plans have long been under way to ban cars altogether from the historic center of Bruges or to restrict traffic much more than it currently is, but these plans have yet to come to fruition. In 2005, signs were changed for the convenience of cyclists, allowing two-way cycle traffic on more streets, however car traffic has not decreased. Recent cycle fatalities have increased pressure to close bridges and further calm inner Bruges, but laws have not yet passed. Due to heavily populated suburbs, bus traffic is high on the narrow streets. This makes cycling even trickier. Nevertheless, in common with many cities in the region, there are thousands of cyclists in the city of Bruges.

Port

The port of Bruges is Zeebrugge. It's the most modern and second biggest port of Belgium and one of the most important in Europe.

Sports

- Bruges is traditionally the starting town for the annual Ronde van Vlaanderen cycle race, held in April and one of the biggest sporting events in Belgium.
- Bruges is also a football (soccer)|football town represented by two teams at the top level (Belgian First Division): Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge K.S.V., both playing in the Jan Breydel Stadium (30,000 seats). Although, Club Brugge has plans for a new stadium with about 40,000 seats.

Miscellaneous

- The Bruges Matins (history)|Bruges Matins, the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by the members of the local Flanders (county)|Flemish militia on 18 May 1302.
- Bruges is known for its bobbin lace|lace.
- Several beers are named after Bruges, such as ''Brugge Blond'', ''Brugge Tripel'', ''Brugs'', ''Brugse Babbelaar'', ''Brugse Straffe Hendrik'' and ''Brugse Zot''. However, only ''Brugse Zot'' and ''Brugse Straffe Hendrik'' are still brewed in the city itself, in the Halve Maan Brewery.
- Bruges is home to the College of Europe, a prestigious institution of postgraduate studies in European Economics, Law and Politics.
- In Sint-Michiels is the amusement park Boudewijn Seapark with the dolphinarium.
- Fiction:
    - ''Bruges-la-Morte'', a short novel by the Belgian author Georges Rodenbach, first published in 1892.
    - ''In Bruges'', a film from Oscar-winning director Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, is set almost entirely in Bruges.
    - The detective stories of Pieter Aspe are situated in Bruges.
    - ''The Nun's Story (film)|The Nun's Story'', a dramatic film released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1959, is entirely set in Bruges.
    - ''Niccolò Rising'', part of the 8 book ''The House of Niccolò|House of Niccolo'' series by Dorothy Dunnett is largely set in Bruges.
    - ''Floris (TV series)|Floris'', a Dutch television action series, written by Gerard Soeteman
    - Alan Hollinghurst's novel'' The Folding Star is set in a Flemish town that is recognisably Bruges.
    - ''L'Astrologue de Bruges'', a Belgian bande dessinée in the Yoko Tsuno series by Roger Leloup, is entirely set in Bruges, both contemporary and in 1545.

Famous inhabitants

The following people were born in Bruges:
- Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, freedom fighters
- Philip I of Castile, first Habsburg ruler in Spain (1478–1506)
- Adrian Willaert, composer of the Renaissance, (birth in Bruges uncertain, c. 1490-1562)
- Simon Stevin, mathematician and engineer (1548–1620)
- Franciscus Gomarus, Calvinist theologian (1563–1641)
- Guido Gezelle, poet and priest (1830–1899) In the 15th century, the city became the magnet for a number of prominent personalities:
- Philip III, Duke of Burgundy|Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy set up court in Bruges, Brussels, and Lille in the 15th century
- William Caxton, English merchant, diplomat, writer, and printer
- Petrus Christus, Flemish painter
- Gerard David, Flemish painter
- Hans Memling, Flemish painter
- Jan van Eyck, Flemish painter
- Juan Luís Vives, Spanish scholar and humanist
- Simon Bening and Levina Teerlinc, Limners

Town twinning policy

On principle, Bruges has to date never entered into close collaboration with twin cities. Without denying the usefulness of this schemes for towns with fewer international contacts, the main reason is that Bruges would find it difficult to choose between cities and thinks that it has enough work already with its many international contacts. Also, it was thought in Bruges that twinning was too often an occasion for city authorities and representatives to travel on public expense. This principle resulted, in the 1950s, in Bruges refusing a ''jumelage'' with Nice and other towns, signed by a Belgian ambassador without previous consultation. In the 1970s, a Belgian consul in Oldenburg made the mayor of Bruges sign a ''declaration of friendship'' which he tried to present, in vain, as a ''jumelage''. The twinning between some of the former communes, merged with Bruges in 1971, were discontinued. This does not mean that Bruges would not be interested in cooperation with others, as well in the short term as in the long run, for particular projects. Here follow a few examples. Bastogne, Luxembourg (Belgium)|Luxembourg, Belgium : After World War II and into the 1970s, Bruges, more in particular the Fire Brigade of Bruges, entertained friendly relations with Bastogne. Each year a free holiday was offered at the seaside in Zeebrugge, to children from the Nuts city. Arolsen, Hesse, Germany : From the 1950s until the 1980s, Bruges was the patron of the Belgian First Regiment of Horse Guards, quartered in Arolsen Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain : Both towns having been made European Capital of Culture in 2002, Bruges had some exchanges organized with Salamanca. Mons, Hainaut (province)|Hainaut, Belgium : In 2007, cultural and artistic cooperation between Mons and Bruges was inaugurated. Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain : On 29 January 2007, the mayors of Burgos and Bruges signed a declaration of intent about future cooperation on cultural, touristic and economic matters.

Panoramas

External links

- Official Website, also available in Dutch, French and German
- Tourist:
    - Tourist guide for Bruges
    - Tourist, historical and architectural information about Bruges
    - Bruges travel guide at Focus Guides
    - Enchanting Bruges - Tourist Information and Visitor Recommendations
- Pictures, panoramas and webcams:
    - Live webcam from Bruges (view on Market Square), updated every 10 seconds
    - Virtual Panorama Tour of Bruges
    - Interactive 360º virtual tour of the city
    - Photos of Bruges in 3d (Anaglyphs)
    - Old Postcard Views of Bruges
    - Bruges Photo Gallery
- Other:
    - The Commercial website of Bruges - BruggeBusiness.com
    - The Cathedral of Saint Saviour
    - Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge
    - International Airport Ostend-Bruges
    - College of Europe

References

Category:Bruges| Category:Municipalities of West Flanders Category:Cities and towns in Flanders Category:Port cities and towns in Belgium Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea Category:World Heritage Sites in Belgium Category:Trading posts of the Hanseatic League simple:Bruges

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