The Best of Bruges

bureaudesguides

User

Length

4.3 km

Max alt

15 m

Uphill gradient

24 m

Km-Effort

4.6 km

Min alt

3 m

Downhill gradient

24 m

Boucle

Yes

Creation date :

2016-03-26 00:00:00.0

Updated on :

2016-03-26 00:00:00.0

(4 Reviews)

Walking
2h00
Difficulty : Very easy

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About

Trail Walking of 4.3 km to be discovered at Flanders, West Flanders, Bruges. This trail is proposed by bureaudesguides.

Description

There are several ways to discover the historical centre of Bruges (which has now been listed on UNESCO's list of the World Heritage Sites): with a horse-drawn coach, on board of a 'Citytour' mini-van of cruising the ''reien'' (canals)... Yet, walking down the narrow streets, across the beautiful historical squares or along the canals also remains an unforgettable experience...

Bruges experienced its period of glory all through the middle ages, from the 13th to the 15th century (the so-called ''Golden Age'' of Bruges). This period has left unique houses and buildings, masterworks of art and a lot of other testimonies for us to wonder at. As from the late 15th century, the town sunk into a lengthy period of decay, characterized by conflicts and changes of power... In the 19th century, Bruges was nothing more than an impoverished and forgotten town...

In the 20th century, Bruges experienced a new period of recovery: the unique historical and cultural heritages of the town were progressively re-discovered, among others by the tourists who were starting to flock to Bruges from the four corners of the world: a kind of second golden age, greatly relying however on its former glory of the past.

Our walking tour takes you to the most-renowned spots in the historical heart of Bruges, such as the 'Burg' (City Square), the 'Markt' (Market Square), the canals, 'Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk' (church), the 'Begijnhof' (Beguine convent)... in a few words, all the not-to-be-missed spots in the historical town are on the programme of the nice, and rather short tour.

The aim is more to quietly wander through the historical areas, in order to enjoy the specific atmosphere and charm of the different places (while learning a lot at the same time). The walk may not be ideally suited for the true ''museum-freak' however...

The good news is also that car traffic has been strictly restricted in the centre of Bruges: quite often, you will only come other pedestrians, cyclists and the odd horse-cart across, all along the trip.

Legends | More details (PDF)