Country Article / Postcards

The Medieval Town That Time Forgot

Date: 10/18/2006

Anyone with a passing interest in kings and castles will love a visit to Bruges, a tiny town in Belgium that was, 700 years ago, a bustling commercial town on a river--until the river dried up. Bruges became a backwater town, and because it was forgotten, the early medieval architecture remains untouched. It's like a mini Venice, criss-crossed with canals.

People are drawn to Europe by its history--the crumbling foundation of an old Roman fort or the ruined walls of a castle can capture the imagination. Bruges is worth a visit for anyone who enjoys seeing history in one piece.

Only a few miles inland from the chilly waters of the North Sea, Bruges is nestled in the gentle plains of Belgium, and has a history stretching back well over a thousand years. By the 11th century, it was a bustling trading center located near a strategic coastal point in northwest Europe. Thousands of talented craftsmen, eager traders, affluent merchants, and culture connoisseurs came to seek riches and see the wonders of the wealthy city. But in the early 12th century, a catastrophic event caused Bruges to fall into a downward spiral. A storm flood destroyed the natural outlet between the city and the sea, cutting Bruges off from the tradesmen’s ships. For the next 300 years, the city struggled to maintain its connection with the sea through a small canal, and continue the display of arts and culture that had awed so many visitors in the past. But by the early 1500s, nothing could stop the downward momentum. The city became a backwater, forgotten and abandoned, frozen in its medieval past while the rest of Western Europe surged forward.

Luckily for us, Bruges stayed stuck in the past for the next few hundred years. Today, visitors can wander the same narrow cobblestone streets that more than 40,000 people hurried through on their daily business almost a millennium ago. Now, less than half that number calls the houses lining those streets home, showing how great a city Bruges truly was in its time.

Relax in a comfortable wicker chair and enjoy lunch in one of the outdoor cafés circling the city square. Across the wide space of cobblestones, you’ll see the tall tower of the belfry. Inside the tower are 366 steps, with a rewarding view of the city and countryside at the top. Beyond the Belfry is the pink-brick spire of one of the city’s most beautiful old churches.

If you’re itching to spend a few euros, satisfy your sweet tooth with a bag of Belgian chocolate buttons or a hot Belgian waffle dripping with chocolate or dusted with sugar. Stop by the Tintin shop in city square for memorabilia of the famous cartoon boy detective, or invest in a delicate, hand-woven piece of Flemish lace, a famous local craft. And previous visitors to the city swear by it as the best place to get a deal on fine jewelry and Belgian diamonds.

Start your day of exploring by walking through a green park filled with bright blooming flowers and tall, leafy trees, and then you’ll enter the old city. Winding cobblestone streets are lined with traditional Flemish stone houses with orange tiled roofs and decorative doors. The old city is interlaced with canals, and the best way to see everything is to take a tour on a canal boat. As you pass between the backs of houses disappearing straight down into the water, and huge trees leaning over the canal banks, your guide will tell you stories of Bruges’s history--and don’t forget to duck your head as you pass under ancient, moss-covered bridges. You’ll pass by the old fish market, a small square tucked away by the canal where hundreds of years ago, locals with baskets over their arms haggled for the day’s catch. You’ll never forget your day in Bruges--it’s almost as good as going back in time.

Kelsey Strachan
For International Living