Bruges Daily Photo blog

Autumn skyline

2010-11-07T14:57:00.000+01:00

Grey dark weather this weekend in Bruges but tons of people out on the streets. In the foreground of this picture you see the new station building which holds a lot of office space, in the background some 800-years older buildings.

Sunrise

2010-11-05T17:32:00.002+01:00

Early Sunrise @ the béguinage

Brewery 'Halve Maan'

2010-11-04T12:52:00.006+01:00

This is the terrace of brewery 'Halve Maan' in the center of Bruges. This is the only family brewery still active in Bruges and is famous for it's beer named 'Brugse Zot'. It received a lot of national and international awards. There are several guided tours a day. A 'must do' if you visit our city !
site: http://www.halvemaan.be

Winter

2009-08-28T12:59:00.009+02:00

This picture was taken @ 'minnewaterpark' (lake of love).

Flee Market

2008-01-23T20:22:00.001+01:00

Every wednesday, there's a small flee-market next to the canals which attracts a lot of locals & tourists. Even in wintertimes it can be very busy overthere.

Renovations

2008-01-22T19:01:00.000+01:00

This is a view through the window in my living room. You recognise the 3 tallest towers in Bruges. In the foreground you see the station. Within one year, this scene will be completely different. The station will get a very modern look with office buildings & shops and the square with the trees will be replaced with an event-hall, owned by the city government. Can't wait till it's ready !

rain rain rain ...

2008-01-21T18:59:00.000+01:00

... it keeps on raining here. There's also a very strong wind and the days are very dark. But we'll look always on the bright side of life. Only 4 workdays to go and it's weekend !

Busy busy

2008-01-20T19:58:00.000+01:00

What a busy weekend! Did 2 photoshoots, 5 shops, family passing by, went out saturdaynight in Bruges but i've finally found time to post a picture. Here, you'll see the backside of the church which is located in the beguinage.

Japanese Tourists

2008-01-17T21:48:00.000+01:00

It's raining, It's 3°C, there's a strong wind, you may guess twice what you see on the street: Japanese tourists. I don't know where they come from, every day again, every week again, every year again, but they are very welcome, those yellow friends :-)

Bruges & Swans

2008-01-16T19:58:00.000+01:00

One of the symbols of Bruges is the swan. There are always plenty of them on the 'Minnewater'. There exists a nice legend about the swans of Bruges. In 1488 the people of Bruges had executed one of the town administrators belonging to the court of Maximilian of Austria, husband and successor of duchess Mary of Burgundy. The town administrator was called 'Pieter Lanchals', a name which means ' long neck'. The Lanchals family coat of arms featured a white swan. Legend has it that Maximilian punished Bruges by obliging the population to keep swans on their lakes and canals till eternity. Most of these legends and romantic interpretations come from the 19th century. Believe them or not : the beautiful 'Minnewater' deserves them.

The Apple Store

2008-01-15T19:56:00.000+01:00

Some of you know that I'm a real Mac-Addict. Steve Jobs just ended his keynote speach and introduced some great new products like the thinnest notebook in the world: Macbook Air and Time Capsule. So what has this to do with Bruges? Eugh ... Well, even Bruges got his own Apple store, actually, there are 2 of them and you see me a lot overthere. This one is in the Zilverstraat (the 2nd largest shopping street). Thank you Steve, thank you ... :-)

Castle Minnewater

2008-01-14T19:16:00.000+01:00

The castle is an example of neo-Gothic architecture. Built in 1890 after a plan of the architect Charles De Wulf for Leon De wulf. The city council bought the castle, named La Faille, in 1980 and managed (bye expansion) to adjoin its park completely to the cnalize lake, the Minnewater. The castle is now transformed into a restaurant.

Wijngaardplein

2008-01-13T19:08:00.000+01:00

This picture is taken on the Wijngaardplein (Vineyard square). It's located between the 'minnewater' (see yesterday's post) and the Beguinage. Overthere you'll find a lot of Mute swans, who are also inextricable bound up with Bruges. In the background you'll see the 'One Lieve Vrouwekerk' (Church of Our Lady).

Minnewater

2008-01-12T18:51:00.001+01:00

Due to some very busy schedule, I wasn't able to post everyday last week. But that period is over so here we go again. The picture above is a view of the minnewater, wich means 'water for the loved ones'. In spring and summer, this place is just georges. In wintertimes, like now, it's still beautifull but it doesn't show all its charmes.

Bruges & roofs

2008-01-09T18:47:00.000+01:00

Typical for Bruges are the houses with a triangular roof and stair-cased sides like the ones you see in the background of this picture. Owners of those houses may not renovate the outlook of there house without permission of the mayor.

Also bicycles are very popular since they are the fastest vehicles for the residents in the small medeival streets.

Tower in sunrise

2008-01-08T19:24:00.000+01:00

In the middle ages, Bruges was protected by a big wall. That wall is completely disappeared by now, but some towers still remain. This is one of those towers in the Gentpoortstraat, as seen in an early sunrise.

Just a fine day

2008-01-05T17:07:00.000+01:00

Nice weather this afternoon, so I went out for a walk. I spotted this nice hotel, about 2 km from the market. It offers a great view on the canals. It's located in the 'Hoogstraat'.

Chapel of The Holy Blood

2008-01-04T19:23:00.000+01:00

The chapel of the Holy Blood is actually a double chapel which can be visited on the 'Burg' square. (constructed in the 12th century). It contains the relic of the Holy Blood.

One of the apocryphal gospels mentions that Joseph of Arimathea preserved the blood after he had washed the dead body of Jesus. Tradition has it that count 'Diederik van den Elzas' brought the relic containing the blood of Christ from Jerusalem to Bruges after the second crusade.

The adoration of the relic is at the origin of the internationally famous 'Procession of the Holy Blood' which passes every year on Asuncion day during the month of May through the streets of Bruges. Citizens of Bruges dressed in historical costumes enact during this procession biblical scenes and re-enact the arrival of the Count of Flanders who brings the Holy relic to Bruges.

Just another one...

2008-01-03T18:51:00.000+01:00

I think it's easy to make beautifull pictures: come to Bruges, take a shot of whatever you want and make the Belfry visible on it, 'et voila': great picture !

Brewery De Gouden Boom

2008-01-02T17:20:00.000+01:00

Not everything in Bruges is old! During a walk across the cannals I saw this nice renovated building. This was the location of brewery 'De Gouden Boom' but is now converted into 40 modern appartments. A lot of people in the neighbourhood were anger about this project but I think the result is pretty nice.

Happy New Year !

2008-01-01T17:49:00.000+01:00

We survived! Big celebrations this night in the center of Bruges. The market was packed with thousands of people, it was on the national TV news. Now, i'm too tired to type something, just a view on some restaurants on the market. Bonne nuit !

The end is near ...

2007-12-31T15:12:00.000+01:00

No boats on the cannels. No big crowds in the streets. Lots of crowds in the supermarkets. People are dressing up, getting ready for that special night.

The Market in Bruges is expecting 12.000 people at midnight (full = full).

Magic is comming. At least, that's what everybody hopes. Maybe 2008 will be the year that our dreams come true.
Best wishes to all my visitors, c u all back ...
... next year

Dextro

Cinderella's Castle.

2007-12-30T17:45:00.000+01:00

If I would say that this its the place where Cinderella is born, you problably would believe it. But i't not :-) Actually it's the backside of a resident's house in the 'Langestraat'.

Breidelstraat

2007-12-29T14:50:00.000+01:00

This picture is taken in the 'breidelstraat'. It connects the 2 mayor squares in Bruges. It's a verry small street with lots of restaurants and tourist shops. It's also the location of the 'Delvaux Shop' where they sell the verry expensive but famous lether bags (http://www.delvaux.com). In the back, you have a view of the Belfry tower.

'Burg' square

2007-12-28T14:46:00.000+01:00

Bruges is a city with two town squares. The largest one is the Market, the commercial heart of medieval Bruges. The second square is called the 'Burg'. Here was, and still is, the heart of the administrative Bruges. This picture is a view on the burg. In the background you see the administrative buildings where the courthouse was located in the early 80'ies. On the right side, you see the town hall.

When I took this picture, a seagull was flying by which makes this a very beautifull picture (I hope).

Town Hall

2007-12-27T11:30:00.000+01:00

This is a view on the backside of the townhall (Orange Building). It was here that Count Baldwin I had a fortified castle built to protect the area against the ramping Normans and Vikings. The castle has long since disappeared as well as the main religious building of Bruges, the St. Donatius church, which stood on the opposite site of the town hall.

In front you see one of the canals wich float through Bruges, called 'the reitjes'. Those canals & the beauty of all the buildings makes a lot of people say that Bruges is the Venice of the north. Or is Venice the Bruges of the south ?

2007-12-26T15:54:00.000+01:00

I went to the center this afternoon, thinking that there wouldn't be to much people on the street the day after Xmas. Boy was I wrong ! Thousands of people in the shopping streets. Buses dropping tourist, looking for chocolate & lace. And a lot of people skating on the market. Temperature is about 6°C so exellent for some body movements!

The Belfry

2007-12-25T14:31:00.000+01:00

This is a view on the belfry by night (heigt: 88 meters). This building dates from the 13th century and counts 366 stairs. It's housing a municipal Carillon comprising 47 bells. The city still employs a full-time bell ringer, Aimé Lombaért, who puts on regular free concerts. It houses the former city treasury, in which Bruges' valuables (money and royal charters) were once kept.

The building on the left side of the water is one of the most expensive hotels in Belgium and one of the most romantic in Europe, named 'Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce'. It has 16 rooms, but it's hard to find a free room, especially in this holliday season!