Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

The city's name is believed to derive from the Old Norse bryggja, meaning landing stage or wharf, and Bruges' fortunes reached their zenith in the 13th and early 14th centuries, when the city was the most important trading center in northwestern Europe.

Things went downhill until the late 19th century, when Bruges once more came ‘back to life', ironically almost entirely due to Georges Rodenbach's novel "Bruges la Morte", which awakened international interest in what had become a sleepy backwater.

It was a justified motive that prompted UNESCO in 2000 to include the entire historical city centre on the World Heritage list.

The current city boundaries still coincide exactly with those of the medieval city centre, and the spaces and structures that were so typical of Bruges in the past have been preserved.
Walking along the maze of winding cobbled alleys and romantic canals, you imagine yourself to be in medieval times.