A Quick Stop in Bruges
My next stop was a single day in what is perhaps Belgium’s most famous tourist city—Bruges.
Bruges, which lies at the center of medieval trade routes between England, France, and Germany, was the medieval business hub of mid Europe. This wealth led to plenty of construction, yielding the beautiful medieval buildings that make the city such an enchanting travel destination.
After checking in to my hostel, I made some new friends (one from Michigan) and walked to the town center to meet for a walking tour. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings, most of which were built either by the royalty of the time, or by the rich guilds (unions of tradesmen who did various crafts) that made Bruges so prosperous.
The tour guide began by explaining this economic prosperity and then the conflict that came with it. One story the residents of Bruges are quite fond of was that of the Battle of the Golden Spurs. One king of France decided that, as Bruges was not far from his kingdom, that he would demand tax payments from them and their business. After a couple of years of mistreatment by the French crown, certain residents of Bruges decided they’d had enough and massacred any Frenchmen they found within the Bruges city walls. As one might imagine, the French crown was not particularly happy about this and sent down their cavalry to destroy the Flemish militia that had gathered in Bruges. The militia met the French cavalry out on moist, boggy ground with pikes (long spears designed to stop cavalry charges) and were victorious. From the battlefield, they gathered the gold spurs from the fallen knights, and hung them in a church nearby (replicas hang there to this day). This victory is immortalized on a statue in the main square.
Of course, the French crown did come back with more troops and put a swift end to the militia, but one needs to look on the bright side!
The tour continued through various parts of central Bruges, first stopping at what is one of Europe’s oldest hospitals. I unfortunately did not have time to see the museum there, and would very much like to see it one day. The next highlight included a beautiful, closed community made for women only. The community has existed for hundreds of years, and apparently began as a place for widows of men who were killed fighting in the crusades to live. The courtyard was filled with beautiful old trees and was quite peaceful.
Afterwards we walked by a canal with a host of swans. A certain king who conquered Bruges through the years said that he would punish the city if the swans were not taken care of, and they have been so ever since. We then went through what was once the town’s red light district, and through a tiny little bridge that is a well know tourist picture spot (I didn’t get why). We finished the tour in a spot that allowed for all of Bruges’ main tourist flavors in one picture: canal, tower, and beer. Not sure if I got all of those in my pic.
After the tour, I teamed up with a few friends for the tour to eat some Belgian waffles. Unlike the waffle I’d had in Brussels, this one was amaaaazing. Truly. Exquisite.
After our waffles, we went to a few breweries, sampling the local brews. There was one beer that was particularly delicious (pictured below) that was a combination of a lambic (sour beer) and a sweet, wheat beer. It’s always fun to make new friends, and this group made for a particularly sweet afternoon.
Afterwards, I went back to the hostel to relax and sleep. A day well spent!
