Page 114 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

112  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

1 Bruges E Historium
Markt 1. Tel (050) 270311. Open 10am–
The city of Bruges originated as a 9th-century fortress built 6pm (last entry 5pm) daily. Closed
to defend the coast against the Vikings. Dominated by the 1 Jan. & 8 7 ∑ historium.be
French and then the dukes of Burgundy, Bruges became one An interactive experience that
of Europe’s most sophisticated cities and an international takes visitors back in time,
Historium shows what the city
trading hub, famed for its extravagance and luxury. Today, the was like in the 15th century
city owes its pre-eminent position to the beauty of its historic through displays, film, music
centre, whose cobbled lanes and meandering canals are lined by and special effects. Using an
medieval buildings. There is a lively cultural scene, embodied in audio guide in a choice of
the Concertgebouw, an innovative concert hall built to celebrate languages, visitors take a one-
hour self-guided tour through
Bruges’s status as a European City of Culture in 2002.
the themed rooms and immerse
themselves in historical scenes
such as the bustling old port
P The Markt and painter Van Dyck’s studio.
Bruges’s main square, an open
space lined with 17th-century E Choco-Story
houses and overlooked by the Wijnzakstraat 2 (St-Jansplein), Bruges.
Belfort on one side, has held a Tel (050) 612237. Open 10am–5pm
market since the 10th century. daily. Closed 2nd week of Jan. & =
On the eastern side is the Neo- ∑ choco-story.be
Gothic Provinciaal Hof, built Set in a 15th-century former wine
between 1881 and 1921. This tavern known as the Huis de
denotes Bruges’s status as the Croon, this museum of choc olate
capital of the Province of West shows, through exhibits and
Vlaanderen. In the middle of tastings, how cocoa is made into
the square is a statue of Pieter chocolate. Choco-Story’s artifacts
de Coninck and Jan Breydel, cover the history of chocolate
two 14th-century guildsmen from its origins in Central
who led a bloody rebellion America to all aspects of its trade.
known as the Bruges Matins The medieval Belfort, towering over the The same building houses the
against French troops in 1302. roofs of the city centre Lumina Domestica, a museum
of domestic lighting that
P The Belfort the treasury chamber where displays the private collection of
Markt 7. Tel (050) 448743. the town’s rights and privileges around 6,500 lamps, starting
Open 9:30am–6pm daily. & were stored, to the roof, which with pre-historic oil lamps.
Built between the 13th and offers delightful panoramic
15th centuries, the Belfort is an views of the city and its E Friet Museum
octagonal bell tower that rises surroundings. The Belfort also Vlamingstraat 33, Bruges. Tel (050)
to a height of 83 m (272 ft) and contains a famous caril lon, 340150. Open 10am–5pm daily.
dominates the Markt. Inside the with 47 bells that can be played Closed second week of Jan. & 7
tower, 366 steps lead up, past from a keyboard. 0 ∑ frietmuseum.be
Belgian chips or fries (friet in
Dutch and frites in French) are
widely acknowledged as the
best in the world. The Friet
Museum reveals the secrets of
this national culinary triumph –
the choice of potato, its cut and
frying, its history (right back to
the ancient Americas) plus every-
thing associated with the Belgian
passion for friet. Visitors can also
taste the product of all this
dedi cated research. The museum
is arranged in the modernized
interior of the 14th-century
Saaihalle (Serge-weavers’ Hall), a
building which, until 1516, had
served as the Genoese Lodge,
the headquarters of traders from
Bruges’s medieval buildings flanking the canalized River Reie the Italian port-city of Genoa.
For hotels and restaurants see pp266–7 and pp283–4

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