Page 116 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

114  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

Street-by-Street: The City Centre

One of the most popular destinations in Belgium, Bruges is an
unspoilt medieval town. The centre of the city is amazingly well
preserved, with winding streets that pass by pic turesque canals
lined with fine buildings. When the River Zwin silted up at the
end of the 15th century, the town’s trade was badly affected. It
was never heavily indus trialized and has retained most of its
medieval buildings. As a further bonus, Bruges also escaped
major damage in both World Wars. Today, the streets are well M A R K T
maintained – there are no billboards or high-rises, and traffic is
strictly regulated. All the major attractions are located within the
circle of boulevards that marks the line of the old medieval walls.

S T E E N S T R A A T S T - N I K L A A S S T R

The picturesque Rozenhoedkaai S S I L O P P E M S T R A A T
A charming introduction to Bruges is T M O O U D E B U R G
E
provided by the boat trips along the V N
city’s canal network. I N
P
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W
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T
M
R
A
A
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I A T R A T
S
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ST SALVATOR S K E R K H OF
Onthaalkerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw A T
The massive Welcome Church of
Our Lady took 200 years to build
and shows many architectural styles.
Sint-Janshospitaal
Six of the artist’s
works are shown in
the chapel of the
12th-century
St Janshospitaal that
was functioning as
late as 1976.
For hotels and restaurants see pp266–7 and pp283–4

114-115_EW_Belgium.indd 114 18/10/16 3:01 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm