Bruges from the Canals

Bruges, locally known as Brugge, is located in Belgium and often referred to as “The Venice of the north.” It is a medieval city filled with beautiful buildings and winding canals.

There are a series of canals that meander throughout the city. Historically, canals play an important role in Bruges. According to the Belgium Travel Network, Bruges lies inland and its canals are believed to be formed from floods of the North Sea. “The Flemish name 'Brugge' is probably derived from the Latin word 'Rogia' (which was the Latin name of the 'Reie' the river which flowed through Bruges), and the Scandinavian word 'Bryggia', which meant 'mooring place'” (http://www.trabel.com/brugge/bruges-canals.htm). Canals allowed for trade in the Middle Ages and explains why much of the city is built up around the waterways.

Today, the canals are more of a tourist attraction instead of means for transportation. The tranquil stream of the blue waters and arched bridges add to the ambiance of Bruges. For about 5 Euro, one can embark on a thirty minute boat tour through the canals. Walking over the stone bridges is one thing, but gliding under them is a whole other experience! I would recommend this to others who plan on visiting, as the tour of the city from the canals was quite memorable.

After walking around all morning with my overfilled backpack and bags of souvenirs, it was a relief just to sit down for half an hour. The sun began to beat down on us, but the boat went fast enough where I could feel the wind in my hair and I wasn’t constantly thinking about how hot I was. We were packed on the boat like sardines, but the close proximity of everyone permitted some small talk with others from around the globe.



There were several highlights of the boat tour. We had a nice view of the Church of Our Lady where Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child sculpture is housed. This church was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries. Its soaring spire can easily be spotted and is representative of Gothic architecture.



As seen in the pictures, there are many swans who bask in the canals. They gravitate towards one particular part of the canal called Minnewater, which is actually a canalized lake.

To learn more about Minnewater and the legend of the swan in Bruges, visit this website:
http://www.trabel.com/brugge/bruges-minnewater.html

Our tour guide was also a major part of the experience as he was entertaining with his witty remarks. All jokes aside, his passion for his hometown and country was evident. It was easy to share his energy and enthusiasm for the city of Bruges. He was very proud of Bruges’ history, current state, and people.

My absolute favorite part of the canal tour was seeing this:



If you are lucky, you will get a chance to see this precious pup, only visible from the canal. Most days he can be found basking in the sun. According to our tour guide, he is adorned by all who lay eyes on him. Everyone on my boat tour “oohed” and “aahed” as the boat came to a stop so everyone could snap some pictures.