Bruges: The Dead City

From Amsterdam, I went to Bruges in Belgium. "Why Bruges, why not Brussels?" you may ask. I went to Bruges simply because everyone goes there, and it is supposed to be a more touristy city, the so-called "Venice of the North" because of its extensive canals.

Brussels was supposed to be just a busy city, and it was when I went through it. It had been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and everyone and their cousin advertised a trip to Bruges from Amsterdam. 

The building on the right side of the street is where I stayed. You can see a miniscule signboard with "Snuffel" written on it. The street was indeed beautiful.

The reception of my hostel where I stayed. 

The entire population of Belgium, the county is around 11 million as of 2018, which is slightly more than my city of Hyderabad at 8.7 million. The population of Bruges, the city is about 117,000. Banjara Hills, a locality where I stay, will have slightly more.

A wet street in Bruges after a drizzle.

It was only after I reached Bruges that I figured out the city was long dead. "Die Tote Stadt" (The Dead City) was what an Opera called it a century ago. The street where I stayed had shops, restaurants, hotels. Most of the city's population at least in the city center seemed to subsist on the tourism. 

A view of the Bruges Markt (market square)

While Bruges had some settlements even in the 1st Century BCE, Bruges had its Golden Age from the 12th to the 15th Centuries. 

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Belfry at the Markt (market square) in Bruges

It seems to have gained prominence as a port with a tidal inlet from the sea, and exported woolens, and wine. The merchants and trade brought huge wealth and Bruges even established the first ever stock exchange in the 1300's. 

After the 1500's, Bruges went into decline, with the Zwin Channel (Golden Inlet) from the sea silting up. Bruges lost out to Antwerp and to cities like Venice as a seaport.Attempts were made to revive it through lace exports in the 1700's but it fizzled out by 1900's

Another view of Markt (market square) at Bruges

The decline of Bruges after the 15th Century and the population moving away is perhaps one of the reasons for the excellent state in which medieval brick architecture is preserved here!

View from Rozenhoedkaai - where rosaries were sold in stalls by the quay.

View from Rozenhoedkaai - 2

A genuine local Belgian who was offering an English Language Walking Tour. He seemed to be against the English, Americans (but then, they all are), Vikings, French (they had fought against the French), and assorted nationalities. 

These are the statues of the Flemish militia (Jan Breydel and Pieter De Coninck) who fought in the Battle of the Golden Spurs against the French. I have no doubt that I will soon forget their names having rediscovered them just now. I'm bad at European names.

An old abandoned house across the bridge

 Church of Our Lady Bruges

Gruuthuse Hof - a nice restaurant

One of the city's beer brewers built an underground pipeline from his brewery De Halve Maan ("Half Moon") to a bottling plant around 3.3 kms out of the city, just so all his trucks would not damage the city. We now have 12,000 bottles of beer flowing beneath our feet every hour!

A vivid rendition of a landscape in Bruges. Dark skies, and contrasting blacks are used in this composition. The reflection in the water is emphasized. The viewer is not in control in this picture, where the lines and shapes are detailed out.

A dreamy, light and airy rendition of the same landscape in Bruges. The details are hinted at, allowing the viewer to imagine them as in a painting. Pastel colors are used with high graininess. Both of these renditions are from the same capture.