The canals of Bruges

Earlier this summer I visited Bruges, one stop on a trip to the Low Countries which also included Lille, Ghent and Antwerp. In addition to visiting numerous art galleries and museums, I managed to do some sketching and took many photographs.

Bruges is the capital and largest city in the Flemish region of Belgium. The city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, by virtue of its canals, is often referred to as the Venice of the North. From the 12th to 15th centuries the city was an important commercial centre due to its strategic location at the crossroads of both northern and southern trade routes. Commodities included wool from Scotland and England , grain from Normandy, and spices from Portugal and the Levant. The weavers and spinners of Bruges were considered to be the best in the world.

Bruges has been one of the world’s major tourist destinations since the late19th century. Unlike Antwerp, it survived both World Wars with virtually no damage and the city continues to attract visitors to its historic centre to this day.

These are a few of the images I have produced from this trip for the last few weeks.