Bruges (Brugge) is without doubt one of the gems of northwest Europe, offering the visitor a rich combination of history and Flemish architectural splendours in a compact city centre, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The city followed this up by becoming a European Capital of Culture two years later. Its importance as a destination belies its relatively small size (Bruges’ population stands at around 117,000), attracting millions of visitors year-round.

The city’s name is believed to derive from the Old Norse ‘bryggja’, meaning ‘landing stage’ or ‘wharf’, although it seems the Vikings restricted their visits to honest trade rather than violent raids. The present city grew from early medieval origins in the ninth century, although there is evidence of much earlier settlement in the area.

Bruges’ fortunes reached their zenith in the 13th and early 14th centuries, when the city was the most important trading centre in northwestern Europe, enjoying great status as part of the Hanseatic network. Decline began to set in the late 1400s, though, and Bruges fell prey to foreign rule, variously under Spanish, Austrian, French and Dutch control.

The city languished in the economic doldrums for centuries, the river silted up and cut off direct access to the sea, and it was not until the late 19th century that Bruges once more came ‘back to life’, ironically almost entirely due to Georges Rodenbach’s novel Bruges la Morte, which awakened international interest in what had become a sleepy backwater.

Modern Bruges, with its nearby port of Zeebrugge, is a dynamic, yet friendly, place, with a strong arts culture and all the ingredients of a successful tourist centre.