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Bruges is one of the Northern European cities described as the Venice of the North, as the city
is built around a series of canals (reien) which were used for transportation of goods. The canals
and streets of central Bruges are lined with medieval buildings and 15th-18th century houses.
This page displays 62 images of canal and street scenes of Bruges. Another 62 images of
the magnificent architecture of Bruges are displayed on the Houses and Buildings page.
The Bruges display images have been created directly from the images that are available for purchase
(with a few exceptions), so the title bar text is smaller than title bars which are normally seen on this website.
Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Bruges Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 6 Galleries in the Photoshelter Bruges Collection (Direct Links):
Bruges: Burg Square
Market Square and Bell Tower
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw and Gruuthuse
Canal Scenes and Street Scenes
Bruges: Houses and Buildings
Statues and Sculptures
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Canal Scene Langerei at Sunrise 2324
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Sunrise on the Langerei canal, and 17th century houses with stepped gables on Potterierei.
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Canal Spinolarei at Sunrise Poortersloge 2326
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Spinolarei at Sunrise, lined with 17th-19th century houses. Jan van Eyckplein and the Poortersloge (Burgher’s Lodge) can be seen at the end of the canal. Poortersloge (1417) was a meeting place for wealthy 15th century burghers of Bruges.
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Canal Spinolarei at Sunrise Poortersloge 2328
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The same scene 2.5 minutes later, with a tourist boat. The light (and weather) changes radically from moment to moment in the Low Countries, but this was a beautiful morning. Canals once used for commercial traffic are now only for tourist boats.
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Canal Scene Sint-Annarei at Langestraat 2130
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Sint-Annarei canal from the Molenbrug bridge at Langestraat, with the Sint-Annakerk tower in the background at left.
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Canal Scene Sint-Annarei at Langestraat 2349
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Images of this scene were taken on two different days as a compositional study for the photographers I was teaching.
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Canal Scene Sint-Annarei at Langestraat 2352
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Sint-Annarei was made a part of the first city walls (1127) of Bruges. In 1750, the bridges
over the canal were replaced with swing-bridges to allow larger ships through the canal. These
were later replaced with the current stone bridges when the canals were no longer used for transport.
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Canal Scene Rozenhoedkaai Belfort 2664
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One of the most picturesque scenes in Bruges, both with and without a tourist boat. This is the Groenerei (Green Canal) and Dijver junction, also called the Rozenhoedkaai (Red Hat Quay), from which the tourist boats depart.
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Canal Scene Rozenhoedkaai Belfort 2665
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From the left are the Malvenda Perez house, the Wollestraat hotels, the 13th century Belfort (bell tower, one of the signature landmarks of Bruges), and the Duc de Bourgogne hotel and restaurant, just below the medieval towers of Burg Square.
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Erasmus Hotel Terrace at Rozenhoedkaai 2697
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Erasmus Hotel terrace at the end of the Rozenhoedkaai
(just beyond the tourist boat seen in the previous image).
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Canal Scene Augustijnenrei at Vlamingstraat 2592
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The Augustijnenrei, named for a defunct Augustine monastery which was founded in 1286 (now a park lined with lime trees).
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Canal Scene Augustijnenrei at Vlamingstraat 2590
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The Augustijnenrei was a part of the first city fortifications of Bruges, dug in 1127. In the distance at
the upper left is the Augustine Bridge (the image was taken from the Fleming Bridge at Vlamingstraat).
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Canal Scene
Groenerei at Uilenspiegel 2338
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The Groenerei (Green Canal) at the junction with the Coupure and Sint-Annarei canals, taken from the Uilenspiegel Terrace.
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Canal Scene Tourist Boats on
Groenerei at Uilenspiegel 2343
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The same scene with a tourist boat. This junction was used to bring cargo from the ring canal into the center of Bruges.
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Canal Scene Groenerei 2358
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A tourist boat passing the Peerdenbrug (Peerdenstraat
bridge, 1642) in the background of the two images above.
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Canal Scene Groenerei 2354
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A tourist boat passing the Meebrug (bridge at Meestraat),
built in 1390 over the Groenerei, west of the scene at left.
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Tourist Boat Race on Groenerei 2905
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Two tourist boat drivers getting competitive. The boats
are racing to be the first to reach the Meebrug opening.
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Tourist Boat Race on Groenerei 2908
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These two images were taken from the opposite side of the
bridge at Steenhouwersdijk near the Vismarkt (Fish Market).
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Canal Scene Groenerei Medieval Towers 2366
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Medieval towers of Bruges at Steenhouwersdijk, shot from the Meestraat bridge.
In the center is the Landhuis van het Brugse Vrije (Country House of the Liberty of Bruges)
or the Mansion of Bruges. The original structure of the Landhuis was built in the late 14th c.
The castle side shown in the image above was configured in 1528-32 and rebuilt in 1728.
Beyond the Landhuis towers are the Gothic towers of the Stadhuis (Town Hall, 1376).
To the right of the Stadhuis is the medieval Belfort (Bell Tower or Belfry, 1240).
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Canal Scene Spiegelrei Poortersloge 2154
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Houses on Spiegelrei (northern side of Spinolarei canal). On the far right are two Neo-Baroque houses rebuilt in the 19th c. next to two 17th century houses (consolidated in 1743). At left are the Koningsbrug (King’s Bridge) and the Poortersloge.
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Canal Scene Verversdijk and Sint-Annarei 2145
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Houses on Verversdijk (the western side of Sint-Annarei canal south of the Spinolarei junction). Number 12 (far right), called Den Hert (The Deer), was built in 1655 to replace the wooden facade of a 14th century medieval diephuis (deep house).
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Carthusian Nuns Monastery on Dijver 2070
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The rear facade of the Carthusian Nuns Monastery on the Dijver (the front facade is on Kartuizerinnenstraat).
The complex was built from the 16th through the 18th centuries, and it housed the Carthusian community of nuns
until the order was finally suppressed and the monastery abolished in 1783 (it is now a military museum and chapel).
The Dijver runs from the Rozenhoedkaai to the Gruuthuse Bridge, and is part of the original course of the Reie river.
The Dijver and the street running beside it are the oldest in Bruges. From 1127 it was part of the first city wall.
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Carthusian Nuns Monastery on Dijver 2066
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A view of the Carthusian nuns monastery
from further down on the Dijver Canal.
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Duc de Bourgogne and Huidevettershuis 2684
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The towers of Burg Square rise above Duc de Bourgogne
Hotel and the Huidenvettershuis (Tanner’s Guild House).
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Malvenda Perez House Belfort Rozenhoedkaai 2874
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Nepomucenus Bridge and Malvenda Perez house (15th c., left), Wollestraat hotels and the Belfort (bell tower),
at the junction of the Dijver at the Groenerei (Green Canal), forming the Rozenhoedkaai (Rose Hat Quay) where
the tourist boats dock. This is opposite from the Duc de Bourgogne and Huidenvettershuis (the previous image).
Huis Perez de Malvenda once belonged to the humanist Juan Perez de Malvenda. The Late Gothic house was built at the end of the 15th c. and modified extensively by Malvenda in the 16th century. Juan Perez de Malvenda (1511-1605) was instrumental in protecting the relic of the Holy Blood, brought to Bruges by Thierry of Alsace and stored in the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
During the Calvinist turmoil of Sept. 1578, iconoclasts from Ghent invaded Bruges and sacked every church and chapel in the city. The City Council decided to gather all of the ecclesiastical treasures and store them in the Stadhuis (Town Hall). The Brotherhood of the Holy Blood gave the relic to Guild member Perez de Malvenda, who placed it in a lead coffin and buried that in a wooden coffin in his garden for six years, until in November 1584 the city came under control of the Spanish Authorities again, and Perez de Malvenda gave the relic to the Bishop of Bruges.
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Canal Scene Rozenhoedkaai Belfort 2863
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Swans traverse the Rozenhoedkaai between the Wollestraat hotels and the Duc de Bourgogne, overlooked by the Belfort.
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Canal Scene Rozenhoedkaai Belfort 2875
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This is one of the most picturesque scenes in Bruges. The
13th century Belfort (bell tower) is in the center background.
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Canal Scene Rozenhoedkaai Belfort 2878
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Rozenhoedkaai (Rose Hat Quay) at the junction of the Groenerei (Green Canal) with the Dijver,
with Malvenda Perez house, the Wollestraat hotels and the Belfort (bell tower) on the left, and the
Duc de Bourgogne hotel and restaurant and the Huidenvettershuis (Tanner’s Guild House) at right.
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Rozenhoedkaai Swans 2868
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Mute Swans swimming on the Rozenhoedkaai, with Malvenda Perez house,
the Wollestraat hotels and the 13th century Belfort (and a serendipitous rainbow).
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Mute Swan Groenerei at Uilenspiegel 2347
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A Mute Swan traversing the Groenerei at the Uilenspiegel.
Swans are a symbol of Bruges. In 1488, Duke Maximilian of Austria was imprisoned at the
Craenenburg House on Market Square. One of his councilors (Pieter Lanchals, “long neck”)
was tortured and executed in front of Maximilian, husband of Duchess Mary of Burgundy, later
the Holy Roman Emperor. When the Duke was released and regained power, he forced Bruges
to keep swans on the canals for eternity (the swan was a symbol on the Lanchals’ Coat of Arms).
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Bruges Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 6 Galleries in the Photoshelter Bruges Collection (Direct Links):
Bruges: Burg Square
Market Square and Bell Tower
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw and Gruuthuse
Canal Scenes and Street Scenes
Bruges: Houses and Buildings
Statues and Sculptures
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Geernaartstraat and Belfort 1943
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The Geernaartstraat entrance to Market Square, with the
13th century Belfort (bell tower, 1240) in the background.
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Bruges Shopping Korte Zilverstraat 1963
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A couple strolls down Korte Zilverstraat (Short Silver Street),
with the iconic landmark bell tower of Bruges in the distance.
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Bruges Gelmuntstraat 1952
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17th-18th century shops and buildings on Gelmuntstraat.
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Bruges Gelmuntstraat 1954
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A bicyclist passes shoppers on Gelmuntstraat in Bruges.
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Bicyclists on Sint-Salvator Kerkhof 2517
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Two girls on bicycles pass Cathedral Sint-Salvator
on the Sint-Salvator Kerkhof on their way to school.
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Vuldersreitje at Langestraat Bruges 2137
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Weathered brick at the side of a 14th century breedhuis
(broad house), corner of Vuldersreitje and Langestraat.
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Bruges Langestraat 2136
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The view down Langestraat from Koopmansstraat. The 17th century house with stepped gable is next door to the 1850 facade of the 14th c. house shown in the previous image.
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Walplein Onze-lieve-Vrouw Sunrise 2792
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Walplein Restaurants at sunrise, with the brickwork tower of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in the background left. The Walplein was a trading place for Walloons and French merchants.
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Eiermarkt Entrance to Market Square 1950
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The Eiermarkt (Egg Market) entrance to Grote Markt (Market Square), with the 13th c. Belfort (bell tower) at the right. The Tavern “Te Buerze” (17th century) is at the end of the street.
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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerkhof-Zuid 2029
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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerkhof-Zuid (Church of Our Lady Court South) with the 19th c. Neo-Gothic Rectory and garden gate beside two Neo-Classical and Art-Nouveau homes.
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Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerkhof-Zuid 2027
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The Art-Nouveau facade of OLV-Kerkhof-Zuid 6-8 (left)
next to Neo-Renaissance facades of the two diephuizen
(deep houses) at numbers 10-12 (all were built in 1904).
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Steenstraat and Belfort 2193
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The Baroque Eclectic and Neo-Renaissance facades of two late 19th century to early 20th century buildings surround the stepped gable of Den Arent on Steenstraat (built in 1626). The streets in Bruges offer a variety of architectural styles.
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Bruges Academiestraat 2167
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A 17th c. (pink) Neo-Baroque facade with stepped gables next to the 17th century State Archives building (see right). At the end of the street are 15th c. diephuizen (deep houses). The yellow 15th c. diephuis was named the “Sint-Sebastiaan”.
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Poortersloge and State Archives 2169
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A steep oblique of the 17th century State Archives building beside the Neo-Gothic tower and cornice of the Burgher’s Lodge (Poortersloge), which was built between 1395-1417.
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Bruges Grauwwerkersstraat 2172
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The 14th century building at left is the Friet Museum. Only in Bruges would you find a museum glorifying the French Fry. The building at the end of the street is a 17th c. diephuis.
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Bruges Grauwwerkersstraat 2176
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The Eclectic facade of a Neo-Bruges-style diephuis (1907), on Grauwerkerstraat a block from the 14th c. potato palace.
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Naaldenstraat and Heilig-Hartkerk at Sunrise 2304
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The Neo-Bruges house on Grauwwerkerstraat shot at sunrise from Naaldenstraat with the tower of Heilig-Hartkerk (the former Jesuit church of Bruges) in the background.
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Korte Sint-Annastraat and Sint-Annakerk 2142
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Korte Sint-Annastraat (Short St. Anna Street), is one of the narrower medieval streets. The Sint-Annakerk Tower is in the background framed by the medieval buildings.
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Bruges Moerstraat at Sint-Jakobsplein 2187
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Numbers 26 and 28 Moerstraat at Sint-Jakobsplein are two 15th century diephuizen (deep houses) restored in the 1890s.
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Bruges Sint-Jakobskerk 2182
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Sint-Jakobskerk and No. 26 Moerstraat, the Presbytery. The 15th century diephuis was restored with a Neo-Gothic facade and stepped gable only partially inspired by the original.
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Bruges Stoofstraat 2810
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One of the narrowest streets in Bruges (you can easily touch both sides), Stoofstraat (Stove Street) was once where you could get a hot bath (it was also a part of the red-light district).
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Bruges Stoofstraat 2812
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The medieval court at the end of the narrow street shown at left. The narrow part of Stoofstraat cuts between buildings on Katelijnestraat and ends in a U-shaped court off the Walplein.
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Bruges Ontvangerstraat and Hotel du Sablon 1975
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Ontvangerstraat with the Grand Hotel du Sablon at the end.
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Canal Houses on Groenerei 2355
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16th century canal houses on the Groenerei (Green Canal).
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Bruges Timmermansstraat 2140
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Houses on Timmermansstraat just off Molenmeers.
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Bruges Park Lane at Sunrise 2322
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Early morning sunlight illuminates a park lane in Bruges.
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Vlaamsche Pot Helmstraat 1977
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Vlaamsche Pot on Helmstraat, where you can get
Belgian Pancakes and other traditional Flemish dishes.
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Stedelijk Conservatorium Organ Hall 2190
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The Stedelijk Conservatorium Organ Hall on Geerwijnstraat with a bust of Bruges organist Marc Houterman (1537-1577).
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Lingerie Sonia and Muntpoort 1958
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Near the Prinsenhof (see the Houses and Buildings page) is the Muntpoort, a medieval gate. It leads into the Muntplein, a square with shops and boutiques, one of which is above.
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Lingerie Sonia Muntplein 1957
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Lingerie Sonia is in a combination broadhouse/deephouse which was rebuilt in the 1960s. The building beyond it is a 17th c. diephuis built over the Marcus Gerard mint (1562).
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St. John’s Hospital at Sunrise 2708
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Sint-Janshospitaal is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe. The earliest documentation dates from 1188. This is the oldest part on Mariastraat across from Onze-Lieve-Vrouw.
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St. John’s Hospital at Sunrise 2711
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It was in operation until the 1970s, when a new general
hospital was built in Bruges, and Sint-Jans was converted
into a cultural and meeting center and the Memling Museum.
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More images of St. John’s Hospital are available on the Houses and Buildings page.
Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Bruges Collection page where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 6 Galleries in the Photoshelter Bruges Collection (Direct Links):
Bruges: Burg Square
Market Square and Bell Tower
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw and Gruuthuse
Canal Scenes and Street Scenes
Bruges: Houses and Buildings
Statues and Sculptures
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Click the image above to return to the Bruges Index page
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