Bruges, known as the Venice of the North, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The city center is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. The capital of the Belgian province of West Flanders, Bruges (or Brugge in Flemish) is the historical core of Flanders, where the first Count of Flanders built his fortress. With access to the sea via the series of canals running through the city, Bruges built itself as an important international trading center and the market for Flemish cloth and lace, as well as an international financial center (Medici and Osterling Banks, and others) and the warehousing center for the Hansa or Hanseatic League (a medieval trading monopoly of cities and guilds, 13th-17th century).

The Bruges section is now a six-page portfolio with nearly 300 images selected from the images in
the Photoshelter Bruges Collection. These display images have been created directly from the images
available for purchase, so the title bar text is smaller than title bars which are normally seen on this website.

—  Click a display composite below to select a 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

The medieval heart of Bruges, the Market Square (Grote Markt) contains the Provincial Palace and Neo-Gothic
Ministry of Public Works, the 12th c. Bell Tower and Cloth Market, and is surrounded by restaurants and shops.

Burg Square is the Administrative Center of Bruges. It is bordered on three sides by the
Landhuis van het Brugse Vrije (Mansion of Bruges), the Civil Registry and Gothic Town Hall,
and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which was the chapel of the Count of Flanders. The fourth
side was occupied by the Sint-Donatius Cathedral, destroyed during the French Revolution.

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) is one of the most notable landmarks in Bruges.
With its 122 meter (401 ft.) brick tower, the 2nd tallest in the world after St. Martin’s in Landshut,
it dominates the skyline of Bruges. Next to the church is the Gruuthuse, the former Palace of the
family who had the monopoly on Gruut (gruit), the herbal mixture which was used in medieval beer
prior to the conversion to hops-based beer from recipes brought from Bavaria in the 15th century.

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 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.

Central Bruges is the most well-preserved medieval city in Europe. Much of its architecture is
intact, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. This page displays 62 images
detailing some of the notable buildings and houses of Bruges. Another 62 images of medieval
and post-Renaissance architecture are displayed on the Canals and Street Scenes page.

There are sculptures all over Bruges, ranging from street Madonnas on the sides of buildings and
busts or statues of famous figures to Calvary compositions and amusing statues like the nun above.
While I concentrated on the architecture of Bruges, I did shoot some of the sculptures, and this page
displays 33 images of the Statuary of Bruges (more are displayed on other pages in this section).

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