Belgium has many treasures -- chocolate, art, lace, mussels, etc., etc., etc., but one of it's greatest treasures is it's beautifully preserved medieval cities. Gent and Brugges are two of the most famous and were our focus today.
Gent, Belgiums's 3rd largest city, contains beautiful examples of the Gothic and Renaissance splendours of the Flemish life in the Middle Ages. We began our walking tour in the historical section of the city. Much of Gent's architectural glory can be seen along the old harbour where houses remain from sthe 15th and 16th century. Along the quay of the Leie River is a house with the oldest existing facade in Belgium, dating back to 1531. We passed over numerous bridges and looked down at reflection of the old homes in the river, made even more brilliantly clear by the bright sunlight. The Butcher's Guild contained Ganda hams(one of the specialities in Flenders) suspended from ancient roofs. Our walk ended at the Sint-Baafskathedraal, one of the finest Gothic churches of the Low Countries. By then we were ready to relax in an outdoor cafe and sip a mid-morning latte. What a life!!
Having experienced Brugges 10 years ago on one of the most miserable weather days ever – 37 degrees, pouring down rain and gale-force winds, I had been crossing my fingers that our beautiful weather would hold for our afternoon visit to Brugges. Fortunately, our luck held as it was 70 degrees and sunny. The cherry trees are in full bloom as are the tulips and the trees are bright green with new foliage.
An hour's drive west of Gent is the town of Brugges which seems to have come straight out of the Middle Ages. The city was a major exchange center in Europe in the 12th century, but by the 15th century the city began to decline due to the silting of the Zwin estuary and the decline of the cloth-making industry. The story of Brugges' reimergence reminded me of the history of Machu Picchu in Peru which was ignored for centuries and rediscovered in the early 1900's. In the 1960's UNESCO made Brugges a World Heritage site and this beautiful medieval city has became a must-see for anyone travelling to Belgium.
We walked through many old streets with ancient buildings and then boarded a boat for a scenic cruise through the canals. This is one of the best ways to actually see the homes. Lace and chocolate purchases followed the cruise with a stop at an outdoor cafe to sample famous Belgium beers. I'm not a beer drinker, but, on the recommendation of our guide, I tried a Cherry Beer and it was delicious. Actually, it tasted more like a Kir Royale than beer which is probably why I liked it.
We're on our way back to the boat and will be sailing to a new destination tonight.
Linda
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