Monuments and architecture

On the upper floor of this elegant 18th century city mansion with its picturesque garden the oeuvre of the versatile British artist Frank Brangwyn (1867-1956) is on display.

The most striking tower in Bruges dates back to the 13th century, is 83 metres high and is protected as a world heritage site.

From this mansion, the Liberty of Bruges (the countryside in a wide area around the city) was once governed.

This international music and art centre is one of the 1001 buildings you must see before you die. This international music and art centre is a place that offers the very best in contemporary dance and classical music. The impressive Concert Auditorium (1,289 seats) and intimate Chamber Music Hall (322 seats) are famed for their excellent acoustics.

The Ezelpoort was built during the construction of the second ring of ramparts in 1297.

This corner house was once the headquarters of the Florentine merchants and it dates back to the 13th century.

This literary and biographical museum about the life of Guido Gezelle (1830-1899), one of Flanders’ most famous poets, was established in the house where he was born, situated in a peaceful working-class district of the city.

In the museum you can journey through three crucial periods in the history of Bruges.

Pieter Bladelin, treasurer of the order of the Golden Fleece, had this city palace built around 1440.

This Gothic mansion was built in the second half of the 15th century by Jan III de Baenst (1483), a local politician and chamberlain of the Duke of Burgundy.

A gleaming terrestrial globe proudly sits on top of Boechoute, the house on the corner.

At the right corner of Wollestraat street you will undoubtedly notice this stately, late Gothic mansion, Perez de Malvenda House.

The first Kruispoort gate was built simultaneously with the second rampart (1297-1304) and already rebuilt in 1366.

The Poertoren tower, which rises more than 18 metres above the water line, was constructed in 1401 by master mason Jan van Oudenaerde and is a remnant of the late-medieval city walls.

The Guild of Saint Sebastian is an archers’ guild that has already been in existence for more than 600 years, which is unprecedented anywhere in the world.

Saint John’s Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe, dating back to the mid 12th century.

Windmills have graced Bruges’ ramparts ever since the construction of the outer city wall at the end of the 13th century. They had a key economic function until well into the 19th century.

The first Blacksmith’s Gate (Smedenpoort) dates from 1297-1299; the current gate was built on the remains of the old one in 1367.

The monumental City Hall (1376-1421) is one of the oldest in the Low Countries. It is from here that the city has been governed for more than 600 years.