Bruges (Brugge) , Belgium

Bruges (Dutch: Brugge, stemming from Bryggja, which assumedly used to signify 'landing stage' or 'port') is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.

The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It's egg-shaped and about 430 ha in size. The surface of the complete city amounts to more than 13,840 ha, including 193.7 ha off the coast, at Zeebrugge. The city's total population is more than 117,000, of which ca. 20,000 live in the historic centre.

Bruges has a significant economic importance, thanks to its port, and is also home to the College of Europe.

music:
Felix Mendelssohn - Songs without Words- Venetian Gondolied Op. 30, No. 6

Our man on the street:
"I am currently in Brugge in NW Belgium. It appears to be a quiet town with all old and small buildings, perhaps pre-Victorian, with a network of canals similar, but without the gondolas and singing rip-off-the-tourist gondoleers. I'll learn more tomorrow as we get a tour prior to dinner."