"thought in Bruges that twinning was too often an occasion for city authorities and representatives to travel on public expense. This principle resulted, in the 1950s, in Bruges refusing a ""jumelage"" with Nice and other towns, signed by a Belgian ambassador without previous consultation. In the 1970s, a Belgian consul in Oldenburg made the mayor of Bruges sign a ""declaration of friendship"" which he tried to present, in vain, as a ""jumelage"". The twinning between some of the former communes, merged with Bruges in 1971, were discontinued. This does not mean that Bruges would not be interested in cooperation with"
"Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges, (Bisdom Brugge in native Dutch) is a suffragan diocese in ecclesiastical province of the primatial Metropolitan archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels (which covers all the Roman Catholic church in Belgium). The Renaissance diocese since 1558 was suppressed in 1801 during the Napoleonic and Dutch eras and restored in 1834 a pre-diocesan stage as Apostolic vicariate since 1832. Its territory coincides with West Flanders. Its cathedral episcopal see is the Sint-Salvator Cathedral, dedicated to Our Savior, in Bruges (Brugge), West Flanders province, a minor basilica a minor World Heritage Site. Its patron"
"Brugge railway station Station Brugge () is the main railway station in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. The station opened on 12 August 1838 on the Lines 50A, 51 and 66. The current building has been in use since 1939. The station is one of the busiest in Belgium. Train services are operated by NMBS/SNCB. The railway arrived in Bruges in 1838 when the Ghent to Bruges railway was opened, with King Leopold I and Queen Louise-Marie. A couple of weeks later the Bruges to Ostend railway was opened. In the first 6 years of its existence there was no station"
"Arrondissement of Bruges The Arrondissement of Bruges (; ) is one of the eight administrative arrondissements in the Province of West Flanders, Belgium. It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement. However, the Judicial Arrondissement of Bruges also comprises the municipalities of the Arrondissement of Ostend, most of the Arrondissement of Tielt (except the municipalities of Meulebeke, Dentergem, Oostrozebeke and Wielsbeke), as well as the municipality of Lichtervelde (in the Arrondissement of Roeselare). The Arrondissement of Bruges was created in 1800 as the first arrondissement in the Department of Lys (). It originally comprised the cantons of Ardooie, Bruges,"
"committees or by direct application to the College of Europe for individuals from a country where no selection committee exists. As of 2014, there are 28 national selection committees, one in every EU member state. The Bruges campus is situated in the centre of Bruges, which was appointed European Capital of Culture in 2002. Bruges is located in the Flemish Region of Belgium, a Dutch-speaking area, although the college does not use Dutch as one of its working languages. It consists of the following campus buildings: The college's main administrative building on the Bruges campus, with the reception, offices, classrooms"
"of territory to the Ancient Diocese of Tournai, shortly after a reshuffle of province borders involving a few municipalities, notably Moeskroen being transferred to Hainaut (which Tournai bishopric covers). In May 1958 it enjoyed a papal Visit from Pope John Paul II. A pederasty scandal saw its self-confessed, hardly remorseful bishop Roger Joseph Vangheluwe forced into 'early emeritate', traumatizing the entire Belgian church. Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges, (Bisdom Brugge in native Dutch) is a suffragan diocese in ecclesiastical province of the primatial Metropolitan archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels (which covers all the Roman Catholic church"
"the start of the annual ""Tour of Flanders"" cycle race, held in April and one of the biggest sporting events in Belgium. Football is also popular in Bruges; the city hosts two professional football teams, both of which play at the top level (Belgian First Division) Club Brugge K.V. are the current national champions, while the second team, Cercle Brugge K.S.V., was recently promoted to the first tier. Both teams play their home games at the Jan Breydel Stadium (30,000 seats) in Sint-Andries. There are plans for a new stadium for Club Brugge with about 45,000 seats in the north"
"20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008. Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North. Bruges has a significant economic importance, thanks to its port, and was once one of the world's chief commercial cities. Bruges is well known as the seat of the College of Europe, a university institute for European studies. The place is first mentioned in records as ""Bruggas, Brvggas,"
"Concertgebouw, Bruges The Concertgebouw (Concert building) is a cultural centre in Bruges, Belgium. Located at , it was completes in 2002 when Bruges was European Capital of Culture, designed by Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem. The building complex houses a large concert hall seating more than 1290 visitors on three levels and a chamber music hall seating 320. It features a café and room for exhibitions in the ""Lantaarntoren"" (Lantern Tower) which offers a view of the historic town. The building rests on 4,669 poles. The interior is rather sober, and the halls offer excellent acoustics, thanks to advanced technology."
"October 1918 by the allies. From 1940 in World War II the city again was occupied by the Germans and again spared destruction. On 12 September 1944 it was liberated by Canadian troops. After 1965 the original medieval city experienced a renaissance. Restorations of residential and commercial structures, historic monuments, and churches generated a surge in tourism and economic activity in the ancient downtown area. International tourism has boomed, and new efforts resulted in Bruges being designated 'European Capital of Culture' in 2002. It attracts some 2 million tourists annually. The port of Zeebrugge was built in 1907. The Germans"
"much more than it currently is, but these plans have yet to come to fruition. In 2005, signs were changed for the convenience of cyclists, allowing two-way cycle traffic on more streets, however car traffic has not decreased. Nevertheless, in common with many cities in the region, there are thousands of cyclists in the city of Bruges. The port of Bruges is Zeebrugge (Bruges-on-Sea). On 6 March 1987, the British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsized after leaving the port, killing 187 people, the worst disaster involving a British civilian vessel since 1919. Between 1998 and 2016 Bruges hosted"
"into De Haan) was ceded to the Arrondissement of Ostend. The Administrative Arrondissement of Bruges consists of the following municipalities: Arrondissement of Bruges The Arrondissement of Bruges (; ) is one of the eight administrative arrondissements in the Province of West Flanders, Belgium. It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement. However, the Judicial Arrondissement of Bruges also comprises the municipalities of the Arrondissement of Ostend, most of the Arrondissement of Tielt (except the municipalities of Meulebeke, Dentergem, Oostrozebeke and Wielsbeke), as well as the municipality of Lichtervelde (in the Arrondissement of Roeselare). The Arrondissement of Bruges was created"
"The facades are covered with thousands of red terracotta tiles from Saint-Omer in northern France, while the ""Lantaarntoren"" is built mainly from glass. Located close to the historic centre, the building has raises divided reactions: some like its contrasting looks, others think it does not match the architecture of the old town. Concertgebouw, Bruges The Concertgebouw (Concert building) is a cultural centre in Bruges, Belgium. Located at , it was completes in 2002 when Bruges was European Capital of Culture, designed by Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem. The building complex houses a large concert hall seating more than 1290 visitors"
"city on the coast of the English Channel in what was then the Southern Netherlands that belonged to Habsburg Spain. The French army had laid siege to Dunkirk and the Spanish army was attempting to raise the siege. A complex political situation resulted in both French and English forces fighting for both sides. When France's Louis XIV formed an alliance with Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, the exiled Charles II of England allied himself with Philip IV of Spain. Charles set up his headquarters in Bruges. The Spanish supplied only enough money to form five regiments. This was a disappointment for"
"Close to the Michelangelo statue important Brugeans are buried such as Françoise de Haveskercke, buried next to her husband in the black tomb of the Haveskercke family on the right side of the statue. Church of Our Lady, Bruges The Church of Our Lady () in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tower, at in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world (the tallest being the St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Germany). In the choir space behind the high altar are the tombs of"
"Church of Our Lady, Bruges The Church of Our Lady () in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tower, at in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world (the tallest being the St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Germany). In the choir space behind the high altar are the tombs of Charles the Bold, last Valois Duke of Burgundy, and his daughter, the duchess Mary. The gilded bronze effigies of both father and daughter repose at full length on polished slabs of black stone. Both"
"MAfestival Brugge The MAfestival Brugge, short for the festival Musica Antiqua Bruges in Bruges, Belgium, is a festival of ancient music and historically informed performances, started in 1960. The program includes concerts, master classes, conferences, visits in the region, exhibitions, instrument market, and international competitions that concentrates in a three-year cycle on organ, harpsichord, pianoforte and other period instruments, vocals, and baroque ensembles. The specialised festival is part of the Festival of Flanders. From the beginning, the organisers aimed to not simply present concerts. They wanted to show the highlights from the city's past and provide a meeting place for"
"of Belgium. With the support of the province of West Flanders, it is located at the Episcopal Seminary (Grootseminarie), the former Abbey of the Dunes of Bruges. On 9 February 2017, UNU-CRIS organized an academic session to announce the first Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations University, Ghent University, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Flemish Government. The academic session took place in the Gothic Hall of the City Hall of Bruges. The Under-Secretary-General of the UN and UNU Rector David Malone came to Bruges to celebrate this special event and to present his vision on the changing role"
"used it for their U-boats in World War I. It was greatly expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s and has become one of Europe's most important and modern ports. The municipality comprises: Bruges has an oceanic climate (Köppen ""Cfb""). Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact, making it one of the most well-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The historic centre of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Many of its medieval buildings are notable, including the Church of Our Lady, whose brick spire reaches , making it the world's second highest brick tower/building. The"
"and Lille, attracting a number of artists, bankers, and other prominent personalities from all over Europe. The weavers and spinners of Bruges were thought to be the best in the world, and the population of Bruges grew to at least 125,000 and perhaps up to 200,000 inhabitants at this time around 1400 AD. The new oil-painting techniques of the Flemish school gained world renown. The first book in English ever printed was published in Bruges by William Caxton. This is also when Edward IV and Richard III of England spent time in exile here. Starting around 1500, the Zwin channel,"
"Wevelgem<br> 59. Wielsbeke<br> 60. Wingene<br> 61. Zedelgem<br> 62. Zonnebeke<br> 63. Zuienkerke<br> 64. Zwevegem<br> West Flanders West Flanders ( ; West Flemish: ""West Vloandern""; French: ""(Province de) Flandre-Occidentale""; German: ""Westflandern"") is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the north. It has land borders with the Netherlands to the northeast, the Flemish province of East Flanders to the east, the Walloon province of Hainaut in the southeast and France to the west. Its capital is Bruges (""Brugge""). Other important cities are Kortrijk in the south and Ostend"
"so called ""outside drinkers"" found their way to Assebroek's inns till the early morning when Bruges’ city gates were opened. Many beers are named after this place (""Steenbrugge Blonde"", ""Steenbrugge Double Brown"", ""Steenbrugge Triple"" and ""Steenbrugge White"") or were locally brewed by the Regenboog Brewery (now moved to Mater). Assebroek Assebroek () is a suburb in the municipality and city of Bruges, Belgium. In 2004, Assebroek had 19,525 inhabitants. Since 1999, this number has hardly changed. Assebroek is home to 16.7% of Bruges’ population. Through artefacts retrieved near Saint-Lucas hospital (and stored at Gruuthusemuseum in Bruges) we assume that the"
"ferry capsized killing 193 people. Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (, from: ""Brugge aan zee"" meaning ""Bruges on Sea"", ) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach. Located on the coast of the North Sea, its central location on the Belgian coast, short distance to Great Britain and close vicinity to densely populated industrialised cities make Zeebrugge a crossroads for traffic from all directions. An expressway to Bruges connects"
"Blondeel. Brugse Vrije The Brugse Vrije was a castellany in the county of Flanders, often called in English 'the Franc of Bruges'. It included the area around Bruges, and was bordered by the North Sea, the Westerschelde and the Yser river. The city of Bruges was separated from the castellany in 1127. Since then the city and the Vrije were considered as separate customary law areas. The Brugse Vrije was a rich agricultural region. It had its own burgrave, who was seated at the Burg, a square in Bruges, and became part of the ""Four Members of Flanders"" at the"
"in Bruges. Brugmans died at the age of 90 years in 1997. The year after his death the College of Europe honoured Brugmans by naming that academic year the ""Brugmans promotion"" and by creating an annual lecture named after him. One of the buildings of the new Verversdijk site of the College in Bruges is also named after him. Since 2010, the students of the College of Europe have honoured him further by holding an annual football tournament named the Hendrik Brugmans Memorial Cup. The tournament includes both current and former students of the College of Europe. The Copernicus promotion"
"St. Salvator's Cathedral The Saint-Salvator Cathedral is the cathedral of Bruges, Flanders, in present-day Belgium. The cathedral is dedicated to the ""Verrezen Zaligmaker"" and Saint-Donatius of Reims. The Saint-Salvator Cathedral, the main church of the city, is one of the few buildings in Bruges that have survived the onslaught of the ages without damage. Nevertheless, it has undergone some changes and renovations. This church was not originally built to be a cathedral; it was granted the status in the 19th century. Since the 10th century the Saint-Salvator was a common parish church. At that time the Sint-Donaaskathedraal (St. Donatian's Cathedral),"
"plant is the largest BASF-base outside Germany, and accounts on its own for about 2% of Belgian exports. Other industrial and service activities include car manufacturing, telecommunications, photographic products. The port of Bruges-Zeebrugge is one of the most important, modern and fastest growing ports in Europe. It is Europe's largest port for RoRo traffic and natural gas. It also is the world's largest port for the import and export of new vehicles. Tourism is also a major component of the economy of Bruges. Due to its pristine medieval city centre, Bruges has become a popular tourist destination. Annually about 2.5"
"miles) north of its current location. It was moved because the original town site was considered a poor location. The community was the setting for the 2003 National Film Board of Canada animated short ""Louise"", which explored a day in the life of filmmaker Anita Lebeau's 96-year-old Belgian Canadian grandmother, Louise Marginet, a Bruxelles resident. Its postal code is R0G 0G0. Bruxelles, Manitoba Bruxelles is a small community located in the Rural Municipality of Lorne, Manitoba, Canada. It was founded in 1892 by Belgian immigrants. The name was chosen by Archbishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Boniface"
"Bruges derby The Bruges derby is a local football rivalry between two Belgian Pro League clubs Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge, who share the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium. The derby was first contested during the 1899-1900 season however the results of this season have been lost. The first known result was the following season in November 1900 and finished 0–0. The return fixture that season ended 2–2 but Cercle won the next five games before Club recorded their first victory with a 5–0 in October 1904. It would be the start of Club Brugge's dominance as they went"
"Damme Damme () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, six kilometres northeast of Brugge (Bruges). The municipality comprises the city of Damme proper and the villages of Hoeke, Lapscheure, Moerkerke, Oostkerke, Sijsele, , and . On 1 January 2006, the municipality had a population of 10,899. The total area is 89.52 km², giving a population density of 122 inhabitants per km². In the 13th century, Damme was the port for Bruges, to which it was linked by the river Reie. The river has now been canalised into the long, straight, treelined and picturesque Damse Vaart,"
"which was located at the very heart of Bruges, opposite of the town hall, was the central religious building of the city. In 1116 a new fire destroyed the building and in 1127 and the construction of a new larger church began in Romanesque style. In 1250 the construction of the present church was undertaken, which lasted for about a century. At the end of the 18th century the French occupiers of Bruges threw out the bishop of Bruges and destroyed the Sint-Donaaskathedraal, which was his residence. In 1834, shortly after Belgium's independence in 1830, a new bishop was installed"
"became a bastion for the Counter Reformation, while Calvinism was the main religion of those in power in the Dutch Republic. Trade in the port of Bruges and the textile industry, mostly in Ghent, turned Flanders into the wealthiest part of Northern Europe at the end of the 15th century. The Burgundian court dwelled mostly in Bruges, Ghent and Brussels. The nobles and rich traders were able to commission artists, creating a class of highly skilled painters and musicians who were admired and requested around the continent. This led to frequent exchanges between the Low Countries and Northern Italy. Examples"
"from the main shopping streets and a 20-minute walk from the Market Square. Plans for a north–south light rail connection through Bruges, from Zeebrugge to Lichtervelde, and a light rail connection between Bruges and Ostend are under construction. The national Brussels Airport, one hour away by train or car, offers the best connections. The nearest airport is the Ostend-Bruges International Airport in Ostend (around from the city centre of Bruges), but it offers limited passenger transport and connections. Recently there also started a direct bus line from Brussels South Charleroi Airport to Bruges. Bruges has an extensive web of bus"