Bruges is a picturesque city and the capital of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Deriving its name from an Old Dutch word meaning ‘bridge’, the city of Bruges became important as a centre for local commerce from the 12th century, because of the ‘Golden inlet’. However, after a slow decline from the 15th century, Bruges started gaining popularity as a tourist destination with its storybook settings and beautiful residential, commercial structures and historical monuments and churches.
Bruges
