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    Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges & Ghent (Travel Guide eBook)
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges & Ghent (Travel Guide eBook)
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges & Ghent (Travel Guide eBook)
    Ebook410 pages2 hours

    Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges & Ghent (Travel Guide eBook)

    By Berlitz

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    About this ebook

    Bruges and Ghent are two of Belgium's most attractive cities, and both have much to tempt the visitor: winding cobbled streets that sit side-by-side with canals are overlooked by Gothic buildings; the streets are lined with cafes and bars that are cosy during the winter, and spill out onto the street during the summer. Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges and Ghent is a concise, full-colour travel guide that combines lively text with vivid photography to highlight the best that these two cities have to offer.

    Inside Bruges and Ghent Pocket Guide:
    Where To Go details all the key sights across the two cities, while handy maps on the cover flaps help you find your way around, and are cross-referenced to the text.
    Top 10 Attractions gives a run-down of the best sights to take in on your trip, including the Belfry of Bruges, the Groeningemuseum and St Bravo's Cathedral.
    Perfect Tour provides an itinerary of both cities.
    What To Do is a snapshot of ways to spend your spare time, from marveling at the 10th-century Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, to visiting a the Boudewijn Seapark, an old world theme park in Bruges
    Essential information on Belgian culture, including a brief history of the country.
    Eating Out covers the best cuisine and restaurants in the two cities.
    Curated listings of the best hotels and restaurants.
    A-Z of all the practical information you'll need.
    About Berlitz: Berlitz draws on years of travel and language expertise to bring you a wide range of travel and language products, including travel guides, maps, phrase books, language-learning courses, dictionaries and kids' language products.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInsight Guides
    Release dateFeb 1, 2018
    ISBN9781785730924
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges & Ghent (Travel Guide eBook)
    Author

    Berlitz

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      Book preview

      Berlitz Pocket Guide Bruges & Ghent (Travel Guide eBook) - Berlitz

      How To Use This E-Book

      Getting Around the e-Book

      This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Bruges, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

      The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Bruges, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

      In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

      Maps

      All key attractions and sights in Bruges are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

      Images

      You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Bruges. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

      About Berlitz Pocket Guides

      The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

      Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

      Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

      © 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

      Table of Contents

      Bruges’s Top 10 Attractions

      Top Attraction #1

      Top Attraction #2

      Top Attraction #3

      Top Attraction #4

      Top Attraction #5

      Top Attraction #6

      Top Attraction #7

      Top Attraction #8

      Top Attraction #9

      Top Attraction #10

      A Perfect Day In Bruges

      Introduction

      A Brief History

      The Kingdom of the Franks

      The Golden Age of Bruges

      The Habsburgs

      The Reformation

      War of the Spanish Succession

      French Invasion and Independence

      Armageddon – Twice

      Regionalisation

      Historical Landmarks

      Where To Go

      South from the Markt

      The Burg

      Around Vismarkt

      The Groeninge Museum

      The Arentshuis

      The Gruuthuse Museum

      Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk

      Sint-Janshospitaal

      Around Mariastraat

      The Begijnhof

      Minnewater

      Katelijnestraat

      West from the Markt

      Around ’t Zand Square

      North from the Markt

      Jan van Eyckplein

      East of Jan van Eyckplein

      West of Jan van Eyckplein

      North of Jan van Eyckplein

      Excursions

      Damme

      Dudzele

      Lissewege

      Zeebrugge

      De Haan

      Oostende (Ostend)

      Veurne

      Ypres and Flanders Fields

      The War Cemeteries

      Sint-Andries

      Tillegembos

      Kasteel Loppem

      Ghent

      Sint-Baafskathedraal

      The Belfort and Lakenhalle

      Botermarkt and Hoogpoort

      Korenlei and Graslei

      North of Korenlei

      Gravensteen

      From Kraanlei to Vrijdagmarkt

      Around Veldstraat

      Fine Arts Museums

      Sint-Pietersplein

      What To Do

      Shopping

      Where to Shop

      Good Buys

      Entertainment

      Nightlife

      Sports

      Activities for Children

      Calendar of Events

      Eating Out

      Restaurants and Bars

      Breakfast

      Cold Dishes

      Fish and Shellfish

      Meat and Poultry

      Vegetables and Salads

      Cheese

      Desserts and Pâtisseries

      Snacks

      Vegetarians

      Drinks

      Reading the Menu

      To Help you Order

      Menu Reader

      Restaurants

      Bruges

      Ghent

      A–Z Travel Tips

      A

      Accommodation (see also Camping, Youth Hostels, and the Recommended hotels chapter)

      Airport

      B

      Bicycle rental

      Budgeting for your trip

      C

      Camping

      Car hire (see also Driving)

      Climate

      Clothing

      Crime and safety (see also Police)

      D

      Disabled travellers

      Driving (see also Car hire)

      E

      Electricity

      Embassies and consulates

      Emergencies (see also Health and Police)

      G

      Gay and lesbian travellers

      Getting there

      Guides and tours

      H

      Health and medical care (see also Emergencies)

      L

      Language

      M

      Maps

      Media

      Money

      O

      Opening times

      P

      Police (see also Emergencies)

      Post offices

      Public holidays

      R

      Religion

      T

      Telephones

      Time zones

      Tipping

      Toilets

      Tourist information

      Transport

      V

      Visas and entry requirements

      W

      Websites

      Y

      Youth hostels

      Recommended Hotels

      Bruges

      Ghent

      Dictionary

      English–Dutch

      Dutch–English

      Bruges’s Top 10 Attractions

      Top Attraction #1

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      The Begijnhof

      A peaceful retreat in the heart of the city. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #2

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk

      One of Bruges’s finest churches. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #3

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Canals

      Cruising the waterways is a relaxing way to enjoy the historic sights. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #4

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Bell Tower

      The 13th-century structure looms over the city. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #5

      Jerry Dennis/Apa Publications

      Groeningemuseum

      Works by Flemish masters. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #6

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Gravensteen

      A 12th-century fortress in the heart of Ghent. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #7

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Huis Ter Beurze

      An elegant 15th-century mansion. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #8

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Stadhuis

      The gilded Gothic Town Hall. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #9

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Sint-Janshospitaal

      Discover masterpieces by the painter Hans Memling in the old hospital’s church. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #10

      Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

      Basilica of the Holy Blood

      Stands guard over the holiest relic in Bruges. For more information, click here.

      A Perfect Day In Bruges

      9.00am

      Breakfast

      For breakfast in a splendid setting, go to the Art Nouveau De Medici Sorbetière at Geldmuntstraat 9.

      10.00am

      The Markt

      Stroll into the nearby Markt for a turn around the magnificent market square. Take in the Belfort and medieval buildings, then discover what 13th-century Bruges was like, inside the Historium.

      11.00am

      The Burg

      The historic square contains the Romanesque Basiliek van het Heilig-Bloed, the lovely Gothic Stadhuis and the Baroque Proosdij.

      12.30pm

      Lunch

      Breydel-De Coninc (tel: 050-33 97 46; for more information, click here) in Breidelstraat is a good traditional restaurant. For something more sophisticated, go down Blinde-Ezelstraat and cross the canal to the Vismarkt (Fish Market) for the highly regarded seafood restaurant De Visscherie (tel: 050-33 02 12; for more information, click here).

      2.00pm

      Groeninge

      Head along the canal on photogenic Rozenhoedkaai and tree-shaded Dijver, then turn left into Groeninge. If you visit only one museum in Bruges, this should be it. The collection of paintings by medieval Flemish Primitives is world-class, including Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Rogier van der Weyden and Gerard David, among others.

      3.00pm

      Culture fix

      If you fancy more culture, or you missed out on the Groeninge, cross the pretty little Boniface Bridge and continue to the Gothic Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady). The church is worth visiting for its Madonna and Child sculpture by Michelangelo. The church’s 122m (400-ft) -tall brick tower is the second-tallest of its kind in the world, and once served as an inland lighthouse for ships on their way to Bruges.

      4.30pm

      Towards the Begijnhof

      Across the street is Sint-Janshospitaal, whose old church houses works by Hans Memling. By way of the Halve Maan brewery, you arrive at the pretty courtyard of the Unesco-listed Begijnhof.

      6.00pm

      The Lake of Love

      Just south of the Begijnhof, the Minnewater lake can be imaginatively translated as the ‘Lake of Love’, though it probably takes its name from Bruges’ medieval Binnen Water (Inner Harbour). On its east bank is a handsome park and the Kasteel Minnewater château. Take a stroll around here and the neighbourhood by the lake’s eastern shore.

      8.00pm

      Dinner

      If you want to dine in this area, off the north end of the Minnewater you will find the traditional Flemish restaurant Maximiliaan van Oostenrijk (tel: 050-33 47 23; for more information, click here). Alternatively, return to the Vismarkt for dinner at Huidevettershuis (tel: 050-33 95 06; for more information, click here), which is set within a medieval guild house.

      Introduction

      For thousands of years Belgium has been coveted, invaded and fought over by Europe’s great powers. Steeped in history and legend, the country was the site of numerous bloody battles, particularly in the northern region of Flanders. Once ignored in favour of other holiday destinations, Belgium’s charm is no longer a secret and its historic towns, first-class museums, hearty food, rich beers and ancient architecture are well-known. Most beautiful of all these attractions is Bruges, Europe’s best-preserved medieval city and the capital of West Flanders, one of Belgium’s 11 provinces.

      Its gabled houses, meandering canals, and narrow pedestrianized cobblestone streets combine to create one of Europe’s most romantic towns. Misleading talk of the ‘Venice of the North’ or ‘Belgium’s Amsterdam’ does nothing to capture the city’s soul. The pride of Flanders is unique, not some pale imitation of another place.

      Bruges’ egg-shaped historic centre is contained by a 7km (4.3-mile) -long ‘ring canal’, which traces the route of the former defensive outer ramparts. A ring road follows this perimeter boundary and keeps most traffic away from the centre.

      The city’s history is evident everywhere; in its streets and buildings, its art, culture and festivals. Bruges is so picturesque that it is hard to imagine the filth, dirt and disease that would have been a standard part of life here in the Middle Ages. It has an effortless charm that casts its spell on visitors almost immediately, thanks to its compact geography, easily explored on foot, by bike, or even on the water.

      Getting around

      There is no need to drive in Bruges: the city is compact and canal-side roads and paths make for excellent walking and cycling.

      Water forms an important part of the landscape and economy of Bruges. Canals link the city to the coast and important industrial centres in Belgium and around Europe. A leisurely cruise along the canals is an experience not to be missed, and one of the best ways of viewing the wonderful cityscape.

      It is people, of course, who constitute a city: there are about 20,000 living in the historic centre. Most of Belgium’s population is Roman Catholic, and the virtues of community cohesion in work and play make up much of what it means to be Flemish. Tradition and family life are important, and people take their work and pleasures seriously, which explains why Belgium produces more than 450 different beers.

      Museums figure prominently in Belgium; the Belgians, at least in their civic life, have a passion for collecting and recording. Bruges shares this national characteristic, with some superb museums and galleries. It also has a rich calendar of events (for more information, click here), including the spectacular Procession of the Holy Blood.

      Easy To Explore

      Belgium is a compact country (less than 280km/174 miles across at its widest point), so nowhere is very far away. Most of the excursions in this guide are within a few miles of Bruges or Ghent, themselves connected by a reliable half-hour train journey. Those a little farther away are still easily accessible, thanks to the country’s superb railways. In 1835 Belgium ran the first train in continental Europe, and standards are still high.

      Eating and drinking are mostly hearty events and form an important part of life. Belgian cuisine is justly famous throughout the world, both for its quality and its quantity (you will never go hungry in Belgium), and there are plenty of fine restaurants in Bruges. An intrinsic part of everyday eating is

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