Fairy Tale Guesthouse in Medieval Bruges (Brugge)
- Visiting Bruges-la-Morte, a medieval ghost city
One of those many timeless carriages, which are available to tourists, stopped for me. The coachman looked very, very old... but he offered me kindly a free ride. 'Sir,' I said, 'you who drives day and... - Bruges-la-Morte, by Georges Rodenbach
In 1892 Georges Rodenbach published his masterpiece Bruges-la-Morte. The short novel immediately was acknowledged as one of the greatest achievements of the - The Love Lake Succubus of Bruges-la-Morte
In folklore and medieval legends a succubus is a frightening demon who takes the form of a woman to seduce men in dreams and have sexual intercourse. In modern times, a succubus is often depicted as highly... - The Holy Blood of Bruges, a New Jerusalem
The Holy Blood of Christ seems to have turned medieval Bruges (in Flanders, Belgium) into a Holy City. It's what, since the 19th century, made tourism popular in Bruges. But maybe this Holy City is not as holy as it seems... - The Holy Sepulchre of Bruges-la-Morte
Visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Bruges-La-Morte, the Venice of the North, is a strange and morbid experience. Not only because the Holy Grave is to be found here, or a statue of the dead Christ,...
Guesthouse Nuit Blanche (that's French, and it means "white night", or "sleepless night") leads you straight into another time and another place. It's like stepping through a magic mirror, from your own well known and modern 21st century city, into the old city of Bruges (in Flanders, Belgium)... And further still, into the mirage of a medieval "Bruges-la-Morte", this Magical City of Phantoms and Fantastic Fairy Tales...
Along Bruges' most picturesque canals, the Bed & Breakfast Nuit Blanche seems to be melted together with the legendary Bonifacius Bridge, also known as the Bridge of Love. The guesthouse is surrounded by the magnificent Church of Our Lady (with a beautiful Madonna & Child by Michelangelo) and the city's main art and history museums, such as the Gruuthuse, Arentshuis and Groeninge.
The unique stained-glass windows of the two rooms of Nuit Blanche go way back to the fifteenth century. They give you really magical views: upon the canals, upon the Church of Our Lady, upon the medieval garden of the guesthouse, inspired by the paintings of the Flemish Primitives. Winston Churchill, the Belgian royals and other famous guests loved to have "a sleepless night" in this wonderful old house, with its "medieval room" and its "gothic room". They both look like the scenery of a Van Eyck painting.
Your host is also a painter - not a Flemish Primitive, but a Flemish Mystic. David De Graef is internationally renowned for his visionary art. He will give you all the information you need for a cute little gastronomic city trip through Bruges-la-Morte, that will lead you along the highlights of the Venice of the North.
Belgium has a Dutch (Flemish) and a French speaking part. Bruges (Brugge) is in the Dutch speaking part, called Flanders.
Start your day with a healthy breakfast in the fairy tale guesthouse of David De Graef... You will need it!
Visit the Bourg with the Chapel of the Holy Blood and have a lunch in one of the many restaurants on the nearby Market of the Venice of the North...
Close the day in the oldest pub of Bruges-la-Morte, maybe even of the world, continuously open since 1515... Café Vlissinghe!
Here you will find the mysterious Jerusalem Church, with a copy of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Here's the charming and romantic and the absolutely lovely Love Lake!
From the fairy tale guesthouse Nuit Blanche, you can start a magical mystery tour through Bruges. Some call it the Venice of the North, others "Bruges-la-Morte", because of the famous novel written by Georges Rodenbach and published in 1892. In his book he depicted Bruges as "a City of Death". David De Graef is often visited by a Venetian Lady, who can take you on a real spooky ghost city trip, to meet and greet the Phantoms of Bruges-la-Morte, and play a little "mystery city game". Get more information here.
The city game will lead you to some other wonders of Bruges, such as the charming and romantic, absolutely lovely Love Lake. You will follow the Venetian Lady to the Market Place with its many, many restaurants... and once you're there, don't forget Belgium is famous because of its French fries (in fact a Belgian invention!), its chocolates, its wafers and... its beer!
Maybe you want to see the Chapel of the Holy Blood, on the Bourg, and the Jerusalem Church with the Holy Sepulchre - a true copy of the one in the Holy City itself. And why not enjoy, until closing time, in the oldest pub of Bruges - and maybe even of the whole world! - one or two of these wonderful Belgian beers? We suggest to try a Duvel (that's a Devil) or an abbey beer, but nu more than two!
Cheers!
Photo's copyright by the Lost Dutchman and:
Continuously open since 1515
If you ask it friendly, the Venetian Lady will undoubtedly lead you to the oldest pub of Bruges and one of the oldest in the world. She'll show you Café Vlissinghe, situated in one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods of the city, where - of course - beer is served, or a light lunch, in the amazing house itself, or in the fabulous beer garden. The pub is open since 1515... continuously!