Today’s recap is dedicated to Bruges, a city in northwestern Belgium. Bruges is the capital of the province of West Flanders in Flemish part of the country. Belgium is divided into three regions and surprisingly these regions are very different from each other. I have not spent much time in Belgium traveling through these provinces to personally witness these differences, but that has been brought up multiple times while I was there. Bruges is one of the better protected cities in Europe with unique architecture which was preserved throughout centuries. Bruges is known as a very religious and conservative city, best characterized by a movie “In Bruges”, which highlighted the coziness and ambiance of the city.

With just my luck, I have picked one of the busiest days to visit Bruges. There was a major religious holiday in Belgium that also was a day off for practically everyone in the country. And what better way to celebrate this holiday than to visit the Procession of the Holy Blood that commemorates this holiday and features a parade through the center of Bruges. Of course we have learned about the parade when we already got to the city and saw streets blocked off and huge crowds everywhere. Nevertheless, even though the city was buzzing with visitors, it was still a fun experience. The parade was a two hour long spectacle depicting the creation of Adam and Eve, the birth and life of Jesus Christ, and the Catholic relics which are located in the city. The parade also featured animals, such as camels, horses, sheep, cows and dogs. So while I was not a fan of the crowds, this was a unique opportunity to witness one of the oldest Catholic traditions in the country, as the procession dates back to Middle Ages!

Bruges is located on the bank of a river Reie and there are multiple canals running through the city. As a result, the city layout incorporates these canals into its structure with multiple promenades along the canal, beautiful tiny bridges and doors on the side of the houses facing the river for an ease of entrance from the boat. The beautiful architecture and atmosphere of the city draws thousands of tourists to the city. The flow of the visitors has been so grande, that a city of Bruges actually pulled the city advertising and is no longer promoting day trips to the city. Given that I have chosen to visit the city on a religious holiday, it is hard for me to relate to how packed Bruges is on a regular day, but it was definitely not what I expected it to be. To be fair, however, once the parade was over and some time has passed, the city was not as packed as it was before and I did get to enjoy the quaintness of this beautiful city. While Bruges is very conservative and religious, you still have a lot of places where you can enjoy fantastic Belgian beer. After all, beer is like religion in Belgium!

While my trip to Bruges was not at all what I expected it to be, I still enjoyed the city. Bruges has a unique charm that has been preserved in the structure of the city and its architecture. When you travel to Bruges, it feel like you have traveled back in time a couple of centuries. Tiny streets, few-storied houses, museum and churches are all reminders of the history that occurred here. I enjoyed Bruges far more than I enjoyed Brussels, simply due to the fact that the city was able to preserve its history and retain its appeal. If you are ever in that part of Europe, I would recommend to spend a day in Bruges and enjoy the slow paced atmosphere of the past!