Bruges is undoubtedly a heaven for tourists. The only way to describe the feeling evoked by Bruges is that time really stands still there. Its almost as if the whole city were a single huge museum or historic set piece. Even apart from its ancient monuments, it has aesthetic significance, one of the most beautiful and best preserved medieval towns of Europe. Today we might find it lucky that the River Zwyn silted up so badly in the 15th century that it became unfit for water transport. Thus the city was not industrialized in subsequent centuries either so it could keep its medieval buildings. The town also survived the two world wars without any substantial damage. There are no ill-fitting modern highrises of even street furniture, street lights of billboards here. The Saint Salvator, holy savoir cathedral is the oldest brick church in Belgium. There was a chapel on this site as early as the 7th century. The construction of the church lasted from the 12th until the 16th century and then it was modified in the 19th century. It has a peculiar 99m high Romanesque tower with little spires and shot towers.For everyone who visits Bruges, the –house lace museum is a must see place, housed in an 18th century building overlooking the river. The – museum of fine arts features a fabulous collection of works from the greatest painters of the low lands. The – museum offers a rich display of medieval objects and interiors in its 22 maze like wooden beamed halls. The constructions of the red bricked church of Our Lady spent 200 years so its no wonder that its characterized by a mix of architectural styles. The unadorned interior with the snow white walls and pillars is reminiscent of the early medieval times but its side chapels and pulpits are embellished in the over decorated style of the baroque era. At the turn of the 20th century during a renovation, efforts were made to restore the medieval style of the building. Its church spire reaches up to 222m, only 1m lower than that of the Antwerp cathedral.The most valuable artifact of the church is a sculpture, the Madonna and Child by Michael Angelo. Thats the masters only creation that ever left Italy in his lifetime. It was bought by two wealthy Flemish merchants, Giovanni and Alessandro Moscheroni and donated as a gift to their home town. The fresco of King St. Louis is a worthy sight. The church is also home to the mausoleum of Charles the bold, duke of burgundy and his daughter, Marie who died in a horse accident. The graves are guarded by a beautiful driftage of -- and orley. In the stone exhibit under the arcades of the parochial building surrounding the church, high reliefs and column fragments are on display. A monastery and a seminary are hidden in the maze like red brick side wings.Bruges is surrounded by an oval shaped open ditch that follows the line of the former city walls. You can tour the city by boat or walking along the canals just like in Venice. In the Benelux countries, Bruges is considered the rightful holder of the name Venice of the north. A glimpse of the medieval houses reflected in the water of the River Dijver justifies this belief. The canals were carved out by the sea that often flooded the entire town as well. The first mention of the settlement dates back to the 7th century. In order to protect the town from the attacks of the Norsemen from the sea, a fortress was built. Seamen, merchants, craftsmen, peasants, cattle breeders and fishermen brought their goods to the walls of the castle. Then as more and more people settled down in the area, the town gradually formed around the castle. The natural canals were regulated and the surrounding areas were developed. Everything the land of Flanders offered could be transported quickly and cheaply by water. That way their good reached England, France and German. The Genoese, Venetian and Spanish ships brought people, goods and ideas from abroad. The textile industry and architecture flourished since the rich merchants commissioned gorgeous palaces and public buildings.Of course, there were poor people at that time as well. They lived in the long low, white washed houses of the --. The best folk museum in Flanders is housed in these buildings with an exhibit on life in the 17th century. Traditional house interiors, furniture, fixtures and personal articles are on display here and in the workshops you can see craftsmen working with period tools including a tanner, a smith, a potter, a weaver and a carpenter. The king of France had his eye on the city and attempted to conquer it several times. In 1302, the French cavalry charged to overtake it but suffered a crushing defeat. Decades went by before they got a chance to take revenge. In the 15th century, the city started to decline due to a bad business decision. In order to protect its own industries Bruges banned the import of English wool and cloth. However, the citys eternal rival Antwerp did not. To make things worse the River Zwyn silted up and became unnavigable thereby making the port inaccessible to the merchant ships. Although the city council issued a decree on the construction of a new canal, it was never realized.The center of Hanseatic trade and thus most of the merchants moved from Bruges to Antwerp. The city became depopulated and sank into a several century long Cinderella sleep. The construction of the 10km long and 70m wide canal was carried out only four centuries later to reconnect the city with the sea and through it with the world. In the last half of the 19th century, Bruges became the tourist destination as we know it today. A multitude of visitors curious to see the waterloo battlefield stop by in Bruges on the way and were greatly impressed by the beauty if this intact medieval city. Among the visitors was Sir Walter Scott, the famous Scottish author of historical novels who picked a few of the weapons left behind on the battlefield with his own hands to display the collection in the knights hall in his own home. He spoke highly of Bruges as he found the historical milieu of the city truly fascinating.Anyone whos once taken a walk or a sightseeing tour around Bruges by boat or carriage is probably of the same opinion. The quaint charm of the medieval houses is almost nonexistent in Europe anymore. Here we can discover a completely different world. The world of our grandfathers and great grandfathers. Its well worth disconnecting from the 21st century for a moment to stop and smell the fresh air of medieval times. The Burg is a pleasant cobbled square that used to be the civic and religious center of Bruges. The old fortified castle around which the city was built also stood here. The spired façade of town hall was completed in 1375. The square holds an array of the most beautiful buildings of the city. The Flemish and Vologne flags along with the national crest of Belgium on the top of the town hall as with any other public building in the country indicate that Belgium was built and is inhabited by two equal nations.Next to town hall and tucked in the southwest corner of the Burg is the Basilica of the Holy Blood. It was named after its most treasured relic, a few drops of Christs blood brought here by Thierry, count of Flanders after the second crusade between 1150 and 1200. The town hall has been serving in this function since 1375. Its also home to the mayors office and the wedding hall. The foyer and the gothic conference rooms are open to visitors all year. The ceiling is adorned by splendid wood carving while the walls feature a series of paintings depicting the citys history. The modern statues on the façade were created in the 60s to replace the original ones that were destroyed by the French army.The statue in the middle of the markt is a monument erected to Johan Bridle and Peter de Koenig who led the 1302 uprising against the French and died a heroic death in the battle. With one exception, all the buildings of the markt or main square were built in the 17th century. The oldest building is the house Bouchet where King Charles II also lived during his exile in 1656 and 57. On the east side of the markt stands the provincial hoff that served as a warehouse for the goods brought to town by the ships. The office of the governor of West Flanders was also located in this neogothic complex.To the right, the sprawling building of the post office is grand enough to qualify as a palace. The 83m high belfry towering over the square is the Belfort. its the most famous landmark of the city and of course, it also operates as an observatory. The charter defining the citys rights and privileges including its right to free trade were kept here. Now, theyre safe guarded at the town hall. In the village of Dame, located 5km from Bruges is the alleged gravesite of the legendary folktale hero, Teloilan Schpeigl although its not know whether he was actually a real person or only the creature of Charles Kosters fantasy. Belgium has a special heritage that has almost died out in todays Europe and that is our own medieval history.