Bruges City Hall

The monumental town hall (1376-1421) is one of the oldest in the Netherlands .

The elegant, slender facade has six Gothic window niches. During a general restoration in 1854-1871, about 180 neo-Gothic statues were placed to replace the destroyed statues in 1792. These have been replaced by new ones since 1989.

The building inspired master builders of the town halls in Brussels, Ghent, Leuven and Oudenaarde.

From here, the city has been governed for more than 600 years. An absolute must is the Gothic Hall with its impressive vault and 20th-century murals about the history of Bruges. In the historic room next door, even more Bruges administrative history comes to life thanks to original documents and paintings. On the ground floor you come face to face with life- size portraits of rulers: mayors, kings, emperors and even Napoleon.

The Bruges city council still meets monthly in the Gothic hall. In this impressive setting, hundreds of couples in love also promise each other eternal fidelity.

Willem Vandenameele