On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Lars and I finally made it back to Brugge. It was about time to introduce him to iconic places such as the Minnewater and the canals.
Adding to the romantic feeling of the canals is the presence of many swans. And as you can see, there were lots of people around!
It was about time to cross the bridge and have a look at the "begijnhof".
But what exactly is a "begijnhof" or beguinage? According to Wikipedia,
A beguinage, from the French term béguinage, is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world.
There are many Belgian towns with a beguinage, but the one in Brugge is one of the most popular. By the way, the beguinages are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
And then we crossed the same bridge again and had a stroll through the streets of Brugge.
The boat trips on the canals are very popular and are available in many languages. As you can see on the pictures, you can also explore the city with a horse and carriage as well. Don't understand French or Dutch? As good as everybody who is involved in tourism speaks English.
Wonder why Lars was standing so far away from the horse? He was afraid that the animal was going to bite him. Don't worry: that didn't happen.
Our last stop of the day was near the Minnewater, which literally means Lake of Love. The building you see on the other side of the lake is a castle. By the way, there are different explanations for the word "Minnewater"; the most popular one is a tragic love story about a woman called Minna.
If you want to see this same part of Brugge as we did, we advise you to go the city by train. When you leave the station, cross the big lane at the entrance and then take the first or second street on your right.
